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The Spirits are Calling. Will you answer? Join us July 15-19, 2015 as the international spirits community answers the call, returning for another spirited round of Tales of the Cocktail®.
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Monday, July 13
 

6:00pm CDT

MOTAC Presents "State of the Art 2015," Featuring the Tanqueray No. TEN Imperial Shaker by Jason Crawley
Buy Tickets
PRICE: $50 in advance/$40 for SoFAB-MOTAC and USBG members and all Tales of the Cocktail® registrants/$60 at the door

TICKETS & ADDITIONAL INFO: cocktailmuseum.org/events-and-seminars

The Museum of the American Cocktail (MOTAC), a division of the nonprofit SoFAB Institute, celebrates a singular cultural icon and develops its craft, field, and market through exhibits, programming, and a range of media. Founded by craft cocktail pioneer Dale DeGroff and a group of cocktail authorities and historians, MOTAC advances the profession and expands consumer knowledge of mixology while stressing the importance of responsible drinking. Led by Director Philip M. Dobard, MOTAC maintains permanent collections in New Orleans and Los Angeles and regularly presents both consumer-focused and trade-oriented programs in Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, DC. MOTAC also works to boost career opportunities in the spirits industry and encourage greater participation by women and others under-represented in the field.
Sponsors
avatar for Museum of the American Cocktail
avatar for Tanqueray

Monday July 13, 2015 6:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
Southern Food & Beverage Museum 1504 Oretha C. Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113
  Special Event
 
Wednesday, July 15
 

10:00am CDT

Chartreuse In A Bottle Part 2
Chartreuse limited release & Vintage Tasting

The recipe is a mystery to all but a handful of the the Carthusian monks responsible for creating this wonderful liqueur. Of course, we are unable to reveal the entire mystery of what goes into Chartreuse but we will be able to explore the many secrets and bountiful history of this liqueur. Chartreuse Liqueur is one of the few spirits that ages after bottling. In some cases, for the better. More and more, people are searching for older bottles of Chartreuse; searching online, in rural liquor stores, even at estate sales. We will discuss a little bit about what causes this aging process as we sip on bottles found in back of the liquor cabinets. We will also take a look at the other special Chartreuse types the monks have created. . These Chartreuse types are sold only to elite restaurateurs in France and surrounding areas. And finally, we would be remiss not to speak about the Carthusian life and what effects it has played on the liqueur itself.

Guests of this exclusive seminar will be given the chance to taste through several Chartreuse limited release types and a couple different vintages.
Moderators
avatar for Tim Master

Tim Master

Director of Spirits/Ambassador, Frederick Wildman and Sons
Director of Specialty Spirits, Frederick Wildman and Sons Tim Master has more than 18 years’ experience in the hospitality and beverage industry.  He is currently the Director of Specialty Spirits and Trade Education at Frederick Wildman and Sons, overseeing numerous brands including... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Father Bill Dailey

Father Bill Dailey

Thomas More Fellow, Center for Ethics & Culture, University of Notre Dame
Rev. William R. Dailey, C.S.C., is a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross and serves at Notre Dame Law School as a Lecturer in Law. Fr. Bill earned his B.A. in Philosophy summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and attended Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan... Read More →
avatar for Sean Kenyon

Sean Kenyon

Bartender/Proprietor, Williams & Graham, Denver, CO
Sean Kenyon was literally born to be behind a bar. He is a third generation Barman, his Grandfather, Mother and Father have been pub owners and bartenders in New Jersey since the 1930's. Sean was raised in his family's pubs and while other kids wanted to be firemen or super heroes... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Chartreuse
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

10:00am CDT

In A Snap!: Cocktail Photography 101
When it comes to getting your cocktails published, a photo really is worth a thousand words! Quality cocktail photography is a must and if you know what you're doing, all it takes is a camera phone. Celebrated food and drink photographer Daniel Krieger, whose work has been published in The New York Times, PUNCH, Food & Wine, and gracing the pages multiple cocktail books, will teach you all you need to know about how to capture the soul of your most beautiful cocktail creations.
Moderators
avatar for Daniel Krieger

Daniel Krieger

Owner, Daniel Krieger Photography
Daniel Krieger is a New York City based food photographer. His work regularly appears in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Punch, and Eater.com where he serves as head photographer. Daniel has photographed several cocktail and cookbooks, including the recent Ivan Ramen book, The Old... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Anchor Distilling Company

Anchor Distilling Company

Named the 2015 Icons of Whisky Importer of the Year by Whisky Magazine, Anchor Distilling Company aims to provide the bridge between discerning buyers and world's finest spirits. A privately owned distiller and importer, Anchor boasts an artisanal portfolio with over 400 specialty... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

10:00am CDT

Irish Pubs: How They Took Over the World
From their beginnings in Ireland; as rural grocers and grog's to the Victorian bars of Dublin and Belfast, the Irish Pub has evolved from country shop pubs, even doubling up as undertakers with adjoining boozers, to being exported to every corner of the world - an Irish Pub embassy in every city across the globe. Hear the stories of how the Irish Pub became exported across the world to become the World’s favorite bar, what makes an authentic Irish Pub? And the evolution and future of Irish bars

Join Tim Herlihy of Tullamore D.E.W. and Irish Whiskey expert Gerry Graham, who have both traveled the World sitting in front of the best Irish bars and pubs, with Dead Rabbit’s Jack McGarry who has stood behind the best Irish Bar in the World

Whether you are a Bartender, Owner, or Irish Whiskey enthusiast, join the panel for a drink as they tell the story of the Irish Pub, discuss their 10 favorite Irish Pubs and what makes the Irish Pub the World’s favorite watering hole

#TheIrishPub
Moderators
avatar for Tim Herlihy

Tim Herlihy

US Ambassador, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey
As far as whiskey experts go, they don’t come more Irish True than Tullamore D.E.W. US Ambassador Tim Herlihy. Born and raised in Ireland, Tim began his whiskey career with the Cooley Distillery and has travelled to numerous distilleries across Ireland, Scotland, the US and beyond... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Gerard Graham

Gerard Graham

Gerry Graham grew up surrounded by the origins of whiskey in his native land of Ireland.  It was inevitable that this Ulsterman would work in the world of Uisce Beatha and in his current role as Master of Whisky for Diageo  he loves nothing more than instilling his love for whisky... Read More →
avatar for Jack McGarry

Jack McGarry

Co-Founder, The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog
Jack McGarry is The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog’s co-founder and operating partner, who also created its extensive historically-based drinks program. In July 2013, he was honored with the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail International Bartender of the Year award. He is its youngest... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Tullamore DEW

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

On Creating Cocktail Citrates & Elixirs
Citrus is an integral component to well balanced cocktails and is arguably the most volatile of cocktail ingredients. Citrus oils, on the other hand, have an unusually long shelf life. And not just citrus oils but oils from various fruits and herbs retain aroma and flavor when extracted properly. These oils in combination with a variety of naturally derived acids, like citric and subsidiary sodium citrate, along with sugar and water can mock a citrus component in a cocktail but retain the integrity of its natural flavor. At varying degrees, these components can create Citrates that have a similar pH and brix level to citrus or Elixirs that have added water and sugar content and can be utilized in bottled or two step cocktails. During the seminar, attendees will learn various techniques for extracting oils from citrus, herbs, spices and various fruits and how to convert those extracted oils into citrates and elixirs. Cocktail Citrates and Elixirs can transform citrus based draft cocktails, punches and bottled cocktails and remove the volatility of fresh citrus. During this seminar, attendees will also learn practical information about how to keg and bottle cocktails. An information booklet will be given to all attendees that will include Cocktail Citrate and Elixir recipes and formulas, equipment, techniques, cocktail recipes and ideas for further experimentation. Also during the seminar, attendees will taste Citrate and Elixir based cocktails and a number of citrates on their own.
Moderators
avatar for Ira Koplowitz

Ira Koplowitz

Proprietor, Bittercube
Ira Koplowitz worked for more than two years at the Violet Hour in Chicago where he developed a number of house-made syrups, tonics and bitters and contributed cocktails to more than a year's worth of seasonal cocktail menus. Beyond bartending, Koplowitz has traveled extensively... Read More →
avatar for Nicholas Kosevich

Nicholas Kosevich

Proprietor, Bittercube
Bittercube was founded by Nicholas Kosevich and Ira Koplowitz in 2009, and they began developing, formulating, and tweaking the lineup that is now the six varieties of Bittercube Bitters. The first larger batches began maceration in July of 2010, and since then the business has grown... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bombay Sapphire

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

The Big One: Drinking WWII
World War II, which ended 70 years ago this August, was the largest event in human history. It affected every aspect of life for those who lived through it and its aftermath has shaped every aspect of the world today. Not even the humble cocktail was immune to its influence, as a thirsty and often terrified humanity was forced to extraordinary lengths of improvisation and invention in order to sip something that might at least for a moment help it to forget the horrors around it. Join Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and David “No Nickname Can Stick to Me” Wondrich in another one of their trademarked anecdotal, amusing and yet respectful historical explorations as they delve into the ways a thirsty planet reacted to this awful, all-encompassing event. Dr. Wondrich will for the purpose of this seminar assume the role of General Eisenhower and command the European Theater of Operations, while Tiki God Berry will act as General MacArthur and return to his Pacific stomping grounds. From the halls of Tutankhamen (or at least the bar at Shepheard’s Hotel, Cairo) to the shores of Waikiki; from the drinking habits of world leaders--Churchill’s champagne, Roosevelt’s Martinis, Stalin’s rough Georgian wine, Hitler’s water—to the improvisations of strong men armed; from the deprivations of the home-front to the ingenuity (where “ingenuity” = rum, vodka and tequila) with which they were overcome, the discussion will be wide-ranging, thorough and almost entirely free of flying shrapnel or debris. There will be historic cocktails, naturally.
Moderators
avatar for David Wondrich

David Wondrich

Senior Resident Fellow, North Gowanus Institute for Cranial Distempers
David Wondrich is widely hailed as the world’s foremost authority on the history of the cocktail and one of the founders of the modern craft cocktail movement. The longtime Drinks Correspondent for Esquire magazine, Dr. Wondrich (he has a PhD in Comparative Literature) is a five-time... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jeff Berry

Jeff Berry

Owner, Beachbum Berry\'s Latitude 29
One of Imbibe magazine’s “25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century” and one of The Daily Meal’s “60 Coolest People in Food & Drink,” Jeff “Beachbum” Berry is the author of six books on vintage Tiki drinks and cuisine, which Los Angeles magazine... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Aviation American Gin

Aviation American Gin

Founded in 2004 in Oregon, House Spirits Distillery is a leader of America’s craft distilling revolution and the anchor of Portland, Oregon's famous Distillery Row. Our award-winning products are batch-distilled with an intense, passionate and near-obsessive pursuit of quality... Read More →
avatar for Cherry Heering
avatar for Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Those who say beauty is in the eye of the beholder can appreciate the story of the Curaçao orange. Too bitter to eat, with a dimpled, wrinkled exterior that would never win a beauty contest, these homely pieces of citrus become absolute magic when used to create Curaçao liquor... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

The Anatomy of Agave-Seductive Succulent
Do you know where the complex flavors you love in mezcal and tequila come from? How much do you know about the chemistry that occurs in agave and how that chemistry translates into the agave spirits? Do you know that the sweetness of mezcal is created during cooking via a Maillard Reaction, in a very similar way meat flavor is generated in an oven? Are you keen to sample unique deconstructed flavor fractions obtained from mezcals, agave tissues and pulque? Have you ever wondered what the inside of a 'palenque' tastes like and why agaves are the base of the most complex white spirits on earth?

There is an intense love affair going on between bartenders and agave spirits from hand crafted tequila to smoky Oaxacan mezcal, and other innumerable expressions from all over Mexico, but what do we really know about the subject?

For the first time ever two of the world’s foremost experts on agave, Tomas Estes and Ivan Saldaña, will take the stage with their unparalleled knowledge taken from the academic and practical study of agave spirits. With a PhD in the topic of Biochemistry of the Agave Plant, seminar presenter Iván Saldaña will answer many of the fundamental questions on this special succulent. This seminar will offer rational and scientific explanations that will help to connect raw material, process and spirits made from agave.

You will discover the biological features of Mexico’s most famous plant, how it grows and what flavors are built from it. Subjects like agave plasticity and chemical adaptation (terroir effect), agave evolution and diversity will be covered. We will discuss other sources of flavor in mezcal. You will learn specifically, what impact wild fermentation and artisanal 'palenque' methods can have on the final spirit. You will be guided through the talk with experiential samples that will exemplify the core flavor and aroma groups in this distillate, to bring this detailed information to life in unparalleled depth.
Moderators
avatar for Tomas Estes

Tomas Estes

Tomas Estes has been a bar and restaurant owner for 39 years, having founded the Pacifico Group in 1976. In addition, Tomas has been recognized twice by the Mexican National Tequila Chamber with the title of “Ambassador to Europe for Tequila” and received a Life Time Achievement... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Iván Saldaña Oyarzábal

Iván Saldaña Oyarzábal

Founder / Writer and Educator, Montelobos Mezcal
Iván Saldaña is a premier agave plant and distillation master, an expert in tequila and mezcal, and a certified doctor with a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Sussex in England. Born in Guadalajara, México, Iván has spent his life around agave, having worked on environmental... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Montelobos Mezcal

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

What's the Right Deal to Take?
As independent spirit brands continue to make waves in the global drinks industry, the number of people wanting a piece of the action has multiplied massively.

Entrepreneurs are finding there’s not shortage of people offering cash investment, or industry players offering sales, distribution and other services, for a slice of equity.

So when there are multiple offers on the table from both potential partners and investors, how do you choose which deal to take? Get to right and you’ll have the resources to help you go further, faster.
Get it wrong and you could end up making no one rich but the lawyers.

Delivered by a world class group of drinks entrepreneurs, this seminar will provide real insight and practical advice on the pros and cons of different financial and distribution deals, at different stages of your business, helping you navigate your way to the smartest money!
Moderators
avatar for Dan Gasper

Dan Gasper

COO, Distill Ventures
Distill Venture's COO Dan, spent his first 7 years managing the relationship between large and small drinks businesses and a further 6 years working on 40+ small to medium businesses in a variety of different industries. A proud drinks business geek with a love for all the wild and... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Rob Cooper

Rob Cooper

President, The Cooper Spirits Co.
The Cooper Spirits Co., founded by Robert J. Cooper, a third generation distiller and creator of rare and fine spirits. His company is an independent producer of innovative, integrity-driven spirits that was established in 2006. The company was founded with the introduction of St-Germain... Read More →
avatar for Brian Ellison

Brian Ellison

President/CEO, Death's Door Distillery
I live in Wisconsin, we tend to be friendly and talk to people about whatever they want to talk about. I really like talking about my gin, and drinking it, and talking about drinking it.
avatar for Simon Ford

Simon Ford

Cofounder, FORDS GIN
Cocktail bars and Gin
avatar for Chip Tate

Chip Tate

President, Tate & Company Distillery
Chip is an acknowledged leader in the craft distilling industry, having received more than 150 national and international awards, including US Craft Distillery of the Year and Global Distillery of the Year from the Wizards of Whisky International Competition in 2012. In recognition... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Distill Ventures

Distill Ventures

Distill Ventures is an accelerator for new and growing spirits brands set up by a group of entrepreneurs and industry experts with investment from Diageo. It offers a unique combination of cash investment and access to world-class industry expertise and independent drinks specialists... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

#SEDTalks: Tales Talks In Just 15 Minutes
#SEDTalks presents the distilled insights of the sharpest minds in our industry, presenting for no more than 15 minutes each (TED Talks-style), on the widest range of topics at Tales! Past #SEDTalks have covered topics such as the intersection of whisky and music, how sustainable, low-impact distillery architecture can be exhilarating, the place of mysticism in gin marketing, why "craft" doesn't have to mean small-scale, and what we can learn from Cuba about simplicity in cocktails. #SEDTalks presenters range from industry legends like Angus Winchester, Ryan Chetiyawardana and Dave Broom, to people you've never heard of who possess fresh perspectives on the world of spirits and cocktails. Buy the ticket, come to #SEDTalks, and prepare to have your boundaries expanded!
Moderators
avatar for Philip Duff

Philip Duff

Director, Old Duff Genever
Director of Education for Tales of the Cocktail, bar & beverage consultant, founder of door 74 (Amsterdam), in-demand spirits educator, but I never talk about my work at the orphan dolphin sanctuary, do you hear? Never.

