Tales of the Cocktail 2023.
Tales of the Cocktail 2023, a vibrant annual event in New Orleans, immersed attendees in a dynamic mix of seminars, tastings, and networking. From its historic French Quarter backdrop to global connections celebrated at the Spirited Awards, the event showcased cocktail culture's essence through a blend of education, connection, and celebration.
Tales of the Cocktail 2023
Tales of the Cocktail, an internationally renowned event, annually transforms New Orleans into a hub of mixology mastery, drawing professionals and enthusiasts from the global hospitality and spirits industry. Against the backdrop of the historic French Quarter, this celebration of cocktail culture unfolds since 2002, offering immersive experiences that blend education, conviviality, and the city's rich heritage as the birthplace of the cocktail.
Tales of the Cocktail 2023 consisted of 389 events all around the city, supported by 277 local and worldwide brands. The educational part consisted of 68 seminars and 208 presenters from 48 countries. A spectacular event that connects professionals all around the world.
Certainly, Tales of the Cocktail offers a wide range of activities that cater to both industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts. These activities contribute to the event's reputation as a comprehensive and immersive celebration of cocktail culture. Although most of the visitors are from America, you can meet a lot of mentors, bartenders & icons from Europe, Australia, Asia, or Africa who traveled thousands of kilometers to join this outstanding event. And the team of The Cocktail Balance was one of them.
First impressions from Tales
The 21st annual TOTC event once again drew thousands of cocktail enthusiasts to the heart of Louisiana. The city thrives during the event, and it seems like every Uber driver asks if you're attending Tales.
The event uses the app Whova to deliver the best possible experience. All attendees can find useful information, schedules, floor plans, tickets, announcements, and everyone who joined Tales on their smartphone. Thanks to this you can fill your Calendar and set up the notifications, so you won’t miss any of the seminars/tastings/pop-up events. It also works as a chat app, so you could easily started to work on your professional networking.
Once registered and given a wristband with a chip, we can fully explore all three floors of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The first and second floors contain numerous rooms where seminars, masterclasses, and tastings take place. The third floor is dedicated to the media and features a bar with this year's Singapore theme. Each door is clearly labeled, and notice boards with the program are conveniently located throughout, making it difficult to miss or get lost. To ensure hydration, fridges stocked with sparkling or still water can be found at every turn.
Our conclusion is that Tales of the Cocktail stands as a testament to exemplary event organization from the point of registration to any pop-up event in the city. The event's intuitive layout and accessible information channels ensure attendees navigate the offerings effortlessly, while its dynamic schedule caters to a broad spectrum of interests and expertise levels. The well-coordinated logistics, coupled with the warm embrace of New Orleans' vibrant atmosphere, create an ambiance that fosters connection, learning, and inspiration.
Seminars, tastings, networkings
Monday
On Monday, our first destination was the Keynote Address titled "How Bartenders Build Your Brands". This presentation was led by Claire Warner, a board member of TOTC, and featured a panel consisting of Lulie Halstead (Trustee, WSET), Lucia Creed (Vice President, Marketing of Uncle Nearest Inc), Nectaly Mendoza (Owner of Herbs & Rye), and Simon Ford (Co-Founder of The Fords Gin Co). During the keynote, the panel explored the significance of bartenders in brand engagement and discussed how they contribute to consumer engagement and brand loyalty. The discussion also shed light on the changing landscape of the beverage alcohol market and how big brands view their customers and bartenders as key players in building their brands.
After the keynote presentation, our steps followed the crowd and joined the Filthy Love pop-up at The Alibi. A daily gathering of friends to connect over cocktails & celebrate those who show Love through Service. After a proper drink, our stomach called for some traditional food, so we decided to try the famous Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee & Boudin Noir Sausage. The evening belonged to the parties all around the city starting with Limantour's residency at Hyatt, continuing with Jameson and finished at Patrón party in downtown.
Tuesday
We started our Tuesday with coffee and attended Martin Hudak's seminar titled "The Past, Present & Future of Coffee Cocktails." The seminar was packed with attendees eager to learn about the history of coffee and coffee cocktails. Martin's knowledge of the topic was impressive. During the seminar, we were able to taste several cocktails from his book. The cocktails were made with high-quality coffee liqueur mixed with spirits and other ingredients. After the seminar, we had the opportunity to try different brands of whisky, mezcal, rums, and non-alcoholic apéritifs, both local and worldwide. A short visit to one of the best cocktail bars in New Orleans and worldwide - Jewel of the South - prepared us for the evening to come.
On Tuesday evening, TOTC had a standout moment when Ford's Gin hosted a massive party called "Fords Gin Presents: Music to Drink Martinis To" and booked the entire hotel for their special event. The presence of guest bartenders from renowned bars all over the world such as Maybe Sammy, Atlas, Botanist Bar, Milady’s, and Pigtail reinforced the idea that building strong relationships with bartenders is essential for success in the industry. After enjoying some delicious cocktails, we headed closer to the city to attend "Wish You Were Here - The William Grant & Sons Portfolio Party", where more world-class bars like Cantina OK!, Night Hawk, Re, and Maybe Sammy made an appearance. The night was truly extraordinary, and it felt like a celebration of cocktail culture.
