The premier of all cocktails festivals Tales of the Cocktail celebrates the drink that tradition tells us was invented in New Orleans. What you will encounter here are hundreds of opportunities for industry professionals from bartenders, and mixologists, to distillers, to exchange new ideas, techniques and products. This is the leading conference in the drinks industry.
This is the most important global gathering of bartenders and spirits professionals. The week long fest is very fun but it is very busy with all the excellent events that are in the offing. Part of the magic of Tales is just being in this incredible city. Bartenders from Singapore, from London, from Hong Kong, from Kiev, it’s a cross section of hospitality professionals and also just enthusiasts who come to this event year after year!
This history of the cocktail goes back to the early 1800s when a pharmacist in New Orleans mixed and alcoholic and bitters libation to relieve and upset stomach. Well, that’s the story anyway.
“A highlight is The Bar Room Brawl, pitting six bartender contenders on a libation smack down that always entertains. Seminar topics are an intriguing mash up of serious and whimsical, ala Russian Drinking Culture and The Drunken Botanist. So have a pisco sour and get in on the fun.”
There are bar crawls in hotels and restaurants and tours of different venues that contributed to the development of the cocktail. Several excellent restaurants present their prix fixe menu during this event. You’ll also find lectures, seminars, dinner pairings, cooking and shaking demos and more!
Did we say you don’t have to be in the drinks industry to participate in this? Maybe you are just a cocktails connoisseur and want to learn how to make better and unusual drinks for friends and family.
Although this is a ticketed event the opening night street party in the Quarter is open to all comers. This is another reason to come and celebrate New Orleans in the summer. Yes, it will probably be hot but that’s summer in New Orleans and what better way to cool off than with a cool refreshing cocktail.