Speakers
avatar for Georgie Bell

Georgie Bell

Mortlach Global Brand Ambassador, Diageo
As the Global Brand Ambassador for Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky - a 190 year secret from the heart of Speyside - Georgie spends around 9 months of the year travelling the world, introducing whisky lovers to this award winning scotch. A BSc in Distillation, a background in... Read More →
avatar for Jeff Kluger

Jeff Kluger

Science Editor, Time Magazine
Jeffrey Kluger is the science editor for Time magazine and Time.com, principally covering science and social issues. His newest nonfiction book is Apollo 8. His newest novel is Freedom Stone, a young tale set on a South Carolina plantation in 1863, also published in 2011. He is the... Read More →
AK
avatar for Dr. Nicholas Morgan

Dr. Nicholas Morgan

Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo
Dr Nicholas Morgan Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo Dr Nicholas Morgan is Head of Whisky Outreach at Diageo plc, the largest Scotch whisky producer. Nick is an acknowledged authority on the Scotch Whisky business and a frequent speaker at Whisky and Spirits events around the world... Read More →
avatar for Raj Nagra

Raj Nagra

House of Bombay Global Ambassador, Bacardi Global Brands
The always vibrant and charismatic industry personality and Global Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Raj Nagra brings over two decades of unique industry knowledge from both a business and trade perspective to his role at Bacardi Global Brands. Now in his 14th year as an Ambassador... Read More →
avatar for Claire Smith-Warner

Claire Smith-Warner

Head of Spirit Creation & Mixology, Belvedere Vodka
Claire Smith-Warner is Head of Spirit Creation at Belvedere Vodka and has been working with alcohol in its various forms for over 15 years. Committed to discovering new ways to drink ‘better’, Claire has developed a range of sugar free and 100% fresh fruit flavoured vodkas for... Read More →
avatar for Pamela Wiznitzer

Pamela Wiznitzer

Creative Director, Seamstress
Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves and also transcends the bar. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC, and most recently as the Creative Director and bartender at Seamstress on the Upper Eastside... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bombay Sapphire
avatar for Diageo USA
avatar for Mortlach

Mortlach

Nicknamed "The Beast of Dufftown" for it's rich, thick & muscular distillery character arising from its unique 2.81 distillation process, Mortlach was the first legal distillery in Dufftown, the heart of Speyside, founded in 1823. For decades it has been adored by whisky enthusiasts... Read More →
avatar for Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

Since 1988, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley has indulged the culinary passions of chefs, mixologists and food enthusiasts with products that provide ultimate fresh fruit flavor without the peeling, dicing and simmering required for making purées from scratch.The company offers... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Genie In A Bottle: How Spirits Age
There was a time when Spirits bottles were thought to be time capsules. When the cap or cork went in at the end of the bottling line, the perfect aromas and flavors, carefully crafted by the distiller, were sealed in a deep sleep ready to be awakened by a bartender or host. These days the forensic attention to detail of the modern bartender and consumer has discovered that there is more to bottle age than was once thought and this seminar will decode the mysteries of how spirits age. Through a range of controlled experiments we will illustrate the effects of age and environment on spirits in bottle; decipher the aromas that are gained and lost with time; recommend the ideal storage conditions to keep spirits in mint condition and break down which spirits are the most at risk from change in bottle. Panelists from the world of vintage spirits and science will be on hand to answer your questions about how to build and maintain your collection of dusty bottles as well as tackling what is and is not worth opening
Moderators
avatar for Ian McLaren

Ian McLaren

Director Trade Advocacy & Training, Bacardi USA
A proud Scotsman, Ian started his career in the alcohol business straight from school working for an independent wine merchant in his home town of Edinburgh. From here his formative years in the On Premise were spent in the late night scene working in more sticky floored nightclubs... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Wednesday July 15, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Rare & Heritage Rums of Demerara
To step into our distillery is to be taken back in time when you stand next to any one of our four heritage stills that not only produced rum for centuries, but are some of the rarest stills in the world. This seminar, led by Master Distiller Shaun Caleb, will offer you the even rarer opportunity to taste aged individual marques from each of our heritage stills at cask strength. Our Edward Henry Porter is a wooden continuous Coffey still, producing rum since 1880. The double and single pot wooden Navy stills produced rum for the British Navy for centuries; the unique copper necked single-pot originated from the Versailles Estate while the double-pot is the only one of its kind left in the world and originated from the Port Mourant Estate, established in 1732. All three stills are made from Guyanese greenheart (though "Guyana" didn't exist yet!) while our fourth heritage still, the French Savalle, is a metal four-column still also dating back to an 18th century Estate, Uitvlugt. And as a special treat, we will also present our Special Reserve 25 year-old blended rum, coming back stateside for the first time in several years.
Moderators
avatar for Nalini Tiwari

Nalini Tiwari

Nalini has the dream job of marketing El Dorado Rum in the US!  She has the unique opportunity to travel across the US and work with the fascinating people who are the heart and soul of the Spirits Industry.    In her role, Nalini has created a team of local advocates for El... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Shaun Caleb

Shaun Caleb

Master Distiller, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL)
Lennox Shaun Caleb comes to the job of Master Distiller for Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) after a decade-long association with the company. Shaun excelled in Chemistry and Mathematics at Princeton University as a Cadet of DDL, completing a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for El Dorado Rum

Wednesday July 15, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

12:30pm CDT

Shakers and Movers Guide to Advancement
You've spent years behind the bar growing the business, creating press-worthy cocktail menus and creating a name for yourself in the community. Now the calls are coming in: Run our bar; Create our menu; Become our brand ambassador; Help us launch a new brand. Options are a good thing, but how do you choose whether the best choice is to become a consultant, open a bar or work directly with a brand? Attend this seminar and this panel of experts will give you the insight you need to make the right decision for you. Lynnette Marrero, DrinksAt6 & Speed Rack, will moderate and discuss her work as an industry consultant and brand ambassador. Charles Joly, World Class winner 2014, former head bartender at Aviary and founder of Crafthouse, will share why, among all of the many options, he started his own brand. Gabriel Orta, co-owner Bar Lab, Broken Shaker will explore bar ownership and consulting in on-premise, while Ryan Malkin, an attorney serving the alcohol beverage industry who works with startups and major suppliers, will provide legal watch-outs and the basics on how get started, timing and costs. . Do you want to know what it will take and how much you can make when you leave your position behind the bar? Then attend this seminar.
Moderators
avatar for Lynnette Marrero

Lynnette Marrero

Owner/Co-Founder, DrinksAt6/Speed Rack
Lynnette Marrero’s “spirited” career began when she accepted a job at New York’s Flatiron Lounge alongside cocktail savant Julie Reiner. Marrero quickly made the transition from cocktail-waitress to bartender and knew that the spirits industry was her true calling. After learning... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Charles Joly

Charles Joly

Founder, Crafthouse Cocktails
Chicago native Charles Joly is an award-winning, lifelong food and beverage professional. In 2012 Joly took on the roll of Beverage Director at the Aviary in Chicago. Partnered with Chef Achatz this venture was granted the 2013 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program. Formerly... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Malkin

Ryan Malkin

Attorney, Malkin Law
Ryan Malkin is an attorney serving the alcohol beverage industry. Ryan is well versed in navigating the federal and state-by-state alcohol beverage laws, assisting clients large and small with industry specific agreements and crafting compliant marketing and sales programs. Prior... Read More →
avatar for Gabriel Orta

Gabriel Orta

In a career that has spanned more than 20 years, with stops in multiple cities and countries, Gabriel spent part of his career working many  different positions  and learnings the ins and outs of the business In 2008 he Co Found Bar Lab, A beverage consulting company based in Miami... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Crown Royal
avatar for Tanqueray
avatar for Zacapa Rum

Wednesday July 15, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Stylish Service - Flair for Mixologists
Interaction with the bartender (get your mind out of the gutter) can make or break a guest's experience at a bar. This seminar hosted by the Bols Bartending Academy will feature 3 world champion bartenders from a variety of backgrounds. They will teach you how to manipulate a wide variety of objects that you use everyday behind the bar. That little flick, roll or throw can go a long way towards how confident a guest feels about your ability to make them a great drink, even before it touches their lips.

In this hands on class; straws, strainers, jiggers and even liquid itself will not be spared from your attempts to defy gravity as we share with you some of our greatest hits to make you look truly stylish behind the bar. After all it is all in the delivery!

No prior experience is necessary and those with experience will still learn something from this panel.

Note- You are only human and will make a mistake at some point, don't let that mistake ruin your day. You cannot wear open toed shoes to this technique seminar.
Moderators
avatar for Anthony Pullen

Anthony Pullen

National Brand Ambassador, Lucas Bols USA
Currently in Las Vegas

Speakers
avatar for Dario Doimo

Dario Doimo

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DARIO-DOIMO/133367933350169
avatar for Kate Gerwin

Kate Gerwin

World Champion/Global Brand Ambassador, Lucas Bols
Kate is the General Manager of HSL Hospitality in Bismarck, North Dakota. She oversees the operation of three bars, a restaurant, catering facility and retail operation, and has owned and operated her own award winning establishments. She is the current BATW World Champion and has... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bols

Wednesday July 15, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

1:00pm CDT

Discovering The Flavors of Cognac
Have you ever wondered what it goes into the making of Cognac? What it would be like to trace this unique spirit from the moment of its birth through the full maturation process, then onto its ultimate expression? Well, now you can...

Join Cognac Educators Ms. Franky Marshall, Hoke Harden, Alexandre Vingtier, and Distiller Allen Katz for an in-depth exploration of this timeless Eau-de-Vie from inception, through different levels of barrel maturation, and finally, into the bottle.

We will offer a unique tasting of the Heads, Hearts, Seconds and Tails, see how they differ, and learn the importance of the Master Distiller’s craft. We will examine the effects of terroir and the region's viticulture. Then we will focus on the Cellar Master's work, the aging and blending of the heart of the distillation to see how it ultimately matures into a spirit for all seasons.

You will be offered an array of specially selected Cognacs of contrasting styles, ages, and Crus to taste side-by-side. To help awaken your senses, you will be provided with a variety of fruits, flowers, herbs and spices designed to stimulate your palate. Taste, compare, and discover the intricate combinations of aromas and flavors in the glass.

You will leave this seminar with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the category, a new outlook on Cognac's myriad flavors and versatility, and an invigorated vision of how to combine elements to craft the perfect Cognac cocktail.
Moderators
avatar for ms. franky marshall

ms. franky marshall

Franky is a New York City hospitality industry veteran. Having worked as a Bartender and in various other front-of-house positions at establishments across the spectrum has given her a great deal of experience to draw on. She was introduced to this rarefied cocktail world when she... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Hoke Harden

Hoke Harden

Owner, Taste & Compare Academy
An enthusiastic lover of wine and spirits, Hoke Harden left a career in academia to follow his other muse for the last 35 years, trekking around the world to the great producing regions. Recently referred to as a veritable walking omnibus of wine and spirits knowledge, he has experienced... Read More →
avatar for Allen Katz

Allen Katz

Co-Founder, New York Distilling Company
Allen Katz is the co-founder of the New York Distilling Company in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he produces Dorothy Parker – American Gin, Perry’s Tot – Navy-Strength Gin, Chief Gowanus – New-Netherland Gin, Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye…and Ragtime Rye. He is also the Director... Read More →
avatar for Alexandre Vingtier

Alexandre Vingtier

French Spirits Consultant & Author
Alexandre Vingtier is a French spirits consultant & author and judge at numerous spirits & cocktails competitions worldwide. He works with distillers, blenders, bottlers, retailers, bartenders, sommeliers, chefs and even noses, and has visited hundreds of distilleries around the world... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for BNIC

Wednesday July 15, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

Sustainable Agave, Best Practices
With the growth of agave spirits we are confronted with responsibility of preserving our resources to protect the future. The demand for wild agave has skyrocketed and continues to rise. The pressure on farmers to increase yields have compelled many to cultivate monocultures with narrow genetic diversity. Our thirst for agave is booming and if we do not act responsibly we can have major crop failures and mass extinctions. We ask the questions: Where is the data? What is being done? What are the results? What should be done? Unfortunately there is very little information available and there is no unified resource. In September 2014, Encuentro Agave, was a gathering of concerned and involved individuals with a purpose of sharing ideas, with the hopes of finding conclusions and and ultimately outlining pathways for best practices. In this seminar we will detail the problems and present testimonials of different approaches to prevent a great loss of agave. We will also present Encuentro Agave an NGO with three primary mission of Agave Sustainability and a website that will be a place to share to share information, answer questions and outline best practices.
Moderators
avatar for Arik Torren

Arik Torren

Founder, Fidencio Spirits
Arik started his career in the restaurant business over 20 years ago, and has risen as beverage director and sommelier of note in the competitive New York City market. In 1998, a mutual friend introduced Arik to Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams of The Red Cat fame, for which he subsequently... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Barbieri

Jonathan Barbieri

Founder, Pierde Almas S.A. de C.V.
Jonathan Barbieri is a fine-arts painter, screenwriter, inventor and Co-Founder of Pierde Almas S.A. de C.V. As an artist, his work is in public and private collections in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Over the past ten years, Jonathan has focused on promoting the culture... Read More →
avatar for Sten Maldonado

Sten Maldonado

Project Development, Destileria Los Danzantes
I've been an entrepreneur myself and lately working close to other successful entrepreneurs consolidating their projects. I believe business are also an opportunity to create good to the biggest problems that affect the people and the planet. At Los Danzantes I found a great opportunity... Read More →
avatar for Esteban Morales

Esteban Morales

Bio-Chef and Owner, 400 Rabbits Agaveria
Esteban is a Bio-Chef and owner of 400 Rabbits Agaveria, in Guadalajara; a venue dedicated to the culture of Mexican agave distillates. In the last 5 years he has been traveling the state of Jalisco looking for and documenting the great and diverse agave distillate known as Raicilla... Read More →
avatar for Vicente REYES

Vicente REYES

FOUNDER, SUIN, PREBIOTIC DRINK
Vicente REYES is a social entrepreneur from Oaxaca, Mexico. He founded EL SEÑORIO MEZCAL in 1999, a category pioneer, which was purchased by a major company in 2009. He is now leading his new venture SUIN (Zapotec for honey), a natural prebiotic drink made for children, based on... Read More →
avatar for Santiago Suarez

Santiago Suarez

Founder, Mezcal Amarás
Santiago is the Founder and CEO of Mezcal Amaras, After graduating from college as an Industrial Engineer major from Universidad Iberoamericana in 2009, he chose to do his Social Service in Oaxaca, restructuring an association that sponsored children in need aiding and supervising... Read More →

Sponsors
F
LV
avatar for Los Danzantes

Los Danzantes

Los Danzantes produce artisanal high-quality mezcal, while working with respect for people, the environment, traditional production techniques and the agave plant.
avatar for Mezcal Amarás

Mezcal Amarás

Mezcal Amarás is a project made with love, focusing on providing high-quality, artisanal mezcal while at the same time applying the Mezcal Amarás Philosophy. These beliefs consist of working only with sustainably cultivated agaves, managing fair trade and redistributing a part of... Read More →
avatar for Mezcales de Leyenda
avatar for Pierde Almas

Pierde Almas

Pierde Almas is first and foremost a Socially, Culturally and Environmentally Responsible entity.Our labels are hand-printed on 100% acid-free, handmade paper derived from fibers that are indigenous to the region and have been in use since pre-Columbian times.Behind each bottle of... Read More →
avatar for SUIN

SUIN

SUIN (Zapotec for honey), is the first natural prebiotic drink made for children, based on agave. The Project hopes to influence a change in Mexican dietary habits in response to an alarming increase in obesity and diabetes nation-wide.

