Tales is in full swing and to no one’s surprise it gets bigger, better and more interesting. This isn’t the quaint event it once was, but I am more than fine with that. When events get this big it means we, as the cocktail community, have had a measure of success in change the drinks world for the better, and […]
Travel
So Tales of the Cocktail Happened
Well, where does one start when Tales of the Cocktail (TotC) has become the most important, worldwide, event for bartenders? Well, this year was the 10th anniversary and it was bigger than ever. That’s great but it also means that the Tales experience has changed. Change is neither good nor bad, just different. What does that mean? Well, TotC has […]
Tales 2012
the drinks business July means Tales of the Cocktail. This is my sixth year at Tales and to say things have changed over the years would be an understatement. Back in 2007 Tales was a relatively small gather of like minded cocktail geeks. The Monteleone hotel lobby was usually empty and you could usually find a seat at the Carousel […]
Tales 2011 Wrap-Up
Tales of the Cocktail may have finished up 10 or so days ago, but I need to summarize things and thank a few people. Aside from the rough start with US Customs and Border Protection that turned my travel day into a 16 hour adrenaline rush, things went extremely well. This may have been the best Tales of the Cocktail […]
Tales 2011 Day One
Tales of the Cocktail always starts off with a bang, and this year was no different. Aside from my sixteen hour travel day, where I was temporarily refused entry to the US and missed three flights, Tales has been great. The first order of business on Wednesday was to prepare for the Implementing an In-House Soda Program. This entailing working […]
Tales of the Cocktail 2011
Anyone who knows anything about cocktails is aware that Tales of the Cocktail is just about upon us. For those that don’t know what “Tales” is, it is the largest annual migration of the worlds best bartenders and drink experts, who congregate in New Orleans for a week of learning, socializing, drinking and mild to moderate suffering. Yes, it’s almost […]
G’Vine Gin Connoisseurs Program 2011
After the successful first edition of the Gin Connoisseurs Program (GCP) in 2010, G’Vine has started looking for the top gin bartender for 2011. This year G’Vine is looking for fifteen bartenders to compete. The top two bartenders from each of the following countries (Canada, Germany, Spain, the UK and the US) along with five “wildcard” bartenders from anywhere in […]
Tales of the Cocktail: Vancouver
Tales of the Cocktail is on the move and is headed to the great white north, well Vancouver anyway. This the first time Tales has moved beyond New Orleans to bring some of the worlds most knowledgeable cocktail and spirit aficionado’s to a different city. If you are on the west coast it would be a worth while visit to […]
Big Easy Soda
Two days in New Orleans is insufficient, however anytime in New Orleans is better than none at all. This was the case with my presentation at the Museum of the American Cocktail. What made up for the short time was the stir* of bartenders from some of the finest New Orleans bars that showed up to help prep the session […]
G’Vine Bartender Summaries
Bartending competition results can never tell the whole story, nor do they reflect the true strengths of each competitor. However, numbered rankings often seem harsh, especially to those who didn’t come in first. Like those old “No Fear” t-shirts from the 1990s that claimed “second place is the first loser”, numbers are merciless. So for a little more balance, and […]
G’Vine Bartender Summaries Pt. II
And here are the final bartender summaries for the top six competitors. Sometimes circumstances have an interesting effect on the final positions in any competition. There is no doubt that things like jet-lag, smoke inhalation and the sniffles can make or break a competitor. But, the top competitors always find a way to rise above these things and still give […]
G’Vine Gin Connoisseur Program (2010)
There are cocktail competitions and then there is the G’Vine Gin Connoisseur Program. Most cocktail / bartending competitions are relatively simple affairs that pit one cocktail against another with the winner having the best cocktail of the moment. Sometimes it’s as much luck as it is the whims of the judging panel. The G’Vine program is very different and the […]