In the early 1800's, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, an apothecary, gained fame in New Orleans not for the drugs he dispensed, but for the compounding of a liquid tonic called bitters. These bitters, good for what ailed one, irrespective of malady, gave an added zest to the potions of cognac he served in his pharmacy. Cognac had long been a popular drink in the numerous coffee houses of New Orleans, and presently customers began demanding their brandy spiked with a dash of the marvelous Peychaud's Bitters. The zest of Peychaud's Bitters gives drink and food has given it an honored place in famous gourmet recipes the world over.