Wednesday July 15, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Anthropology of the Modern Bar
The bar may be a place to drink, to eat, to socialize, to flirt. But it’s one more thing too: the greatest, real-time anthropology experiment ever devised. Bars are places of commerce, competition, mating, debating, dominance struggles, even brawling. They’re populated by charmers, bullies, beauties, introverts, extroverts, depressives and performers. People arrive solo or in social packs or in pairs. They fight for turf—the spot at the bar, the next free table, the seat nearest the TV when the World Cup or the NFL are on. And all of this dynamic energy is overseen by a single shaman, wiseman, peacemaker and lawgiver: the bartender. His or her world is nothing short of the entire human experience writ small.
Understanding how the social system of the bar operates offers more than just an intriguing peek inside the human condition. It also provides insights into how to run a better bar—how to facilitate the interrelationships that are one of the biggest reasons bars exist at all, while keeping conflicts, foul-ups and breakdowns to a minimum. Join Claire Smith Warner (frequenter of many bars), Jeffrey Kluger (science editor for Time magazine and author of multiple books on human behavior, including The Narcissist Next Door and The Sibling Effect) and Tristan Stephenson (bar owner and author of The Curious Bartender) to explore the hidden complexities—the world within a world—that is the modern bar.
Moderators
avatar for Claire Smith-Warner

Claire Smith-Warner

Head of Spirit Creation & Mixology, Belvedere Vodka
Claire Smith-Warner is Head of Spirit Creation at Belvedere Vodka and has been working with alcohol in its various forms for over 15 years. Committed to discovering new ways to drink ‘better’, Claire has developed a range of sugar free and 100% fresh fruit flavoured vodkas for... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jeff Kluger

Jeff Kluger

Science Editor, Time Magazine
Jeffrey Kluger is the science editor for Time magazine and Time.com, principally covering science and social issues. His newest nonfiction book is Apollo 8. His newest novel is Freedom Stone, a young tale set on a South Carolina plantation in 1863, also published in 2011. He is the... Read More →
avatar for Tristan Stephenson

Tristan Stephenson

Author, The Curious Bartender, Fluid Movement
Tristan has been involved in the hospitality industry for 16 years, as a chef, waiter and bartender. After leaving Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant in 2007, Tristan took a role as a Brand Ambassador for the Reserve Brands Group, training bartenders and consumers on the delights... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Belvedere Vodka

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

For Peat’s Sake! (A Study of Smoke)
Smokey - and smoked - drinks are smolderingly hot at the moment, but how does smoke get into a spirit and once there what happens to it? What are the right (and wrong) ways to smoke a drink? Here's a chance to dive headfirst into the peat bogs of Scotland and see how place impacts on flavour. Dave Broom will take you through smoke in food and drink from wood to nettle to sheep dung, look in-depth into the weird world of peat, you'll taste rare smoky single malts and other smoked spirits, while Ryan Cheti will show you how to use smoky ingredients and the different possibilities of the smokes which can be added in the bar. It's a class in which you need to inhale.
Moderators
avatar for Dave Broom

Dave Broom

Dave Broom was born in Glasgow (Scotland) and has spent his working life in drink. He is chief engineer of www.scotchwhisky.com and writes for numerous international titles, including Whisky Advocate. He won Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer at the 2015 Spirited Awards. He’s written... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan)

Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan)

Bartender, Owner, Dandelyan and Cub
Cocktail bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana goes by Mr Lyan, which is arguably easier to say. He opened his first bar, White Lyan, in London in 2013 as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables; no fruit and even no ice. It was an exploration in sustainability, with much... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Beam Suntory

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Science of Distillation & Art of Maturation
In this advanced course, Master Distiller Dave Pickerell joins Brad Boswell of Independent Stave for a true Master Class on the art and chemistry of distillation and barrel aging. Many past Tales seminars have been primers for these topics, but this unique presentation is a scientific view of the life of a drop of whiskey, from grain to glass. Travel alongside a rye grain from the day it enters the distillation process until the perfect moment it pours into your favorite craft libations. Side-by-side with the experts of the field, explore the importance of a masterful mash bill, the resurgence of rye, and innovative aging. To drive the lesson home, enjoy a guided tasting of WhistlePig's flagship 100/100 Straight Rye and The Boss Hog, plus a legendary recent release from the brand, focusing on the masterful maturation process of cross-cask aging.
Moderators
avatar for Dave Pickerell

Dave Pickerell

Master Distiller, WhistlePig Rye Whiskey
WhistlePig and Hillrock Estate Distilleries’ Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, a luminary in the world of whiskey, is one of the nation’s preeminent distillers. Before joining WhistlePig, and Hillrock Estate Distillery, Pickerell spent 14 years as Master Distiller for Maker's Mark... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Brad Boswell

Brad Boswell

President, Independent Stave Company
Brad Boswell is fourth-generation in a barrel making family. He received his cooper training starting at an early age of 9. Brad worked every summer at the family-owned barrel company while growing up in Lebanon, Missouri. Brad was named President of the company in 1999. He holds... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for WhistlePig

WhistlePig

Entrepreneur Raj P. Bhakta founded WhistlePig in 2010 with a single goal in mind: creating the world’s finest rye whiskeys. In service of this vision, Bhakta spent his life’s savings on a 500-acre farm in Shoreham, VT – the brand’s home, headquarters and future distillery.With... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

3:00pm CDT

Sustaining a Career in Bartending
"Mom, I'm a bartender. That is what I'm doing with my life." You've made your proclamation, so now what? In an industry built on slim profit margins, high turnover, and 14-hour work days, how can we make bartending a viable career for ourselves and future generations? Stability, longevity and balance are career goals for all of us; whether it's staying behind a bar, moving into ownership, or working with a brand.

In this no-holds-barred discussion, Naomi Levy (bar manager at Boston’s Eastern Standard) leads panelists Julie Reiner, Scott Baird, and Charlotte Voisey as they guide you through career options and the obstacles of making our work/life balance more fulfilling. What are the challenges to having a family and maintaining relationships in the bar industry? How do you find financial stability within tips-based employment? What systems can be put in place to help build this industry into one that makes it possible for people to build a career? Learn about the ways you can look out for your own future and brainstorm ways in which we can help to build a better future for the industry as a whole.
Moderators
avatar for Naomi Levy

Naomi Levy

Bar Manager, Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks
At the age of 17 Naomi Levy began her career at a Ruby Tuesday in Maryland. Although starting as a server, she was “hooked by the pace and rhythm of restaurant service and drawn to the drama and challenges of the bar.” Over the next few years, she continued to learn and grow... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for SCOTT BAIRD

SCOTT BAIRD

Founding Partner, The Bon Vivants
Scott Baird, a Bay Area native, is a founding partner of The Bon Vivants, a nationally recognized hospitality, design, and creative group. In 2009, Baird was approached by fellow bartender and co-worker at 15 Romolo, Josh Harris. The duo decided to take on a bar-consulting gig together... Read More →
avatar for Julie Reiner

Julie Reiner

Owner, Clover Club
Julie Reiner has been elevating the cocktail scene in NYC for fifteen years, most notably with the opening of the Flatiron Lounge (2003), the Pegu Club (2005), and Brooklyn’s Clover Club (2008). As co-owner and beverage director of the Flatiron Lounge, Reiner drew much of her inspiration... Read More →
avatar for Charlotte Voisey

Charlotte Voisey

Global Head of Brand Ambassador Advocacy , Emcee, William Grant & Sons
Charlotte Voisey is an award-winning mixologist with cocktail recipes published and placedon menus across the world including New York’s famed PDT, the iconic Dorchester Hotel inLondon and Whitechapel in San Francisco.Charlotte’s passion for all things spirits and cocktails keeps... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Aviation American Gin

Aviation American Gin

Founded in 2004 in Oregon, House Spirits Distillery is a leader of America’s craft distilling revolution and the anchor of Portland, Oregon's famous Distillery Row. Our award-winning products are batch-distilled with an intense, passionate and near-obsessive pursuit of quality... Read More →
avatar for William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

The Myth of Precision
Do Your Measures Measure Up?

When is a Kilogram not a Kilogram? When it’s ‘The Kilogram’, the official standard measure which is getting slightly lighter every year, mocking the very idea of timeless, perfect precision in measurement of weight and volume. But rest assured, the Ounce is no better, being one of a half dozen wildly inconsistent measures used under the Imperial System.

The modern bar world has an almost religious belief in the importance of measurement, mocking those unbelievers who don’t use the jigger. But is there such a thing as true precision? Are our jiggers and measuring cups calibrated correctly, and were they ever reliable in the past? We treat old cocktail books with a lot of reverence, but their recipes made up of gills, ponies and drams today make no sense, if they ever did. In this seminar, we’ll explore the history of ‘weights and measures’ and decipher the quirks hidden in the measurements in old cocktail books, by demonstrating classic recipes made with one of the world’s largest collections of historical cocktail equipment. We will examine how the world has arrived at two incompatible measurements – the ML and the OZ – and why almost every country has a different ‘standard’ measure, and what that means for bartenders around the world as they adapt recipes from other countries and other eras. We’ll look at the pros and cons of today's bar tools and share research on how you need to know the quirks of your individual tools to be able to make better drinks. And we’ll also discuss the various methods – free pouring, jiggering, batching and more – by which you can ensure you are serving your guests the best drinks possible, wherever you are in the world.
Moderators
avatar for Joe McCanta

Joe McCanta

Global Ambassador, Grey Goose Vodka
Joe McCanta is an expert on taste. And now, as Global Ambassador for GREY GOOSE vodka, he brings together a passion for great cocktails made from freshest ingredients and the creative skill of a master mixologist. A gifted jazz musician, Joe was raised in southern California before... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Greg Boehm

Greg Boehm

President, Cocktail Kingdom
Since founding Cocktail Kingdom, the standard-bearer of bar-industry equipment worldwide and one of the catalysts of the craft cocktail movement, Greg Boehm has guided the progression of modern mixology by attentively sourcing and manufacturing the highest-quality barware to better... Read More →
avatar for Tobin Ellis

Tobin Ellis

Principal, BarMagic of Las Vegas
Tobin is owner of BarMagic of Las Vegas, a hospitality design & consulting firm established in 1997 that specializes in concept development, bar design, and hospitality operations. BarMagic’s portfolio of clients include MGM Mirage, Marriott/Ritz Carlton, Starbucks Coffee Company... Read More →
avatar for Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths has been involved in the hospitality industry for over ten years, with extensive knowledge of all aspects of the business. From his experience in his native Australia, through to Edinburgh and finally landing in London, along the way he worked in more then a few of... Read More →
avatar for Adam Seger

Adam Seger

Founding Partner, HUM Botanical Spirits, BALSAM Spirits and Truffe Amere Bitters Companies Corporate
BIO ADAM SEGER CCP An alumnus of Michelin Starred restaurants Chez Julien in Strasbourg, TRU in Chicago and The French Laundry in Napa Valley, Certified Culinary Professional and Advanced Sommelier Adam Seger takes a chef's approach behind the bar, being called appropriately... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Grey Goose Vodka

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

3:00pm CDT

New Orleans Cocktail Tour
Before Tales of the Cocktail® became the international festival it is today, it started as a walking cocktail tour of one of America’s most spirited cities: New Orleans. Today the tour continues to delight visitors and locals alike with tall tales on how the city’s most legendary drinks came to be. Join New Orleans’ resident cocktail history expert, Joe Gendusa, on an exclusive Tales of the Cocktail® romp through the French Quarter.
Personalities
JG

Joe Gendusa

Gendusa is a New Orleans native and a respected teacher for 38 years. After his retirement, he joined forces with Tales of the Cocktail® founder, Ann Tuennerman, to start what is known today as New Orleans Original Cocktail Tour. Gendusa has also written a book entitled History With... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Cointreau

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event

3:30pm CDT

From Milano to Torino and Beyond
The Negroni is a classic cocktail enjoying a long renaissance among bartenders and cocktail lovers around the world.

But what are the origins of this much loved aperitivo, and how has such a simple drink evolved over time? And how has a cocktail with such a commonly accepted birth managed to inspire such heated debate. For the first time in the USA, the world’s 3 pre-eminent experts on the Negroni will take you on the ultimate Negroni journey through both time and place. Luca Picchi, author of the authoritative history of the Negroni, will be joined by Giuseppe Gallo, award winning vermouth ambassador, and Mauro Mahjoub, a man so devoted to the Negroni he opened a bar named for the cocktail.

Join this trio of experts and learn the real history of the Negroni for the first time. How did this drink evolve from the aperitivi of caffe' culture? What is the influence of the Milano-Torino and the Americano on the birth of the Negroni? Is the Negroni French or Italian? And how has the Negroni evolved in Europe and around the world? For the first time, authoritative Negroni research will be showcased, to coincide with Luca’s Negroni book being published, an event worthy of celebration. Join us on the ultimate Negroni journey, from the cafes of Turin and Milan in the 1860s, to the classic American Bars of Europe in the 1920s and 30s, and the Golden Age of La Dolce Vita, and see how today, the world’s best bartenders have left their mark on the Negroni around the globe. SALUTE!
Moderators
avatar for Giuseppe Gallo

Giuseppe Gallo

Founder & Director, ITALSPIRITS
The italian spirits expert Giuseppe Gallo is one of the world’s most respected mixologists, with an inherent passion for the drinks business and an inimitable source of knowledge and insight into the world of drinks. He has worked in almost every type of drinks and hospitality business... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Francesco Lafranconi

Francesco Lafranconi

Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Educator, Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada
One of the world’s foremost mixologist, Francesco Lafranconi is the Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Educator for Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada. Francesco’s personal appeal has made him a hit with his A-list celebrity clientele, world-class corporate clients... Read More →
avatar for Mauro Mahjoub

Mauro Mahjoub

Owner, Mauro's Negroni Club
My career as bartender begins in Bologna in 1989 and then I run some hotels and American bars on the Adriatic coast. I attended several courses around the world: JOHN WHYTE Course IBA Singapore, EDC Course (IBA), in Ayr, Scotland. In 2002 I obtained a Diploma from the Hotel school... Read More →
avatar for Luca Picchi

Luca Picchi

I'm born in Florence 54 years ago. I began very young to working in a bar (14 yo) in a Disco.I was owner of a restaurant and american bar in Elba isle in the middle of '90. After those experience I move to Florence and I work in an Hotel for 1 year. 2 years in a disco club in Florence... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Campari
avatar for Martini & Rossi

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:30pm CDT

Which School Will You Choose
Over the past 15 years, there have been a slew of graduates from the industries school of legends. They hailed from Audrey Saunders & Sasha Petraske to Jim Meehan & Julie Reiner, and the list continues to grow. These schools of thought and their graduates have shaped the industry we now live in today. But not without controversy….