Wednesday
The night full of parties and new connections didn’t change the number of attendees, eager to learn something from one of the best world PR agencies in the hospitality business - Hanna Lee Communications. The keynote called “How to Get Featured in Top National Media (Rolling Stone, ABC's Good Morning America, Food & Wine and More)” brought panelists including Rolling Stone's Tim Chan, columnist Brad Japhe (Bloomberg, Men’s Journal, Forbes and Food & Wine), ABC's Good Morning America's Kelly McCarthy, Paradiso's Margarita Sáder and Hanna Lee Communications' Hanna Lee with her husband Michael Anstendig (Editor in Chief), who shared real-life insights and tips for garnering the attention of national media outlets and getting the spotlight that can change someone's career and life. A truly enriching seminar.
The Cocktail Balance's seminar "Remembrance of Drinks Past: Your Senses, Memory, and The Proust Effect" was definitely the highlight of TOTC 2023 for us. It was led by our founder, Stanislav Harciník, and Master Distiller Joseph O'Sullivan. They shared their knowledge about Neurogastronomy, Gastrophysics, and the science behind our perception of flavor and aroma. Attendees were deeply engaged as they learned how these senses affect our memories and future experiences. The seminar ended with a multisensory demonstration called "Forest Walk," which emphasized the importance of our senses and perception of flavors through a tasting - Clear Creek Doug Fir Brandy together with Geosmin smoke, visuals, and sounds. We appreciate all the attendees who asked questions and showed interest in the topic. Stay tuned for more!
The evening started with the exploration of famous local bars like The Old Absinthe House, Carousel Bar, Sazerac Bar & Latitude 29. The first party “Hendrick's House of Wonders” again brought several worldwide bars like Herbs & Rye or Panda & Sons. We continued to “Monkey Shoulder Disco Nap” which was spectacular. It is amazing to see all these brands and their creativity and hospitality when it comes to these events.
Thursday
On Thursday we visited the seminar with our new friend Caitlin, “Why Farmers and Distillers Should Be Friends” which was led by Whiskey Educator - Tracie Franklin, Kentucky farmer - Bernard Peterson, and distillers Lisa Wicker (Saints & Monsters Distilling), Olivia Stweart (Oxbow Rum Distillery), and Caitlin Bartelmay (Clear Creek Distillery). A beautiful seminar, that showed us the close connection and urge for close cooperation between farmers and distillers and how this enables them to create some of the most flavorful craft spirits on the market. Of course, we had a chance to taste the spirits from the distillers.
We later moved to tasting rooms, to try a few local brands and finished our journey in Jägermeister Tasting room with incredible Cold Brew Jägermeister. A quick stop at the bookstore, which was full of bartenders hungry for knowledge.
The last seminar we attended was “Behind Bars Abroad” where skilled and worldwide professionals explained their stories and what are the obstacles when moving abroad in the bar industry. The seminar was led by Jean Trinh (Alquímico), Holly Graham (Tokyo Confidential), Chanel Adams (The Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok), and Keith Motsi (Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts). Amazing talk full of laughs, inspiration, and insights.
Wow, what a night it was! The Tales of the Cocktail event finished with a bang, and we were lucky enough to be there to see it all. The 17th Annual Spirited Awards Red Carpet & Ceremony at Filmore was filled with so much talent and emotion from all the bartenders, bar managers, and hospitality professionals in attendance. The ceremony was designed so beautifully, and it really made for a remarkable evening. Congratulations to all of the winners who put in so much hard work to achieve such a well-deserved honor.
Friday
The final day of TOTC 23 was dedicated to the hardworking individuals who persevered throughout the event. We celebrated New Orleans-style with jazz music, pork, and delicious cocktails in the middle of the street. The 12th Annual Pig & Punch, presented by The Bon Vivants, was a remarkable occasion with the sole purpose of aiding those in need. The delectable cocktails and mezcal shots enticed us to dance to the rhythm of the jazz music, while the aroma of savory pork filled the air. It was a beautiful conclusion to our first Tales journey and we can’t wait to return here back again next year.
2023 Catalyst Honorees
We couldn’t forget to mention that TOTC announced the 2023 Catalyst Luncheon honorees, which recognize members of the cocktail community who are elevating the industry to greater heights. The 2023 International Honoree, presented by Diageo Bar Academy, is Anistatia Miller, MA, MSc (Ox), and the U.S. Honoree, presented by 21Seeds Infused Tequila, is Tara Fougner. Formerly Dame Hall of Fame, the new Catalyst Luncheon reflects a more inclusive and intersectional space for recognizing and celebrating leaders in the industry solely for their contributions to making the drinks industry a more inclusive space – without barriers of gender or identity.
