Mixology pro Ian Julian has been slinging drinks in New Orleans for more than a decade. Before landing at Fritai, he started off wanting to go to culinary school, but switched gears in favor of bartending school, where he met his now-mentor, Daniel Victory.
After helping open a cocktail lounge and a bar in the Crescent City’s Hyatt Regency, the pandemic found him teaching at the school he graduated from, the Crescent School of
Gaming and Bartending.
Then, a new opportunity fell into Julian’s lap when a friend introduced him to Charly Pierre, whose resumé includes stints at New Orleans mainstays Sucre and Angeline (now closed). Pierre was in the process of opening a brick-and-mortar of Fritai, his popular food stall at St. Roch Market—Julian jumped on board to run the bar program and the restaurant opened in May 2021.
“I definitely liked Caribbean-style cocktails, I’ve always liked the flavor profile, and I took it upon myself to take a leap of faith,” he says. At Fritai, Julian crafts drinks that reflect the Haitian influence Pierre brings to the menu—tropical fruits, aromatic syrups, and dark rums steal the show. Here, he gives us three Haitian-inspired riffs on classic warm-weather drinks: the caipirinha, daiquiri, and Pimm’s cup.
HAITIAN COCKTAILS FROM IAN JULIAN OF FRITAI
Spicy Island Breeze
Ditch the office and kick back with a spicy island breeze cocktail. Sip on the Haitian-inspired riffs that will take you on a trip to the Caribbean. The heat of the spicy bonnet pepper are cooled by the sweetness of ripened mango.
Fritai Fruit Cup
This fruit punch is great for parties that need a little extra freshness. Go on a trip to the Caribbean with this Haitian inspired riff that will have you ready for vacation.
Clairinha
Try the Clairinha for an easy-going cocktail. Julian offers a Caribbean play on the caipirnha, a Brazilian cocktail that combines a sugarcane liqueur called cachaça for with muddled sugar and lime.
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