In this seminar, the old dogs and the new pups will debate each other’s philosophies, controversial Industry practices and hiring & training methods. They will give advice about HOW TO break tradition to create a bar culture that works for you, balance between being a sell out and being a genius, and lastly, how not to constrict yourself by only following one teacher’s Indoctrination.
Moderators
avatar for Elayne Duff

Elayne Duff

Luxury Brand Ambassador, MKTG / Diageo
Despite a jet-set lifestyle that can have her styling cocktails in Hawaii one day, and filming for national TV the next, Diageo USA's luxury brand mixologist Elayne Duff's first love is talking craft cocktails with bartenders, bar managers and owners. After graduating from St... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alex Day

Alex Day

Partner, Proprietors LLC
Geeky bartender when possible, professional bartender wrangler in practice. Co-owner of Proprietors LLC, Death & Co, Nitecap, 151, Honeycut, The Normandie Club, and The Walker Inn. Co-author of "Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails."
avatar for Bobby Heugel

Bobby Heugel

Owner, Anvil Bar & Refuge
Bobby Heugel is an owner and operator of eight bars and restaurants in Houston, Texas through his company, Clumsy Butcher, which partners with talented industry professionals to develop concepts that reflect their personalities. In addition to these establishments, Bobby also consults... Read More →
avatar for Jim Kearns

Jim Kearns

Head Bartender and Partner, The Happiest Hour
Jim Kearns is head bartender and partner at The Happiest Hour, a new bi-level drinking and dining destination in New York’s Greenwich Village that salutes America’s sexiest decades. He is responsible for developing and executing a beverage program at the highest level and ensuring... Read More →
avatar for TJ Lynch

TJ Lynch

Owner, Mother's Ruin
T.J. Lynch is bartender and co-owner of Mother's Ruin, located in Nolita, in New York City. After as the opening chef and co-owner of Red Maple in Baltimore, MD., he moved to NYC where he began bartending, managing and consulting for some of the city's most popular establishments... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Diageo USA

Wednesday July 15, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

6:00pm CDT

Keynote Speaker: A Spirited Evening with Danny Meyer
Kick off your Tales of the Cocktail® 2015 with a spirited presentation from one of the world’s renowned experts on hospitality, Danny Meyer from the Union Square Hospitality Group. Meyer literally wrote the book on how to serve with the his book Setting the Table and he will share the insights from his 25-year career during a lively discussion moderated by Paul G. Tuennerman at the Harrah’s Theater. Tickets start at $115 or you can upgrade to the exclusive VIP experience, which includes a meet and greet with Meyer before the show. This intimate setting means there are a limited number of tickets so get yours today to be a part of the first-ever Tales of the Cocktail® keynote event.

Restaurateur Danny Meyer has become a world-renowned master of hospitality. This summer at Tales of the Cocktail, he'll be answering your questions during his keynote address. Make the most out of this opportunity by using #AskDannyMeyer on Twitter to post your questions. 
@TOTC #TOTC2015 #AskDannyMeyer
 
Moderators
avatar for Paul Tuennerman

Paul Tuennerman

Chief Business Office & Co-Owner, Tales of the Cocktail
Paul Tuennerman is Chief Business Officer and Co-Owner of Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s must-attend cocktail festival held annually in New Orleans. Since its inception, it has attracted more than 100,000 drinks experts and libations enthusiasts from as far away as China, Kenya... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Danny Meyer

Danny Meyer

CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group
Danny Meyer is the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, which includes Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern, Maialino, Untitled, North End Grill, Marta, Union Square Events, and Hospitality Quotient, a learning and consulting business... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Food Republic

Food Republic

Food Republic is one of the foremost online sources for news and commentary on food, drink, travel, design, cooking and more. Published to a wide audience in the United States and abroad, the site features a daily lineup of interviews with prominent chefs, mixologists and personalities... Read More →
avatar for The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation

From restaurants to jazz clubs to parks to shops, there are endless ways to follow your NOLA in New Orleans. Everyone’s NOLA is different. Follow yours at followyournola.com.

Wednesday July 15, 2015 6:00pm - 7:30pm CDT
Harrah's Theater 228 Poydras Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event
 
Thursday, July 16
 

10:00am CDT

Artisan Distilling, Old World New World
A conversation with three distillers and two bartenders contrasting Artisan Distilling in the old world sense and artisan distilling as it has flourished over the last 8 years here in the United States. Representative cocktails from each style will be presented by Dale DeGroff and Alba Huerta.
Moderators
avatar for Dale DeGroff

Dale DeGroff

Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff, aka King Cocktail,developed his extraordinary techniques and talent tending bar at great establishments, most notably New York's famous Rainbow Room, where in the '80's, he pioneered a gourmet approach to recreating the great classic cocktails... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jean-Pierre Cointreau

Jean-Pierre Cointreau

CEO, RENAUD COINTREAU
Jean-Pierre COINTREAU has been CEO of the RENAUD COINTREAU family Group since 1984.This Group is dedicated to historical premium brands of- Champagne GOSSET, the oldest winehouse in Champagne since 1584- Cognac FRAPIN, a 100 % Grande Champagne estate with no out sourcing- french Liqueurs... Read More →
avatar for Alba Huerta
avatar for Alain Royer

Alain Royer

VP Development, Renaud-Cointreau Group
Born in Bordeaux, raised in Jarnac in the heart of the Cognac region, Alain Royer comes from a Family involved with Cognac since before the French revolution. Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, then an MBA at HEC/ISA near Paris. Alain worked as a distiller, blender and liquor maker... Read More →
avatar for Lance Winters

Lance Winters

Master Distiller, St. George Spirits
Master distiller Lance Winters is the creative force behind St. George Spirits, known for his “penchant for gleefully shunning the spirits world's conventions” (Esquire) and respected for having “a passion for his craft only equaled by his explosive imagination” (The Bold... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Champagne Gosset
avatar for Cognac Frapin
avatar for Salers Gentiane
avatar for Védrenne

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

How to Go Broke: Opening a Bar
From New York to Minneapolis to Los Angeles, droves of thirsty drinkers are ordering well-made Old Fashioneds, Martinis and Manhattans. So it should be a great time to open your own watering hole, right? Well, opening and running a profitable bar is, in fact, much tougher than it looks and plenty of joints go out of business every year. So how do you do it right? This panel will bring together a range of industry veterans who will share their advice for running a successful establishment, including tips on navigating the complexities of liquor licenses, writing a realistic business plan, dealing with difficult investors and cultivating loyal patrons. Whether you dream about opening a bar or already own one, this is one panel you don’t want to miss.
Moderators
avatar for Noah Rothbaum

Noah Rothbaum

Chief Cocktail Correspondent, The Daily Beast
Noah Rothbaum is The Daily Beast's Chief Cocktail Correspondent. He is also the author of the book The Art of American Whiskey: A Visual History of the Nation’s Most Storied Spirit, through 100 Iconic Labels (Ten Speed Press), which was published in the spring of 2015, and the associate... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Anthony Caporale

Anthony Caporale

Principal Consultant, ICE Consulting Group
Anthony is a true pioneer in the beverage world, internationally known for being the first to bring mixology to both YouTube, with his seminal web video series Art of the Drink TV, and then to the New York stage with his groundbreaking Off-Broadway musical comedy, "The Imbible: A... Read More →
avatar for Susan Fedroff

Susan Fedroff

Owner, Operator, Clover Club
Susan began working in bars (both behind the bar and back of the house) more than 25 years ago.  Her entrepreneurial career began shortly after completing a Masters degree in economics and finance from NYU.  Susan spent a couple of years working in NYC government (in various... Read More →
avatar for Allen Katz

Allen Katz

Co-Founder, New York Distilling Company
Allen Katz is the co-founder of the New York Distilling Company in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he produces Dorothy Parker – American Gin, Perry’s Tot – Navy-Strength Gin, Chief Gowanus – New-Netherland Gin, Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye…and Ragtime Rye. He is also the Director... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Malkin

Ryan Malkin

Attorney, Malkin Law
Ryan Malkin is an attorney serving the alcohol beverage industry. Ryan is well versed in navigating the federal and state-by-state alcohol beverage laws, assisting clients large and small with industry specific agreements and crafting compliant marketing and sales programs. Prior... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Mezcal Viejo Indecente

Mezcal Viejo Indecente

Mezcal Viejo Indecente gives you the key to unlock the door and be your other self.
avatar for Tales of the Cocktail®

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Nomadic Barkeep: Travel-learn-repeat!!!
How many of articles as “20 things you learn while living abroad” have you seen? What if it say something like “20,000 things to learn & use in future life while living abroad”?

There is a lot to be absorb every shift, every normal day. Same as we don’t think about breathing, we forget to process & use most of our new experiences. Our mind is simply too occupied with day to day routine. Why don’t we pause to absorb so we can use every little thing we learn each day. The biggest & best companies in the world are leaning more towards EQ (Emotional Intelligence) rather than IQ or other intelligences during hiring interviews. Bartending & living abroad exposes us to an enormous amount of cultural influences. Imagine being able to re-use in your own way every single new experience from each shift behind your bar or new country you living in. How much would choices you make change, bend or adjust?

In this seminar we’ll break down what EQ is, how it works and how it can be improved. Our world traveled “Jack of all trades” panelists will share their tricks & lifetime experiences as well as debating about how important it is to find right position for each member of your staff to build on their skill set which leads to happier team which leads to healthy business & longevity of your operation. You shall be leaving with a good idea what to do everyday to improve knowledge about yourself, work & society, therefor live enriched life.
Moderators
avatar for Zdenek Kastanek

Zdenek Kastanek

Barkeep/General Manager, 28 HongKong Street/Proof & Company
OVERVIEW One of the most respected names in the bar industry, Zdenek is a cocktail competition veteran who has trained thousands of bartenders across four continents. He has twice represented the United Kingdom in cocktail world cups and has been a shortlisted finalist for the industry’s... Read More →
avatar for George Nemec

George Nemec

“It’s a world of fashion, music, remarkable interiors and unique personalities. It’s like one big Salvador Dali artwork, and in the middle, you are the one able to add a new color.” George Nemec         In 2004 George Jiri Nemec’s contribution to professional bartending... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jacob Briars

Jacob Briars

Advocacy Director, Bacardi
Jacob Briars likes to describe himself as New Zealand’s 7th most famous bartender, but usually that just gets people asking where New Zealand is and who the other 6 bartenders are. For the past few years he has travelled the world as a much-loved spirits educator for some of the... Read More →
avatar for Ali Dedianko

Ali Dedianko

InsideBelve.  Ali Dedianko is a Baltimore native but moved to NYC in 2003 to attend New York University. While she majored in European Studies and minored in Russian Language, she has always had a true passion for spirits. After 7 years behind the bar, working everywhere from speakeasies... Read More →
avatar for Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan, author of the The PDT Cocktail Book, entered the hospitality business in 1995 while studying at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He worked his way through school as a bartender, then moved to New York City in 2002 to hone his palate and develop his craft in venues... Read More →
avatar for Nick van Tiel

Nick van Tiel

Keeping it real
Nick van Tiel is a world-renowned authority on spirits, cocktails and the craft of bartending. He is also an obsessive music fan and has fed this passion by DJing, producing music, and consulting for a number of venues across the world on music and sound design. Beginning his career... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA
avatar for Belvedere Vodka

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Rum: A Taste Of 10 Rare Single Casks
Here is a rare opportunity to experience some fine aged rums from a private collection, never before seen in the United States. Originally sourced in Caribbean casks, these select aged rums were further aged in special barrels in Europe over many years. This exclusive tasting event will be available for only twenty serious rum enthusiasts, featuring vintage rums from Guadeloupe, Belize, Guyana and Haiti, lovingly triple matured and rested in barrels from rare Sauternes, Pineau des Charentes and even Sherry casks.
Moderators
RB

Robert Burr

president, Quantum Leap Network - Robs Rum Guide
Robert publishes Robs Rum Guide and the National Rum Examiner, as well as rum reviews on the Rum Minute YouTube video channel. He is host of the Miami Rum Festival/Trade Expo and the annual Rum Renaissance Caribbean Cruise. Robert serves as a judge in international rum tasting competitions... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alexandre Gabriel

Alexandre Gabriel

President and Owner, Maison Ferrand
Alexandre Gabriel was born and raised in France, on a farm in southern Burgundy near the medieval town of Cluny, where his grandfather taught him how to make wine and distill spirits. Twenty-five years ago Alexandre Gabriel came upon an ancient Cognac house and built it into what... Read More →
avatar for Paul McFadyen

Paul McFadyen

Brand Ambassador UK, Maison Ferrand
Paul McFadyen is co-owner of Trailer Happiness bar in Notting Hill and Brand Ambassador for Cognac Ferrand – creator of brands like Plantation Rum, Citadelle Gin and Pierre Ferrand Cognac. Paul comes from a drinks-media background beginning 20 years ago as Publisher of Flavour... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for Plantation Rum

Plantation Rum

Alexandre Gabriel is a man with a singular focus from which he has not wavered in the 20 years he has been the head of esteemed Maison Ferrand. His focus and philosophy are simple – to produce special, unique spirits, gems so distinctive and revolutionary that they set the bar for... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

10:00am CDT

Stylish Service - Flair for Mixologists
Interaction with the bartender (get your mind out of the gutter) can make or break a guest's experience at a bar. This seminar hosted by the Bols Bartending Academy will feature 3 world champion bartenders from a variety of backgrounds. They will teach you how to manipulate a wide variety of objects that you use everyday behind the bar. That little flick, roll or throw can go a long way towards how confident a guest feels about your ability to make them a great drink, even before it touches their lips.

In this hands on class; straws, strainers, jiggers and even liquid itself will not be spared from your attempts to defy gravity as we share with you some of our greatest hits to make you look truly stylish behind the bar. After all it is all in the delivery!

No prior experience is necessary and those with experience will still learn something from this panel.

Note- You are only human and will make a mistake at some point, don't let that mistake ruin your day. You cannot wear open toed shoes to this technique seminar.
Moderators
avatar for Anthony Pullen

Anthony Pullen

National Brand Ambassador, Lucas Bols USA
Currently in Las Vegas

Speakers
avatar for Dario Doimo

Dario Doimo

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DARIO-DOIMO/133367933350169
avatar for Kate Gerwin

Kate Gerwin

World Champion/Global Brand Ambassador, Lucas Bols
Kate is the General Manager of HSL Hospitality in Bismarck, North Dakota. She oversees the operation of three bars, a restaurant, catering facility and retail operation, and has owned and operated her own award winning establishments. She is the current BATW World Champion and has... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bols

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

10:30am CDT

All The Bar's A Stage
Performance, Bravado and Theatricality in the Bar from Past to Present Times

What is the difference between a chef and a bartender? Is there something inherently frowned upon when a bar focuses as much on creating a ‘performance’ each night as they do the perfect execution of their drinks? Or is entertaining one of the most overlooked responsibilities of the modern day mixologist?

