The Americans were outnumbered, outclassed, and outgunned. On the day of the battle, the war had officially ended, but the news didn’t make it to New Orleans. Jean made a simple request that he and his men receive a presidential pardon for their crimes. Jackson would clearly walk away from the bigger loser if no deal was made, but Lafitte wasn’t going to lose his livelihood or his life. Jackson was looking at the possibility of the British establishing a foothold on American soil. Jean was facing imprisonment and possible execution for his crimes. The Old Absinthe House in 1955.īoth men were trying to gain the upper hand in the bargain, and both had a lot to lose. Lafitte’s ships sat empty in the New Orleans harbor, with not nearly enough men to man them. Jackson, on the other hand, came to New Orleans to prepare the city for battle and found it dangerously undefended. Navy, and most of his ships were confiscated. Lafitte had recently suffered a heavy loss to the U.S. The Americans were vastly outnumbered, and they needed all the men they could get. Jackson was coming to Lafitte for help in the upcoming Battle of New Orleans. and Great Britain clashed over territorial rights, Major General Andrew Jackson and wanted pirate Jean Lafitte was calmly having a conversation over a few drinks in the Old Absinthe House. So much so that the bar changed its name to The Absinthe House in 1874. Tourists came from all over to chase “The Green Fairy.” It was during this time when bar mixologist Cayetano Ferrer created the bar’s signature drink, the Absinthe House Frappe. In 1846, Absinthe became hugely popular in New Orleans. The bar became insanely popular in New Orleans, with tourists and locals alike often spending all night drinking. In those days, one went to a coffee house not just for coffee but for other vices as well. They called the bar Aleix’s Coffee House. Pedro Front and Francisco Juncadelia were former grocers who made a small fortune importing fine wine and tobacco products. ![]() In 1806, two men from Spain rebuilt the bar, beginning a legacy that would last centuries. Ironically, the only part of the building that still stood was the fireplace, an eerie sight for former bar patrons. It fared quite well for about 36 years until the Great Friday Fire of 1788, which consumed the entire city of New Orleans. The first bar to occupy 240 Bourbon Street was built in 1752. Patrons who try a world famous Absinthe House Frappe are sure to have an enhanced spiritual experience. The ghosts of pirate Jean Lafitte, former president Andrew Jackson, and voodoo queen Marie Leveau have all been spotted. Being such an old bar, it goes without saying that the Absinthe House is haunted. Locals say that “Everyone you have ever known or ever will know, eventually ends up at the Old Absinthe House.” The quote refers to the number of celebrities and politicians that have come through the doors of the bar, from Mark Twain to Robert E. But the Absinthe House survived, running a speakeasy at a nearby location. Some radicals even planned to burn it down. By the time Prohibition rolled around, the bar was the go-to spot in town for a drink, and for Prohibitionists, the building represented the debauchery that came with alcohol. Thanks to Lafitte, the Americans were able to drive the British out of New Orleans and once again take control of the Mississippi River. ![]() During the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson enlisted the help of legendary pirate Jean Lafitte, and the Absinthe House is where they had their meeting. Two Spaniards brought the bar back to life and made the Old Absinthe House one of the city’s coolest bars. Among the oldest bars in New Orleans, the Old Absinthe Bar goes back to 1752, though it was out of commission for a few years after the building burned down. ![]() The absinthe they serve is the real thing too, not some cheap imitation. The Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street is a New Orleans icon.
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