A Louisiana tavern steeped in the music and heritage of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Jewel of the South has been named the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award as part of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024. 50 Best speaks to owner and head bartender Chris Hannah to discover the secrets behind the jewel in its crown: a very special brand of Southern charm
If you walk past the artists on Jackson Square and the caramel-coloured walls of St Louis Cathedral, weaving your way through the busking musicians spilling jazz from the sidewalk, and make it to the fringe of the French Quarter, you’ll come across a classic creole cottage with powder blue shutters. This is Jewel of the South, a gem of the New Orleans cocktail scene that is serving up exceptional liquid libations with a side of its own brand of Southern hospitality – the kind of hospitality and service that word travels far and wide about.
Jewel (as it is widely known) was bought to life in 2019 by Chris Hannah and Nick Detrich. While Detrich has parted ways with the bar, Hannah has remained as a regular fixture behind the stick and as chief purveyor of Jewel’s philosophy of using hospitality to bring people together to celebrate, commiserate and communicate. This carefully crafted combination has proved a winning recipe, earning Jewel of the South the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award as part of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024.
From bar back to front of house
Hannah’s childhood wasn’t flooded with dinner parties or cocktail events, and restaurant visits as a family were few and far between. In fact, Hannah’s parents don’t drink alcohol at all. He was first enamoured by hospitality when he watched Casablanca and was fascinated with American expatriate Rick Blaine and the warmth of the world he’d created in his war-time speakeasy and gambling den, ‘Rick’s Café Américain’. It wasn’t the glitz and illicit glamour that spoke to him, however, it was the act of bringing people together and helping them that appealed. “I just wanted to do what he [Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart] was doing because it meant you could be part of that scene, serving guests and helping to create that atmosphere of fun and freedom,” he says.
Jewel of the South co-founder Chris Hannah began his hospitality career washing dishes
Hannah grew his career in the hospitality sector from humble roots. His first job was washing dishes in a bar called Locke’s Point in North Carolina before graduating to line work for six years. He finally gained a taste of front of house as a bar back in Baltimore, which reaffirmed his passion for being in the thick of it, serving both guests and drinks: “I felt like this was where I was meant to be and like I was finally part of the party.”
“It was always service that I was most interested in,” he continues. “I used to write tips for visitors on where to go on napkins – I wanted them to have the best time while they were in my city, so I always recommended my friends’ bars where I knew they would have good service.” Even 15 years later, people tell Hannah they still have the napkins he scribbled on, kept as treasured souvenirs.
When life gives you lemons, make a French 75
It’s hard to escape Hannah’s connection to the French 75. After working at Arnaud’s eponymous bar French 75 bar in New Orleans for 15 years, he has poured countless glasses of the classic cocktail, but is perhaps most famous for bringing a distinctly Southern version of it to New Orleans – adding cognac to give it a Louisiana accent. 
Hannah's rendition of the French 75 is renowned across the world
Hannah is so synonymous with the French 75 that he serves it even when he’s not in his own bar, “I was in High Five bar in Tokyo and the woman sitting next to me asked the bartender for a French 75. He saw me and said she should ask the guy next to her if he’d come behind the bar and make it – and I did,” he explains.
“I always say when life gives you lemons, you should make a French 75!”
Behind the music
There’s a story behind everything at Jewel, which is unsurprising for a bar steeped in musical and literary history at the epicentre of New Orleans’ jazz district. Books are dotted on every coffee table and Hannah himself is surrounded by records and novels in his own home, using the stories and characters woven into the pages and score sheets to create complex cocktails that each come with their own narrative.
Jewel’s bourbon and bitters-heavy Night Tripper cocktail was inspired by Hannah’s love of the late jazz musician Dr. John. “He’s one of my heroes. I told him about Night Tripper and how I named it after seeing him on a float at Mardi Gras. He loved it and asked for the recipe to give to his daughter, who was a bartender in Vegas, so she could make it for him too.”
Expect jazz and convivial atmosphere every day at Jewel
The rhythm of greeting guests and shaking drinks in the bar is all set to a well-orchestrated syncopated symphony. It’s punctuated by top notes of calling out ‘hellos’ to guests as they walk through the doors and thrumming with a consistent bass note of convivial chatter.
For General Manager Paul Greagoff, the art of hospitality must be part of your DNA. “It’s part of what we do every day. The act of hospitality is something that’s within you – it’s not something that can be taught but that you learn over time through experiences with customers,” he says.
“It’s really about engaging with the guests. You have to anticipate and learn what people might need and the thing that might make them feel special when they are in your space.”
The kindness of strangers
The phrase ‘good old fashioned Southern hospitality’ can conjure Scarlett O’Hara-esque stereotypes of sultry summer evenings spent on porches sipping sweet tea. Hannah and Greagoff’s version of classic hospitality is still soaked in this almost syrupy warmth, but comes with an earthier, more grounded application.
“The term Southern hospitality is thrown around a lot,” says Hannah. “For me, it means the goodness and the kindness that is involved in service. It’s very much the history of serving strangers who are wandering through your town, making sure they have a full belly and a good drink and some decent conversation. It’s all about leaving them in better spirits than when they walked in.”
Southern hospitality extends beyond its associated stereotypes
Hannah is not a showman by nature, in fact, he actively eschews the spotlight, preferring to find out more about his guests over a quiet drink. This is reflected in Jewel’s peculiarly quiet charm and thoughtful service. Where Hannah is the master of the show is behind the bar, acting as conductor and composer, with everyone welcome to watch: “When I am behind the bar, it’s like everyone is in my home,” he adds, with the joy evident in his voice.
It's less about relying on the kindness of strangers at Jewel of the South and more about the confidence of knowing you’re going to be among old friends by the time you’ve drained the last vestiges of your Sazerac.
Now watch the video with Jewel of the South’s Hannah and Greagoff:
The list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024, sponsored by Perrier, will be revealed at a live awards ceremony at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende on Tuesday 23rd April 2024. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date with all the news and announcements.