From pre-prohibition to modern day, there have always been larger-than-life bartenders who bring an element of performance and bravado to each guest they serve. Join us as we look at some of the world’s top bars to understand how the rules of the performer are applied behind the stick. We will look at how cultures have different ways of bringing their bar to life, how to use performance techniques to engage your guest, how theatricality can help you create new cocktail serves or garnishes, and why bravado is an integral part of being a true host.
Moderators
avatar for Joe McCanta

Joe McCanta

Global Ambassador, Grey Goose Vodka
Joe McCanta is an expert on taste. And now, as Global Ambassador for GREY GOOSE vodka, he brings together a passion for great cocktails made from freshest ingredients and the creative skill of a master mixologist. A gifted jazz musician, Joe was raised in southern California before... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Julio Cabrera

Julio Cabrera

Managing Partner, The Regent Cocktail Club. Miami
Julio Cabrera is a world renowned bartender whose career has spanned over 25 years. His tenures have included Italy, Mexico, his native Cuba, and currently Miami. He graduated with high honors at the Hotel and TourismUniversity at trainer capacity in Nicosia, Cypress in 1991. He... Read More →
avatar for Simone Caporale

Simone Caporale

SIMONE CAPORALE is a creative cocktail bartender of international renown with a distinctive personal style and the most impeccable service standards.  His drinks service career began in humble fashion 10 years ago in a small coffee bar in the heart of Como, Italy. From there he... Read More →
avatar for Jack McGarry

Jack McGarry

Co-Founder, The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog
Jack McGarry is The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog’s co-founder and operating partner, who also created its extensive historically-based drinks program. In July 2013, he was honored with the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail International Bartender of the Year award. He is its youngest... Read More →
avatar for Steve Schneider

Steve Schneider

Principal Bartender, Employees Only
Steve Schneider has earned a reputation as one of the most respected and successful bartenders in the industry. Of his twelve years professionally crafting cocktails, he has spent the last six building his career at one of the most highly esteemed NYC cocktail bars, Employees Only... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

Untold Stories of 3 Classic Cocktails
Three of the world's most noted cocktail historians unveil groundbreaking new information and dispel old myths surrounding the history of a trio of famous drinks: the Harvey Wallbanger, Last Word, and Sazerac. Was there really a wall-banging surfer named Harvey? What does Frank Fogarty, the supposed inventor of the Last Word, have to do with Red Hook, Brooklyn? Just how old a drink is the Sazerac and who invented it? Buy a ticket and find out. 
Moderators
avatar for Robert Simonson

Robert Simonson

Spirits/Cocktail Writer, New York Times
Robert Simonson writes about cocktails, spirits, bars and bartenders for the New York Times, where he had been a contributor since 2000. He is the author of the acclaimed 2014 book "The Old-Fashioned: The World's First Classic Cocktail" (Ten Speed Press). He is also a major contributor... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for St John Frizell

St John Frizell

Owner, Fort Defiance
St. John Frizell is an award-winning writer, bartender, and owner of Fort Defiance, a critically-acclaimed cafe-bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn. In 2005, Frizell quit his job as promotion copy director of Bon Appétit magazine to travel around the world in the footsteps of the great... Read More →
avatar for David Wondrich

David Wondrich

Senior Resident Fellow, North Gowanus Institute for Cranial Distempers
David Wondrich is widely hailed as the world’s foremost authority on the history of the cocktail and one of the founders of the modern craft cocktail movement. The longtime Drinks Correspondent for Esquire magazine, Dr. Wondrich (he has a PhD in Comparative Literature) is a five-time... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka

From Sweden with LoveEver heard of a place called Åhus? Maybe not, but whether you’re sipping in São Paulo, or out in Hong Kong, you’ll probably want to raise your glass to the inhabitants of this small town in Sweden.That’s because every single drop of the Absolut Vodka you... Read More →
avatar for Galliano
avatar for Luxardo

Luxardo

LUXARDO® is Italy’s premier liqueur producer, creating essential ingredients for modern and classic cocktails. Founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo, the company is still family-owned and managed by the sixth generation of the Luxardo Family. Based in Torreglia, located in the Veneto... Read More →
avatar for Sazerac Rye

Thursday July 16, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

A Bottle & A Cork: Bars of Old New York
As the old kids’ rhyme goes, “a bottle and a cork--that’s the way to spell New York.” Since the early 19th century, New York has been America’s most populous city and its commercial, financial and media capital. That has also made it the country’s greatest market for epicurean tippling. Join cocktail historian David Wondrich for a detailed, in-depth and yet lively and anecdotal exploration of the bars of New York from the end of the Revolution to the end of the Civil War. There will be plenty of low dives, rough characters, noses bitten off, boxers, gamblers, politicians and whores. But there will also be cocktails and “mixologists” (a term that was coined in New York in the 1850s). And, since all of the characteristic techniques, tools, recipes and ingredients that would characterize the then-new American way of mixing drinks either originated in New York or passed through it at an early point in their existence, the seminar will also amount to an informal history of the American Cocktail, with liquid examples and a great deal of new information.
Moderators
avatar for David Wondrich

David Wondrich

Senior Resident Fellow, North Gowanus Institute for Cranial Distempers
David Wondrich is widely hailed as the world’s foremost authority on the history of the cocktail and one of the founders of the modern craft cocktail movement. The longtime Drinks Correspondent for Esquire magazine, Dr. Wondrich (he has a PhD in Comparative Literature) is a five-time... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Beefeater Gin
avatar for Cherry Heering
avatar for Plymouth Gin

Plymouth Gin

Produced since 1793 at Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England, Britain's oldest distillery. A distinctive style of gin that by law can only be produced in Plymouth. The over 200 year-old recipe is perfectly balanced blend of seven botanicals: juniper berry, coriander, lemon... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Breaking Into the US Liquor Market
10% of American drinkers, i.e. 24, 000,000 adults, consume on average 74 alcoholic drinks per week! Statistics like this are why breaking into the US market is the Holy Grail for any drinks industry player. One country in theory, legally it operates as 50 different countries, with many different local laws regulating the beverage industry. Whether you’re a brand, a distributor, a retailer or a bartender, understanding this gigantic, complex country is key. Audrey Fort, Eurowinegate US Portfolio Director, will lead a panel of experts who will decrypt the American beverage industry: Christine Sismondo, author of America Walks Into a Bar, the first-ever comprehensive history of the American bar, Ryan Malkin, an attorney specialized in alcohol beverage law, and Tad Carducci, co-owner of multiple successful bars throughout the US. The panel will explain how history shaped the current US alcohol landscape and its segmentation into 50 different states, and will take you through the complexity of the state alcohol laws and its consequences on distribution and promotion. If you ever had questions such as “Can I give/accept free goods? What's a slotting fee? Do I need a license to present my products to a retailer? Can I organize a cocktail competition in the US? What are the social media do's and don'ts?”, then you’re coming to the right seminar. Bonus: send your questions to Audrey Fort on Facebook (PM) at least 3 days ahead and we’ll make sure to answer them during the seminar!
Moderators
avatar for Audrey Fort

Audrey Fort

EuroWineGate Portfolio Director, Domaine Select Wine Estates
Born and raised in France, “polished” in Russia, Paris and Cognac, Audrey now lives in the city that never sleeps, New York. After a master in international trade in 1995, Audrey started her career in Moscow, as a Brand Manager for the main Russian importer of the luxury goods... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Tad Carducci

Tad Carducci

Tad Carducci is a lifelong bartender, award-winning mixologist and general bon vivant, with twenty-five years experience in the hospitality industry. He is one half of the dynamic duo known as the Tippling Bros., a New York based beverage consultancy dedicated to "spirituous advisement... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Malkin

Ryan Malkin

Attorney, Malkin Law
Ryan Malkin is an attorney serving the alcohol beverage industry. Ryan is well versed in navigating the federal and state-by-state alcohol beverage laws, assisting clients large and small with industry specific agreements and crafting compliant marketing and sales programs. Prior... Read More →
avatar for Christine Sismondo

Christine Sismondo

I'm fascinated by the history of America's bars and taverns. We've had a real love-hate relationship with them - Prohibition is the most extreme version of this, obviously - but there have been thousands of more moderate laws drafted by well-meaning people who were really trying to... Read More →
avatar for Gianfranco Verga

Gianfranco Verga

COO and Founder, SevenFifty Technologies
Gianfranco Verga is COO and co-founder of SevenFifty. He helped curate the spirits portfolio at a leading importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits. He has also managed beverage programs at some leading bars in New York. Mr. Verga is B.A.R. Smarts certified by the Beverage... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Tales of the Cocktail®

Thursday July 16, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Fleeting Bubbles: Rare Champagne Tasting
Party like its 1999 with this rare opportunity to taste Champagnes no longer available outside of private collections! Taste tête de cuvées from the mid-to-late 90s along with Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs and Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs from one of the only major Champagne houses to produce these varietals as grand crus, which are not available anywhere in the U.S. Doug Frost (MS, MW) and Rob Bigelow (MS) will present a deep-dive into the world of Champagne with insight from category expert Monsieur Olivier Zorel. These esteemed panelists will discuss Champagne’s past, present, and future in an ever evolving liquid landscape.
Moderators
avatar for Rob Bigelow

Rob Bigelow

Director of Wine Education, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
As Senior Director of Wine Education and On-Premise Development, Rob Bigelow oversees all wine education programs for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. As part of his dual responsibilities he also plays a critical role in the company’s work with key stakeholders in the on-premise trade... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Doug Frost

Doug Frost

Managing Partner, Beverage Alcohol Resource
Doug Frost is a Kansas City author who writes and lectures about wine, beer and spirits. In 1991 he passed the rigorous Master Sommelier examination and two years later became America’s eighth Master of Wine. He was the second person in history to complete both exams and more than... Read More →
avatar for Olivier Zorel

Olivier Zorel

Area Export Manager Americas, CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATTE
French native Olivier Zorel brings more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the international wine business, having worked with some of the most famous brands in the industry. After completing business studies in Paris, New York, and Tokyo, Zorel began his career in... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com

Thursday July 16, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

12:30pm CDT

Physiology of Shake 2
This seminar provides an in-depth look at physical movements behind the bar and how they affect our bodies on a day-to-day basis. We will not only talk about bar related injuries but provide an in-depth video study on proper movement behind the bar. Also, we will provide a list of supplements and vitamins that counteract many bar "lifestyle" ailments such as fatigue, insomnia, liver toxicity, poor circulation, and dehydration. In addition we will have real time demonstrations and evaluations with Dr. Tarek Adra. The ultimate goal of this seminar is to extend the career bartender's life "Behind the Stick".
Moderators
avatar for Marcos Tello

Marcos Tello

National Brand Ambassador, El Silencio Mezcal
MARCOS TELLO Marcos Tello became enamored with the bartender trade while watching his favorite television show, “Cheers,” as a young boy growing up in Los Angeles. He developed a fascination with the relationships that formed around the iconic bar – an impression that continues... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Eric Alperin

Eric Alperin

Co-Owner, The Varnish
Eric hails from New York City and has been a resident of Los Angeles for more than seven years. He feels fortunate to have found a small, passionate, and ever-growing cocktail community in LA. Eric’s first venture out West was as part of the team that opened Osteria Mozza (owned... Read More →
avatar for Simon Ford

Simon Ford

Cofounder, FORDS GIN
Cocktail bars and Gin
avatar for Tarak Adra, D.C., L.A.c , Pharm.D.

Tarak Adra, D.C., L.A.c , Pharm.D.

Dr. Tarek Adra is committed to providing advanced and effective treatments in a comfortable, caring environment. A Doctor of Pharmacy, Dr. Adra started his career working n both community and hospital settings. Through this practice, he became aware of the limitations of traditional... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Fords Gin
avatar for Mezcal El Silencio

Thursday July 16, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

12:30pm CDT

The Cost of a Cocktail
Determining pricing for cocktails, a seemingly basic process in the bar business, can be far difficult than anyone would imagine. Sure, you’re house Aviation spec is bangin’, but what happens if you’re preferred gin doesn’t come in on today’s liquor order? What if citrus prices skyrocket? What if you work in a market where the ceiling doesn’t allow for double-digit cocktail prices? We’d bet you a bottle of vintage crème de violette that Hugo Ensslin, the first person to publish a recipe for the Aviation AND head bartender at the New York City’s Hotel Wallick, cared just as much about the cost of his cocktails as he did the famous cocktail’s house spec.

All of these issues are challenges that bar managers face daily, but fortunately, as cocktails become a more consistent part of the bar business their profitability is more open for discussion as well. In this seminar, we will discuss the basics of cocktail cost calculation, factors that can contribute to cost fluctuation, and strategic perspectives for pricing.

The basics of determining cost in a cocktail seem basic, but including the varying labor associated with different types of drinks or straws, beverage napkins and other overlooked elements can often be the difference in substantial profits over the course of a year. Attendees will receive access to the inventory sheets that we have perfected at Anvil Bar & Refuge and a comprehensive explanation of cocktail cost.

Additionally, we will consider basic choices that impact cocktail cost including spirit selection, citrus pricing and sourcing of dry goods. Citrus alone has many variables for consideration – seasonality, yield, etc. – with many strategies for dealing with them – packers cases or buying in futures. Each single factor that goes into the construction of a cocktail has far more variables and options that what would be initially expected.

Finally, this pricing discussion will lead to a broader conversation about menu strategy and pricing. Frequently, these conversations fail to consider the diversity within the global bar market and the varying expectations of guests. This seminar will utilize this global diversity to emphasize lessons about menu pricing that have strategic implications for bar owners. We will discuss single cocktail pricing versus pricing each cocktail independently, happy hour pricing, and determining how pricing can impact your perceived niche in a market.

Overall, we hope to give bar managers more tools to increase the profitability and guests experience in their bars.
Moderators
avatar for Bobby Heugel

Bobby Heugel

Owner, Anvil Bar & Refuge
Bobby Heugel is an owner and operator of eight bars and restaurants in Houston, Texas through his company, Clumsy Butcher, which partners with talented industry professionals to develop concepts that reflect their personalities. In addition to these establishments, Bobby also consults... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Terry Williams

Terry Williams

General Manager, Anvil Bar & Refuge
Terry Williams is the General Manager of Anvil Bar and Refuge in Houston, Texas where he has worked for almost three years. In addition to overseeing daily operations, Terry coordinates training of the Anvil staff, which is one of the most rigorous and structured programs in the country... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Citadelle Gin

Citadelle Gin

Alexandre Gabriel, president of Maison Ferrand, guided by his interminable quest to create fine spirits, set out in 1997 to create one the world’s finest Gins – and he truly means to give Gin a capital G. At the time, gin had largely become an industrial, mass-produced trendy... Read More →
avatar for Pierre Ferrand Cognac

Pierre Ferrand Cognac

In the heart of the famous “Golden Triangle” in Grande Champagne lies the production of one of the world’s most venerated Cognacs, Pierre Ferrand Cognac. Not only is this Cognac considered the “Premier Cru de Cognac” but the house of Cognac Ferrand is lauded as a Grande... Read More →
avatar for Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Those who say beauty is in the eye of the beholder can appreciate the story of the Curaçao orange. Too bitter to eat, with a dimpled, wrinkled exterior that would never win a beauty contest, these homely pieces of citrus become absolute magic when used to create Curaçao liquor... Read More →
avatar for Plantation Rum

Plantation Rum

Alexandre Gabriel is a man with a singular focus from which he has not wavered in the 20 years he has been the head of esteemed Maison Ferrand. His focus and philosophy are simple – to produce special, unique spirits, gems so distinctive and revolutionary that they set the bar for... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

In Praise of the Vodka Martini
The Vodka Martini remains one of the world’s most popular cocktails, but in the current ‘cocktail renaissance’ it sometimes can seem that its acolytes must profess their affection in hushed tones, lest they risk the opprobrium of the ‘Cocktail Taliban’. But the Vodka Martini, or the Kangaroo Kicker, to give it the proper name, is a drink with a long and noble history. It’s roots go back nearly a century, and its Golden Age, from the 1950s to the present day, is arguably longer than that of any of the various Gin Martini variations. Join vodka lovers Jacob Briars and Joe McCanta, together with historian and Martini lover Anistatia Miller, and Dale ‘King Cocktail’ DeGroff to learn about the long evolution of the Vodka Martini, its explosive popularity as a drink that typified the sleek, Modern age of the 1950s and 60s, We’ll show you how the world’s finest bartenders are re-imagining the Vodka Martini for today’s drinker, and why there may be no more perfect cocktail to serve with food.
Moderators
avatar for Jacob Briars

Jacob Briars

Advocacy Director, Bacardi
Jacob Briars likes to describe himself as New Zealand’s 7th most famous bartender, but usually that just gets people asking where New Zealand is and who the other 6 bartenders are. For the past few years he has travelled the world as a much-loved spirits educator for some of the... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dale DeGroff

Dale DeGroff

Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff, aka King Cocktail,developed his extraordinary techniques and talent tending bar at great establishments, most notably New York's famous Rainbow Room, where in the '80's, he pioneered a gourmet approach to recreating the great classic cocktails... Read More →
avatar for Joe McCanta

Joe McCanta

Global Ambassador, Grey Goose Vodka
Joe McCanta is an expert on taste. And now, as Global Ambassador for GREY GOOSE vodka, he brings together a passion for great cocktails made from freshest ingredients and the creative skill of a master mixologist. A gifted jazz musician, Joe was raised in southern California before... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Grey Goose Vodka

Thursday July 16, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

The Audacity of Sourced Whiskey
The great Sourced Whiskey Scandal tells the story of independent bottlers or Non-Distiller Producers purchasing bulk whiskey from a former Seagram’s distillery and covertly bottling it for phony-backstory brands.

Although industry insiders have known about sourced whiskey for years and it has been reported in trade publications, consumers perceived many so-called NDP brands to be dishonest and reported them to the federal government for Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) regulation violations, while class-action lawyers are suing them. Lumped in the middle of this controversy, dozens of honest sourced whiskey bottlers saw their business greatly impacted from the negative publicity despite never hiding the whiskey's origins.

In “The Audacity of Sourced Whiskey,” the seminar explores the business of sourced whiskey, detailing the storied history of Kentucky distilleries selling barrels to each other. The seminar will detail what distilleries sell sourced whiskey and give attendees an idea of where the whiskey is coming from, while explaining what and why distilleries require confidentiality in their sourced whiskey contracts.

While this seminar may be deemed controversial, it’s time people learn the truth about Sourced Whiskey. It’s not a dirty word, and independent bottlers should not be punished for practicing a 200-year-old American whiskey business model. Or should they?
Moderators
avatar for Fred Minnick

Fred Minnick

Author, Author
Author of Bourbon & Rum Books

Speakers
avatar for David Dykstra

David Dykstra

Vice President of Alcohol Sales and Marketing, MGP
David Dykstra’s role as Vice President of Alcohol Sales and Marketing at MGP is bolstered by more than 25 years of experience in the alcohol industry. David joined MGP in 1988, following graduation from Kansas State University, Manhattan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree... Read More →
avatar for John Little

John Little

VP/Head Distiller, Smooth Ambler
John began his career in distilling in 2008, as the inception for the business that would become Smooth Ambler Spirits first began to take flight. A fervent reader with a passionate and canny understanding of procedure, Little quickly learned all he could; absorbing everything from... Read More →
avatar for Wade Woodard

Wade Woodard

Wade has been proclaimed public enemy #1 by several companies with improperly labeled whiskey. He has been on the forefront of a grass roots effort to educate all on United States federal labeling laws regarding spirits. Wade is a Certified Spirits Specialist through the Society... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for MGP Ingredients
avatar for Smooth Ambler

Thursday July 16, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

MMA: Multiple Malt Ambassadors Face Off!
A first for Tales is a MMA face off between 'Multiple Malt Ambassadors' from Diageo, Beam/Suntory and William Grant.

Six ambassadors, two from each company with one whisky per person that they have to win the audience over with. The Catch? They only have 5 minutes and they aren't allowed to say A.How old it is B.What distillery it's from C. One whisky per company must be under 10 years old, the other can be anything from the warehouses that they fancy sharing with the lucky attendees.

The moderators will ask questions to the group and the audience in a fun, interactive seminar that will educate as well as entertain as these warriors go head to head. In the end it's the audience who decides on the champion. In the words of the immortal Highlander, "There can be only one!"

The event will be masterfully moderated World-renowned whisky writer and expert Dave Broom.

The contenders are: Ewan Morgan (Diageo), Gregor Cattanach (Diageo), Johnnie Mundell (Beam/Suntory), Iain McCallum (Beam/Suntory), Mitch Bechard (Wm Grants) and Lorne Cousin (Wm Grants).
Moderators
avatar for Dave Broom

Dave Broom

Dave Broom was born in Glasgow (Scotland) and has spent his working life in drink. He is chief engineer of www.scotchwhisky.com and writes for numerous international titles, including Whisky Advocate. He won Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer at the 2015 Spirited Awards. He’s written... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Gregor Cattanach

Gregor Cattanach

Master of Whisky, Director of Whisky Education, Diageo
As a boy, Gregor grew up at distilleries such as Caol Ila, Coleburn, Cragganmore andCardhu in Scotland where his father Evan worked as Master Distiller of these qualitysingle malts. This is where Gregor's apprenticeship truly began. Learning from his father issomething that he never... Read More →
avatar for Lorne Cousin

Lorne Cousin

Balvenie Ambassador, William Grant & Sons
From his highland roots in Scotland’s legendary Campbeltown – an area steeped in whisky tradition – Balvenie Brand Ambassador and renaissance man Lorne Cousin brings a wealth of craftsmanship and skill, and a lifetime’s worth of unexpected experiences, to his role with the... Read More →
avatar for Iain McCallum

Iain McCallum

Iain McCallum was appointed Master Ambassador, Spirits Education on January 1st 2015. This educational role within the commercial marketing and insights team will see Iain developing Beam Suntory’s core brands portfolio through consumer and trade education, tastings, masterclasses... Read More →
avatar for Ewan Morgan

Ewan Morgan

National Director : Diageo Masters of Whisky, Diageo
Ewan is a third generation ‘whisky man’. His father was maltings manager at Tamdhu Distillery in Speyside and later the distillery manager at Highland Park Distillery on the island of Orkney. His Grandfather was the brewer at the famed distillery Cardhu. Ewan was born in Dufftown... Read More →
avatar for Johnnie Mundell

Johnnie Mundell

Ambassador for Suntory Whisky, BeamSuntory
Love & MarriageWhisky & Japan

Personalities
avatar for Struan Grant Ralph

Struan Grant Ralph

Glenfiddich Ambassador, William Grant and Sons
Struan Grant Ralph the Glenfiddich Ambassador for the USA hails from Speyside, the spiritual home of Scottish Single Malt and from his first jobs working in distilleries to his current role with Glenfiddich, he has a lifelong passion and knowledge of whisky from grain to glass. This... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Beam Suntory
avatar for Diageo Single Malts
avatar for William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

Thursday July 16, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Mon Rye: American's Original Whiskey
For 150 years, Pittsburgh was the Whiskey capital of America, producing the gold standard of Pre-Prohibition American Whiskey -- Monongahela Rye. By 1808, Western Pennsylvania was producing half a barrel of Monongahela Rye for every man, woman and child living in America. We’ll talk through America's pre-Bourbon Whiskey history--the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s through the emergence of the nation’s largest Pre-Prohibition brand of Whiskey--Old Overholt as well as why Rye disappeared post-Prohibition. Attendees will sample Wigle's Organic Monongahela Deep Cut Rye, Old Overholt Rye, and Beam's soon to be released rare high rye Harvest Bourbon Collection. Tasting will allow participants to compare current Ryes explore how environmental conditions and distillation methods likely contributed to Monongahela Rye’s distinct flavor.
Moderators
avatar for Meredith Grelli

Meredith Grelli

Co-Owner, Wigle Whiskey & Threadbare Cider
Meredith is Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Wigle Whiskey, the City of Pittsburgh's first distillery since Prohibition. Wigle combines Meredith's love of drink, food, history, and community development.Since opening in March 2012, Wigle Whiskey has worked to restore Western Pennsylvania’s... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Hal B Klein

Hal B Klein

Hal B. Klein is a food and drinks writer living in Pittsburgh, PA. He is Pittsburgh Magazine's restaurant critic and food writer and a Press Club of Western PA Golden Quill awards winner for his weekly Pittsburgh City Paper drinks column "On the Rocks." Hal's work has also been heard... Read More →
avatar for Wes Shonk

Wes Shonk

Wes Shonk, Wigle Whiskey Ambassador hails from Ligonier, Pennsylvania and is responsible for education around Western Pennsylvania Whiskey history and current production for Wigle. His background is in engineering and managing whiskey bars--his passion is American whiskey past and... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for Old Overholt

Thursday July 16, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

3:00pm CDT

The Myth of Precision
Do Your Measures Measure Up?

When is a Kilogram not a Kilogram? When it’s ‘The Kilogram’, the official standard measure which is getting slightly lighter every year, mocking the very idea of timeless, perfect precision in measurement of weight and volume. But rest assured, the Ounce is no better, being one of a half dozen wildly inconsistent measures used under the Imperial System.

The modern bar world has an almost religious belief in the importance of measurement, mocking those unbelievers who don’t use the jigger. But is there such a thing as true precision? Are our jiggers and measuring cups calibrated correctly, and were they ever reliable in the past? We treat old cocktail books with a lot of reverence, but their recipes made up of gills, ponies and drams today make no sense, if they ever did. In this seminar, we’ll explore the history of ‘weights and measures’ and decipher the quirks hidden in the measurements in old cocktail books, by demonstrating classic recipes made with one of the world’s largest collections of historical cocktail equipment. We will examine how the world has arrived at two incompatible measurements – the ML and the OZ – and why almost every country has a different ‘standard’ measure, and what that means for bartenders around the world as they adapt recipes from other countries and other eras. We’ll look at the pros and cons of today's bar tools and share research on how you need to know the quirks of your individual tools to be able to make better drinks. And we’ll also discuss the various methods – free pouring, jiggering, batching and more – by which you can ensure you are serving your guests the best drinks possible, wherever you are in the world.
Moderators
avatar for Joe McCanta

Joe McCanta

Global Ambassador, Grey Goose Vodka
Joe McCanta is an expert on taste. And now, as Global Ambassador for GREY GOOSE vodka, he brings together a passion for great cocktails made from freshest ingredients and the creative skill of a master mixologist. A gifted jazz musician, Joe was raised in southern California before... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Greg Boehm

Greg Boehm

President, Cocktail Kingdom
Since founding Cocktail Kingdom, the standard-bearer of bar-industry equipment worldwide and one of the catalysts of the craft cocktail movement, Greg Boehm has guided the progression of modern mixology by attentively sourcing and manufacturing the highest-quality barware to better... Read More →
avatar for Tobin Ellis

Tobin Ellis

Principal, BarMagic of Las Vegas
Tobin is owner of BarMagic of Las Vegas, a hospitality design & consulting firm established in 1997 that specializes in concept development, bar design, and hospitality operations. BarMagic’s portfolio of clients include MGM Mirage, Marriott/Ritz Carlton, Starbucks Coffee Company... Read More →
avatar for Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths has been involved in the hospitality industry for over ten years, with extensive knowledge of all aspects of the business. From his experience in his native Australia, through to Edinburgh and finally landing in London, along the way he worked in more then a few of... Read More →
avatar for Adam Seger

Adam Seger

Founding Partner, HUM Botanical Spirits, BALSAM Spirits and Truffe Amere Bitters Companies Corporate
BIO ADAM SEGER CCP An alumnus of Michelin Starred restaurants Chez Julien in Strasbourg, TRU in Chicago and The French Laundry in Napa Valley, Certified Culinary Professional and Advanced Sommelier Adam Seger takes a chef's approach behind the bar, being called appropriately... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Grey Goose Vodka

Thursday July 16, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

3:00pm CDT

New Orleans Cocktail Tour
Before Tales of the Cocktail® became the international festival it is today, it started as a walking cocktail tour of one of America’s most spirited cities: New Orleans. Today the tour continues to delight visitors and locals alike with tall tales on how the city’s most legendary drinks came to be. Join New Orleans’ resident cocktail history expert, Joe Gendusa, on an exclusive Tales of the Cocktail® romp through the French Quarter.
Personalities
JG

Joe Gendusa

Gendusa is a New Orleans native and a respected teacher for 38 years. After his retirement, he joined forces with Tales of the Cocktail® founder, Ann Tuennerman, to start what is known today as New Orleans Original Cocktail Tour. Gendusa has also written a book entitled History With... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Cointreau

Thursday July 16, 2015 3:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event

3:30pm CDT

#SEDTalks: Tales Talks In Just 15 Minutes
#SEDTalks presents the distilled insights of the sharpest minds in our industry, presenting for no more than 15 minutes each (TED Talks-style), on the widest range of topics at Tales! Past #SEDTalks have covered topics such as the intersection of whisky and music, how sustainable, low-impact distillery architecture can be exhilarating, the place of mysticism in gin marketing, why "craft" doesn't have to mean small-scale, and what we can learn from Cuba about simplicity in cocktails. #SEDTalks presenters range from industry legends like Angus Winchester, Ryan Chetiyawardana and Dave Broom, to people you've never heard of who possess fresh perspectives on the world of spirits and cocktails. Buy the ticket, come to #SEDTalks, and prepare to have your boundaries expanded!
Moderators
avatar for Philip Duff

Philip Duff

Director, Old Duff Genever
Director of Education for Tales of the Cocktail, bar & beverage consultant, founder of door 74 (Amsterdam), in-demand spirits educator, but I never talk about my work at the orphan dolphin sanctuary, do you hear? Never.

Speakers
avatar for Georgie Bell

Georgie Bell

Mortlach Global Brand Ambassador, Diageo
As the Global Brand Ambassador for Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky - a 190 year secret from the heart of Speyside - Georgie spends around 9 months of the year travelling the world, introducing whisky lovers to this award winning scotch. A BSc in Distillation, a background in... Read More →
avatar for Jacob Briars

Jacob Briars

Advocacy Director, Bacardi
Jacob Briars likes to describe himself as New Zealand’s 7th most famous bartender, but usually that just gets people asking where New Zealand is and who the other 6 bartenders are. For the past few years he has travelled the world as a much-loved spirits educator for some of the... Read More →
avatar for Derek Elefson

Derek Elefson

Beverage Director, Mane
Derek Elefson is a 12 year veteran within the beverage industry combining insights with his team’s approach to designing successful ideas for his clients, many of which are amongst the top 50 global beverage producers. As such, he is often invited to share his experiences and insights... Read More →
avatar for Camper English

Camper English

Writer, Alcademics
Camper English is a San Francisco-based cocktails and spirits writer and speaker, and is the publisher/writer of Alcademics.com. He has contributed to Saveur, Details, Fine Cooking, Modern Farmer, Popular Science, the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Whisky Advocate, and many other... Read More →
avatar for Simon Ford

Simon Ford

Cofounder, FORDS GIN
Cocktail bars and Gin
avatar for Jeff Kluger

Jeff Kluger

Science Editor, Time Magazine
Jeffrey Kluger is the science editor for Time magazine and Time.com, principally covering science and social issues. His newest nonfiction book is Apollo 8. His newest novel is Freedom Stone, a young tale set on a South Carolina plantation in 1863, also published in 2011. He is the... Read More →
avatar for Claire Smith-Warner

Claire Smith-Warner

Head of Spirit Creation & Mixology, Belvedere Vodka
Claire Smith-Warner is Head of Spirit Creation at Belvedere Vodka and has been working with alcohol in its various forms for over 15 years. Committed to discovering new ways to drink ‘better’, Claire has developed a range of sugar free and 100% fresh fruit flavoured vodkas for... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA
avatar for Belvedere Vodka
avatar for Disaronno
avatar for MANE Flavors

MANE Flavors

MANE is a fifth generation, privately held flavor and fragrance company with operations spanning over 45 countries. As a global leader in natural flavor essences, extracts, and flavors, MANE prides itself on designing distinguished flavor solutions for our clients and ultimately consumers... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:30pm CDT

Building & Apprenticing Your Team
There is no "I" in T-E-A-M - the age-old saying holds true not only in conventional sporting but also in the sports of Bar-tending and Brand Building. The global demand for skilled barkeeps and brand team members is high but the supply is low. Success lies in organic education and knowledge through training, mentoring, and apprenticeship programs. Teams are only as good as the parts that make them up. This seminar will cover the bases, from what to look for when hiring, techniques to empower and motivate, emotional training, and ensuring standards are met and kept. Joining moderators Jonathan Pogash (The Cocktail Guru Inc.) and Dushan Zaric (86 Co., Employees Only), are experts Pamela Wiznitzer (USBG New York, The Dead Rabbit, Seamstress NY, and Guru of Fun at The Cocktail Guru team), Bobby Heugel (Owner at Anvil in Houston), and Zdenek Kastanek (industry leader & educator from Singapore), on a fun-filled voyage in which you'll hear tips, tricks, and motivators behind setting up kick-ass teams and apprenticeship programs for your Bars and Brands. Will there be interactive team building exercises and games during this seminar, you ask? You betcha.

And in the words of the great Harry Johnson, "Whenever you have the opportunity, it is your duty to set a good example to him; teach him as much as you are able, so that when he is grown he can call himself a gentleman, and not be ashamed of his calling."
Moderators
avatar for Jonathan Pogash

Jonathan Pogash

President/Owner, The Cocktail Guru
I am a father of 2, a husband to 1, and a mixer of drinks Jonathan Pogash, “The Cocktail Guru,” is an educator and cocktail consultant for restaurants and beverage brands. With offices in New England and NYC, Jonathan's signature cocktails can be seen and enjoyed in many of North... Read More →
avatar for Dushan Zaric

Dushan Zaric

Porter, The 86 Co
Dushan Zaric is the cocktail mastermind behind world-famous New York bars Employees Only and Macao Trading Co. He is widely recognized as an industry leader and a pioneer in craft bartending; his innovative work behind the bar has revolutionized the art of the cocktail. Dushan specializes... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Bobby Heugel

Bobby Heugel

Owner, Anvil Bar & Refuge
Bobby Heugel is an owner and operator of eight bars and restaurants in Houston, Texas through his company, Clumsy Butcher, which partners with talented industry professionals to develop concepts that reflect their personalities. In addition to these establishments, Bobby also consults... Read More →
avatar for Zdenek Kastanek

Zdenek Kastanek

Barkeep/General Manager, 28 HongKong Street/Proof & Company
OVERVIEW One of the most respected names in the bar industry, Zdenek is a cocktail competition veteran who has trained thousands of bartenders across four continents. He has twice represented the United Kingdom in cocktail world cups and has been a shortlisted finalist for the industry’s... Read More →
avatar for Pamela Wiznitzer

Pamela Wiznitzer

Creative Director, Seamstress
Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves and also transcends the bar. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC, and most recently as the Creative Director and bartender at Seamstress on the Upper Eastside... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA
avatar for Fords Gin

Thursday July 16, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

5:30pm CDT

Made in America Happy Hour
Tales of the Cocktail® is an international festival celebrating spirits from around the world. But at Made in America we’re keeping things close to home as we feature a special selection of craft distilleries and their liquors that are made right here in the good old US of A. Join us for this special event to sample whiskeys, gins, rums, vodkas and other spirits that represent the best of American craftsmanship as we salute the spirits that make our country so flavorful.
Sponsors
avatar for Ascendant Spirits
avatar for Balcones Distilling

Balcones Distilling

In only its seventh year in business, Balcones has gone on to acquire over 145 accolades and awards from respected judges, panels and competitions around the globe, cementing its position as one of the most highly regarded craft whisky distilleries in the world. Balcones Distillery... Read More →
avatar for Balsam
avatar for Bayou Rum

Bayou Rum

Bayou Rum is handmade in the largest privately-owned rum distillery in the USA, utilizing traditional methods with state-of-the-art equipment for all four steps: fermentation, distillation, maturation, and bottling. The beautiful facility right down the road in Lacassine, Louisiana... Read More →
avatar for Cathead Distillery

Cathead Distillery

Mississippi's Distillery located just north of Jackson, MS established in 2010.
avatar for Charleston Distilling Co.

Charleston Distilling Co.

Charleston Distilling Co. spirits are handmade in small batches in Charleston, South Carolina. We begin with the finest local grains, hand selected and milled in our own mill house in Summerton, South Carolina. We mash, ferment, distill, age, blend and bottle right on King Street... Read More →
avatar for Chatham Imports
avatar for Copper & Kings American Brandy Company

Copper & Kings American Brandy Company

We use traditional copper pot-distillation to forge untraditional craft-distilled, natural, Pure Pot-still brandies.Our brandies are batch distilled in Louisville, KY exclusively in copper pot-stills, and are non-chill filtered with no added sugar, boise (powdered oak, shavings or... Read More →
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for Four Roses Bourbon
avatar for Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon

Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon

Garrison Brothers Distillery, based in Hye, Texas, makes the finest tasting, highest quality straight bourbon whiskey in America. We are the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas history and have been producing authentic straight bourbon from scratch, by hand since 2007. We NEVER... Read More →
avatar for Glencairn Crystal

Glencairn Crystal

Glencairn created the glass that shaped whisky drinking. A family owned business in Scotland for two generations, we have also decorated and produced decanters for some of the largest & smallest spirit brands in the world. We treat everyone with warmth & respect, like a family would... Read More →
avatar for Glencairn Glass
avatar for Golden Moon Distillery
avatar for Greenhook Ginsmiths
avatar for Heaven Hill Whiskies
avatar for HUM Spirits
avatar for Laird's
avatar for New Holland Artisan Spirits

New Holland Artisan Spirits

After over a decade of craft-brewing, distilling was a natural extension for us. As perpetual students of fermentation, the art of creating alcohol, the next step of distilling into a more pure state, came easy. We coax flavor all the way from the brewhouse through our Prohibition-era... Read More →
avatar for Old New Orleans Rum
avatar for Ole Smoky
avatar for Prairie Organic Spirits
PD
avatar for Sazerac Company
avatar for Sorel
avatar for Tippleman's

Tippleman's

Tippleman's is a line of "Not Quite Simple Syrups" designed for bartenders to easily introduce more complex flavor characteristics into cocktails. Each bar syrup is handcrafted with a unique attention to the ingredients. Made in rather small batches, the finest quality ingredients... Read More →
avatar for Treaty Oak Distilling Co.
avatar for Westland American Single Malt

Thursday July 16, 2015 5:30pm - 7:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event, Happy Hour

8:00pm CDT

Bourbon Through Bluegrass
Buy Tickets

Close your eyes and picture a Ken Burns documentary on Bourbon brought to life through live bluegrass music. Join Heaven Hill at the House of Blues and experience the evolution of Bourbon by tasting whiskey (and what became Bourbon) that folks drank back in the 1700’s, followed by what they drank in the 1800’s and finally what they’re drinking in present day.  

This tasting of whiskeys from Heaven Hill stimulates all the senses.  See, hear, smell, feel and taste the history of the native spirit of the United States and literally drink in the history of Kentucky’s fine spirit through its music. Enjoy music performed by Heaven Hill’s International Whiskey Ambassador, Bernie Lubbers and bluegrass musician, Hickory Vaught. 

Sponsors
avatar for Heaven Hill

Heaven Hill

America's largest family-owned and operated distilled spirits producer and marketer, Heaven Hill Brands has grown beyond its traditional roots as a Bourbon distiller to become the country's seventh largest overall distilled spirits producer and marketer with a portfolio of well-known... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2015 8:00pm - 10:00pm CDT
House of Blues 225 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event

8:00pm CDT

Party Bus Daiquiri Tours
Get on the bus and roll with us to the Daiquiri Shop! Since the New Orleans style Daiquiri (AKA Frozen Daiquiri) is the official cocktail this year, Tales of the Cocktail has teamed up with the New Orleans Daiquiri Festival & Defend The Daiquiri to take you on a Daiquiri Tour! Jump aboard an authentic New Orleans Party Bus (you have to see it to believe it) and roll with us around the city to the tune of what we've dubbed "Daiquiri Music." The Daiquiri is the icon of outdoor drinking in NOLA, it's the poster boy of Go-Cup culture, so Daiquiri Music is the outdoor sound of NOLA, what you hear rolling by outside, flooding out of bars, and being played on street corners. In other words, Brass, Bounce, & old-school Rhythm & Blues. We'll be rolling to a few legendary Daiquiri Shops and some new school Craft Daiquiri spots. Hosted by local comedian, historian and Daiquiri Expert, Corey Mack, you'll learn a thing or two about the history of Daiquiris in New Orleans, as well as some essential Daiquiri pop culture insights (like where Beyonce & Jay Z stop for Daiquiris). The Who Daiq Flava Girls will be there to demonstrate how to dance on a party bus while enjoying your Daiquiri (a required skill for locals). 

Ticket includes:
  • Chartered tour guide and bus to some of New Orleans best Daiquiri Shops and several of the cocktail bars serving up Craft Daiqs!
  • Discounted Daiquiris 
  • Limited Edition "Defend The Daiquiri" Go-Cup
  • Daiquiri Shirt
  • Defend The Daiquiri swag
 Cost: $49.00 per person 
Sponsors
avatar for Tales of the Cocktail®

Thursday July 16, 2015 8:00pm - 10:00pm CDT
Front Steps of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event
 
Friday, July 17
 

10:00am CDT

Canadian Whisky: The Giant Reawakens
Canadian whisky, once the best-selling and most-respected in North America, is poised to regain its position - and there's a lot more to Canadian whisky than just rye!

Join Shawn Soole (Canadian bon vivant and award-winning bar manager), Davin de Kergommeaux (author of "Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert") and Dave Mitton (brand ambassador for Wiser's whisky and part-time plaid model) as they walk you through the unexpected joys of Canadian Whisky, its ups, its downs and its ups again!
Moderators
avatar for Shawn Soole

Shawn Soole

Principal/Owner, S2 Hospitality Concepts
Victorian Bon Vivant at large, Shawn has been behind two of Canada's most nominated and awarded restaurant & bars. Multiple Tales of the Cocktail nominated Clive's Classic Lounge, as founder of Little Jumbo & Author of Cocktail Culture. Shawn's goals are to help continuing to put... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Davin de Kergommeaux

Davin de Kergommeaux

Writer & Author, Whisky Canada
Award-winning author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, contributor and feature writer for Whisky Advocate Magazine, contributing editor for Whisky Magazine, founder, Canadian Whisky Awards, whisky judge, public speaker.
avatar for Dave Mitton

Dave Mitton

Global Canadian Whisky Ambassador for J.P. Wiser's, Lot No. 40 and Pike Creek, Corby / Pernod Ricard
For the past 18 years Dave has been working behind the wood - shaking up cocktails around the globe at spirited affairs, culinary symposiums, fashion shows, charity events, beach bars, art galleries and even the occasional grocery store. All the while, he’s helped hold down the... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Forty Creek Whisky
avatar for Lot No. 40
avatar for Pike Creek
avatar for Wisers Rye Whisky

Friday July 17, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Quinquina/Chinato: Bark to the Future
The epic and visually stunning story of a historic and until recently near-dead category of aperitif wine. The story of quinine in wine is interwoven with many of the major social and political developments of the mid 19th to the mid 20th century Europe. We will explore how this category came to thrive, a century later to wither, and its renewed relevance in today's drinks marketplace.
Moderators
avatar for Eric Seed

Eric Seed

Principal, Haus Alpenz LLC
Eric Seed is the Founder and Principal of Haus Alpenz, an importer, distributor and brand manager for a wide range of wines and spirits. Established in 2005, Haus Alpenz is recognized for reviving a number of historic and important classic drinks components such as Creme de Violette... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jean-Pierre Cointreau

Jean-Pierre Cointreau

CEO, RENAUD COINTREAU
Jean-Pierre COINTREAU has been CEO of the RENAUD COINTREAU family Group since 1984.This Group is dedicated to historical premium brands of- Champagne GOSSET, the oldest winehouse in Champagne since 1584- Cognac FRAPIN, a 100 % Grande Champagne estate with no out sourcing- french Liqueurs... Read More →
avatar for Jordan Silbert

Jordan Silbert

Founder, Q Drinks
Jordan is the founder of Q Drinks. He started the company in his kitchen after a night drinking good gin with great friends and bad tonic water. Today, Q Drinks makes 8 different flavors of spectacular cocktail sodas: Q Tonic, Q Ginger Beer, Q Ginger (ale), Q Club, Q Kola, Q Sparkling... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bonal Gentiane-Quina
avatar for Byrrh Grand Quinquina
avatar for Cocchi

Cocchi

Giulio Cocchi is an authentic 125 years old family owned producer of Aromatized Wines and premium Sparkling Wines based in Asti, Italy.  Cocchi vermouths are a range of drinks solutions, best value for money, adaptable and easy to use. A cult name for bartenders all over the wo... Read More →
avatar for Haus Alpenz

Friday July 17, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Rare Spirits Tasting: Malts of Hillrock; Finishes of WhistlePig
Exclusive tasting of some of the rarest offerings by Hillrock distillery and WhistlePig Rye Whiskey - many completely unavailable in market.

Operating out of their respective farms in New York and Vermont, with the guidance of respected industry master distiller Dave Pickerell, each company unearths only the finest and most coveted liquid to date. Hillrock will be representing exclusive malted whiskeys; WhistlePig limited rye finishes and products never released.

Featured items in this session include:

Hillrock Rare Liquids:
Hillrock Estate Distillery Single Malt – No Peat Smoke
Hillrock Estate Distillery Single Malt – 8 Hours Peat Smoke
Hillrock Estate Distillery Single Malt – 14 Hours Peat Smoke
Hillrock Estate Distillery Single Malt – New Peat Smoke
Hillrock Estate Distillery Solera Aged Bourbon – Extra Sherry Finish

WhistlePig Rare Liquids:
Boss Hog 2013
Boss Hog 2014: Spirit of Mortimer
Old World Series 12 Year: Sauternes Finish
Old World Series 12 Year: Madeira Finish
Old World Series 12 Year: Port Finish
Old World Series 12 Year Married Finish
Unreleased Finished Rye: Oloroso (Sherry)
Unreleased Finished Rye: Pedro Jimenez (Sherry)
Rare Never Before Tasted Rye (undisclosed name)
Moderators
avatar for Dave Pickerell

Dave Pickerell

Master Distiller, WhistlePig Rye Whiskey
WhistlePig and Hillrock Estate Distilleries’ Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, a luminary in the world of whiskey, is one of the nation’s preeminent distillers. Before joining WhistlePig, and Hillrock Estate Distillery, Pickerell spent 14 years as Master Distiller for Maker's Mark... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Danielle Eddy

Danielle Eddy

Hillrock Estate Distillery
Danielle joined Hillrock in 2012 with over 12 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. Prior to joining the Hillrock team, she was the Director of Public Relations at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, where she was responsible for showcasing spirits... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for Hillrock Estate Distillery

Hillrock Estate Distillery

Proud to be one of the few “field-to-glass” whiskey producers in the world, Hillrock Estate Distillery is the first U.S. distillery since before Prohibition to traditionally floor malt and hand craft whiskey on site from estate-grown grain. Hillrock’s whiskeys - Solera Aged... Read More →
avatar for WhistlePig

WhistlePig

Entrepreneur Raj P. Bhakta founded WhistlePig in 2010 with a single goal in mind: creating the world’s finest rye whiskeys. In service of this vision, Bhakta spent his life’s savings on a 500-acre farm in Shoreham, VT – the brand’s home, headquarters and future distillery.With... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

10:00am CDT

The Blinder Truth About Aging Whisky
After the success and controversy caused by last years seminar we want to bring it back bigger and better with a breakdown of where flavor comes from and why age is just a number, it doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the contents of your bottle of whisky.

It’s an age-old question: when it comes to spirits, does older mean better? This seminar will challenge even the most seasoned palates to answer that question tasting some of the rarest and unique whiskies from Diageo’s warehouses in Scotland many of these whiskies have never been tasted by anyone outside of Diageo before.

The Diageo Whisky team, including those behind of some of the most iconic single malts from Talisker and Lagavulin, will be joined again by World-renowned author Dave Broom to lead a blind tasting of whiskies with vastly varying ages from Diageo’s stocks including liquid that has never been offered to the public before.

Attendees will hear how single malts and blends have evolved since the beginning of the 20th Century through to the modern day by changes in production, through to the corks used. They will also learn how multiple flavors from different types of casks make up what we know as a single malt, as they taste the whiskies.

The panel will ask participants for their opinions of each, before the grand revealing of the names and, more importantly, their ages. Attendees will discover what their favorite whisky was, followed by an opportunity to ask questions about each.

Will the older whiskies live up to the hype? There were some real revelations last year and this year will be no exception.
Moderators
avatar for Ewan Morgan

Ewan Morgan

National Director : Diageo Masters of Whisky, Diageo
Ewan is a third generation ‘whisky man’. His father was maltings manager at Tamdhu Distillery in Speyside and later the distillery manager at Highland Park Distillery on the island of Orkney. His Grandfather was the brewer at the famed distillery Cardhu. Ewan was born in Dufftown... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dave Broom

Dave Broom

Dave Broom was born in Glasgow (Scotland) and has spent his working life in drink. He is chief engineer of www.scotchwhisky.com and writes for numerous international titles, including Whisky Advocate. He won Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer at the 2015 Spirited Awards. He’s written... Read More →
avatar for Gregor Cattanach

Gregor Cattanach

Master of Whisky, Director of Whisky Education, Diageo
As a boy, Gregor grew up at distilleries such as Caol Ila, Coleburn, Cragganmore andCardhu in Scotland where his father Evan worked as Master Distiller of these qualitysingle malts. This is where Gregor's apprenticeship truly began. Learning from his father issomething that he never... Read More →
avatar for Gerard Graham

Gerard Graham

Gerry Graham grew up surrounded by the origins of whiskey in his native land of Ireland.  It was inevitable that this Ulsterman would work in the world of Uisce Beatha and in his current role as Master of Whisky for Diageo  he loves nothing more than instilling his love for whisky... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Nicholas Morgan

Dr. Nicholas Morgan

Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo
Dr Nicholas Morgan Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo Dr Nicholas Morgan is Head of Whisky Outreach at Diageo plc, the largest Scotch whisky producer. Nick is an acknowledged authority on the Scotch Whisky business and a frequent speaker at Whisky and Spirits events around the world... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Diageo Single Malts
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com

Friday July 17, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

10:00am CDT

The International Barfly's Bucket List
Have you ever wondered if the Irish Coffee really tastes better at The Dead Rabbit? Have you ever wondered if the Tommy's Margarita at Tommy's really tastes better when Julio Bermejo makes it? Have you ever wondered how the Sbagliato was really invented? And where is the best place in the world to really experience a Dry Martini? The answer to most of these questions lies at the end of a taxi fare, a train ticket or a boarding pass, and two of the world's most well travelled barflies have put together the ultimate list of bars, what to order and who to order it with. Whether you are a career bartender or a part time cocktail lover, this seminar will inspire you to head out into the world to see how the great drinks are made, to see how the best bartenders work, and to discover what it feels like to sit in some most famous (and most infamous) bars on earth. There are lots of 'Best Of' lists published about bars around the world, but most are written by people who haven't been. Our presenters know, because they go. We present a list built on experience of nearly two decades criss crossing all corners of the globe, in bars highbrow and low rent, and offer insider tips that come only from having closed down more bars than is good for you. Globe trotting bar flies Simon Ford and Jacob Briars have made drinks and paid for drinks on every continent. Like latter day Charles H Bakers (minus the wealth and talent) they have scribbled down the best recipes from on and off menus, and have the phone numbers of every bar you need to know, and some you shouldn't. Here they share their secrets about the hardest bars to find, the most groundbreaking bars in unlikely places and share their favourite moments in the community of barkeeps that make this a not-so-lonely planet if you are a cocktail lover.
Moderators
avatar for Jacob Briars

Jacob Briars

Advocacy Director, Bacardi
Jacob Briars likes to describe himself as New Zealand’s 7th most famous bartender, but usually that just gets people asking where New Zealand is and who the other 6 bartenders are. For the past few years he has travelled the world as a much-loved spirits educator for some of the... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Simon Ford

Simon Ford

Cofounder, FORDS GIN
Cocktail bars and Gin

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA
avatar for Fords Gin

Friday July 17, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

The Essential Global Guide to Liqueurs
We use liqueurs in the vast majority of cocktails yet rarely talk about them as a category. In this seminar we’ll review the history, art, and science of liqueurs made around the world. We’ll look at how they were born out of necessity to cover up bad distillation or the bitterness of medicine, classify hundreds of liqueurs into categories based on their flavoring ingredients like nuts, fruits, herbs; dairy- or egg-based, etc., and look at how and where each developed in different parts of the planet. We’ll cover the difference in history and reality between orange Curacao and triple sec, and review which liqueurs have legal definitions of their origin, sweeteners, and/or proof: Did you know that there is an AOC for limoncello and that sambuca has a legal minimum sugar content? We’ll study the complicated ways in which liqueurs are made through infusion, flavor extraction, redistillation, emulsification, and other technologies, and look at the base spirits and added sweeteners employed around the world from sugar beets to honey. Finally, we’ll discuss their use in cocktails both as modifiers and as base spirits; measuring their densities for the ultimate pousse-café, and dehydrating them to flavor foods, candies, and other fun stuff.
Moderators
avatar for Camper English

Camper English

Writer, Alcademics
Camper English is a San Francisco-based cocktails and spirits writer and speaker, and is the publisher/writer of Alcademics.com. He has contributed to Saveur, Details, Fine Cooking, Modern Farmer, Popular Science, the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Whisky Advocate, and many other... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Disaronno
avatar for Tia Maria
avatar for Zucca

Friday July 17, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

The Greatest Whisk(e)y Category Is…
You know you have a favorite whiskey category, whether that's Bourbon, Rye, Scotch or Tennessee. So, prove it. Get out the vote! In this panel, whiskey experts will debate the merits of their category election-style, moderated by bar owner and Washington, D.C.-insider Derek Brown. Georgie Bell from Mortlach will stump for Scotch, Charlie Nelson from Greenbrier Distillery (whose three times great grandfather invented the category) will proclaim the merits of Tennessee Whiskey, J.P. Fetherston from Southern Efficiency will cheer for the hometown hero, Bourbon, and Chad Robinson from Catoctin Creek Rye Whiskey will tell why Rye. Along the way, we'll share what makes each category truly unique and taste a range of excellent whiskies. Expect raucous exchanges and plenty of mud slinging.The audience will have the final say by voting for the winner.
Moderators
avatar for Derek Brown

Derek Brown

Founder, Positive Damage
Derek Brown is an author, NASM-certified wellness coach, and founder of Positive Damage, Inc. Previously, Brown owned Spirited Awards 2017 “Best American Cocktail Bar” Columbia Room in Washington, D.C., and was one of the nation’s top bartenders.Brown published his first book... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Georgie Bell

Georgie Bell

Mortlach Global Brand Ambassador, Diageo
As the Global Brand Ambassador for Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky - a 190 year secret from the heart of Speyside - Georgie spends around 9 months of the year travelling the world, introducing whisky lovers to this award winning scotch. A BSc in Distillation, a background in... Read More →
avatar for JP Fetherston

JP Fetherston

Head Bartender, Columbia Room
JP Fetherston runs the acclaimed cocktail bar Columbia Room in Washington D.C. in its new location that re-opened in February 2016. JP was named one of the Best New Mixologists of 2016 by Food & Wine magazine. Prior to Columbia Room, JP was a bar manager and bartender at Southern... Read More →
avatar for Charlie Nelson

Charlie Nelson

Owner, Nelsons Green Brier Distillery
Charlie Nelson is the namesake of his triple-great grandfather, Charles Nelson, a German immigrant whose drive and ingenuity built the most productive distillery in Tennessee -- until Prohibition shut it down. Now, with his brother Andy, Charlie is bringing back the legendary Tennessee... Read More →
avatar for Chad Robinson

Chad Robinson

Global Brand Ambassador, Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
Chad Robinson is the global brand ambassador of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in Purcellville, VA. Catoctin Creek's award-winning spirits include Roundstone Rye, Watershed Gin and 1757 Virginia Brandy. Our Roundstone Rye is made from 100% organic rye grain, our Watershed Gin is... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bulleit Bourbon
avatar for Catoctin Creek Distilling
avatar for Green Brier Distillery
avatar for Mortlach

Mortlach

Nicknamed "The Beast of Dufftown" for it's rich, thick & muscular distillery character arising from its unique 2.81 distillation process, Mortlach was the first legal distillery in Dufftown, the heart of Speyside, founded in 1823. For decades it has been adored by whisky enthusiasts... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Armagnac: The Young & The Old
Whether using Armagnac to replace a bourbon base or a rum base, or coming up with an original cocktail recipe, bartenders from London to New York and San Francisco are embracing French Brandies on their cocktails menus. This long overdue trend is not likely to change. Riding that wave is Armagnac, having lived in the shadow of it’s better-funded neighbor further north, Armagnac is finally having its moment in the spotlight.

The original craft spirit, steeped in a history that dates back over 700 years and flavored by the characters that can only be found in Gascony; a sip of Armagnac recalls secret cellars, the bravery of the 3 musketeers, French berets and a character as unique as the people that pour their heart and soul into producing it.

Join May Matta-Aliah, Armagnac Ambassador, and Doug Miller, Associate Professor
of Hospitality and Service Management at The Culinary Institute of America as they walk you through the range of grape varieties used, the importance of the proprietary distillation method used in the region and the influence of the local oak used for maturation.

You will also have a chance to taste a “Blanche”, an un-aged Armagnac, along with some older blends, both pure and in cocktails, to gain a full appreciation of the history as well as the current trends shaping the current Armagnac industry today.
Speakers
avatar for May Matta-Aliah

May Matta-Aliah

NY Armagnac Ambassador, In the Grape
May Matta-Aliah has dedicated her career to making wine and spirits education accessible to everyone from curious appreciators to trade professionals. May has been working with the B.N.I.A. as their Ambassador since 2009, she has led countless presentations on Armagnac to industry... Read More →
avatar for Douglass Miller

Douglass Miller

Professor, The Culinary Institute of America
Doug Miller is an assistant professor of hospitality and service management at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. He teaches Brewed: Culture, History and Production, Spirits and Principles of Mixology and Beverage Management. The semester long classes are electives... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for B.N.I.A - Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac

B.N.I.A - Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac

Acknowledged for more than 40 years as the Interprofession, the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l’Armagnac unites all of the Armagnac producers and traders, ensures the control, the monitoring and the promotion of AOC Armagnac in France and Internationally.More than just a... Read More →
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com

Friday July 17, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

12:30pm CDT

Cheers to the Chief
It might not be politically correct, but liquor is as much a part of politics as kissing babies. The earliest written reference using the word “cocktail” was found in an 1806 editorial criticizing a candidate’s spending on alcohol during his election campaign—which he lost. For presidents, a cocktail can be an icebreaker with other world leaders, or just a way to ease the pressure of power from time to time. Presidential imbibing is not normally the subject of political inquiry, but some of the drinking at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been documented—and tonight you can taste a few of its former residents’ favorites.

FDR’s “famous” Martinis were actually famous for being terrible. Nixon frequented Trader Vic’s in the Statler Hilton for a Navy Grog when he needed an escape. Harry Truman and his wife Bess loved their bourbon Old Fashioneds. In fact, Harry was enjoying a bit of bourbon in House Speaker Sam Rayburn’s office in April 1945 when he learned he had become president on FDR’s death.

John F. Kennedy had a weakness for Daiquiris, and was savoring one while watching returns on Election Day 1960. And the story goes that the Manhattan cocktail was created in honor of New York Governor Samuel Tilden’s presidential campaign in the mid-1870s, by none other than Winston Churchill’s future mother. And on the local front, the Louisiana Kingfish himself, Huey Long, so adored the Ramos Gin Fizz that he flew the Roosevelt Hotel's bartender, Sam Guarino, all the way to New York City to teach the Big Apple's bartenders how to properly make the drink, exactly 80 years ago this month (July, 1935)!
Moderators
avatar for Philip Greene

Philip Greene

Consultant/Brand Ambassador, Papa's Pilar Rum, Hemingway Rum Co.
Philip Greene is an attorney, writer and cocktail historian.  He is Trademark and Internet Counsel to the U.S. Marine Corps, based at the Pentagon.  He is also one of the founders of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.  He has presented at conferences, festivals... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Mark Will-Weber

Mark Will-Weber

Mark Will-Weber is a writer with an interest in alcohol and history and the various results that occur when those two forces happen to collide. With the release of "Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking" (Regnery Publishing) in October of... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for BarProducts.com

BarProducts.com

BarProducts.com
avatar for Buffalo Trace
avatar for Citadelle Gin

Citadelle Gin

Alexandre Gabriel, president of Maison Ferrand, guided by his interminable quest to create fine spirits, set out in 1997 to create one the world’s finest Gins – and he truly means to give Gin a capital G. At the time, gin had largely become an industrial, mass-produced trendy... Read More →
avatar for Dolin Vermouth de Chambery
avatar for Papa's Pilar Rum

Papa's Pilar Rum

Papa’s Pilar Rum is an award-winning premium sipping rum, crafted with the Hemingway family and inspired by Papa’s spirit for adventure. Sourced from hand-selected rums spanning the Caribbean, U.S. & Central America, our artisan-crafted spirit is solera aged and blended in American... Read More →
avatar for Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Those who say beauty is in the eye of the beholder can appreciate the story of the Curaçao orange. Too bitter to eat, with a dimpled, wrinkled exterior that would never win a beauty contest, these homely pieces of citrus become absolute magic when used to create Curaçao liquor... Read More →
avatar for Sazerac Rye

Friday July 17, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Making Vermouth for Home and Bar
Tragically neglected, forgotten and abused for decades, vermouth is once again in the spotlight as people rediscover this wonderful, essential cocktail ingredient. This rediscovery has sparked another new trend: homemade and craft vermouth. Making vermouth can be remarkably challenging or laughably simple depending on your approach. Co-author of the only significant book on vermouth,The Mixellany Guide to Vermouth, Jared Brown has made dozens of batches of different vermouths. He has also sampled at least as many made by others, and amassed a secret file of never-before-revealed historic vermouth recipes. Come learn how to make vermouth or how to make better vermouth. Brown will take you through the step-by-step process and provide some never-before-seen vintage recipes that you can take home and make for yourself.
Moderators
avatar for Jared Brown

Jared Brown

Master Distiller, Sipsmith Limited
Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown made his first spirits at age ten after reading that early American colonists froze cider and lifted out the ice to concentrate the alcohol. As an adult (after a degree in hospitality from NYU, five years in operations at the Essex House Hotel... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Belvedere Vodka
avatar for Carpano Vermouth

Friday July 17, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Perfect Frozen Drinks: Science & Practice
Once the sole province of the most technologically advanced mixologists on the planet, decades of abuse by chain-bars making soulless drinks killed the blender's appeal to modern cocktailians. Slushie machines never even got a look in.

But then tiki bars made a comeback as respectable temples of mixology. And then slushie machines began becoming fixtures at trend-setting bars like The Artesian (London), Mother's Ruin (New York) and the Erin Rose (New Orleans). With all this, plus brand-new research from mixological mad scientist Dave Arnold's ground-breaking book “Liquid Intelligence”, it's time to, ahem, let it goooooooooooo!

Together with award-winning presenter, spirits educator (and ex-blender slave at TGI Fridays) Philip Duff, Dave will explain and demonstrate when to blend and when to slush, how you can make slushies without having to buy a slushie machine, the mathematics of frozen drinks, pitfalls to avoid when embarking on a frozen drinks program, the importance of sugar (and salt, come to that), how to translate a stirred recipe into a frozen one, and why your blender is a heater as well as a cooler, all featuring original research underwritten by Pallini, creators of the world's best-selling premium limoncello.

There can't be a city in the world with more frozen-drinks machines per square foot than New Orleans, so come on down to a room full of more different blenders and slushie machines than you can shake a stick at for stories of pull capacity, Chocolate Monkeys, and sugar-to-acid ratios.
(Oh - and the best frozen drinks you've ever had!)
Moderators
avatar for Dave Arnold

Dave Arnold

Dave Arnold grew up in the New York area and graduated from Yale University with a degree in philosophy. He began tinkering with restaurant equipment after earning his MFA from Columbia University’s art school. Initially he customized equipment for use in his art projects, but after... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Philip Duff

Philip Duff

Director, Old Duff Genever
Director of Education for Tales of the Cocktail, bar & beverage consultant, founder of door 74 (Amsterdam), in-demand spirits educator, but I never talk about my work at the orphan dolphin sanctuary, do you hear? Never.

Sponsors
avatar for Elmeco

Elmeco

Elmeco
Elmeco srl was created in 1961 thanks to the insight of its founder, the inventor of the first slush machine. Over the years, major investments in its organizational and IT systems have transformed Elmeco from a small business into an industrial company; the latest development is... Read More →
avatar for Pallini S.p.A.

Pallini S.p.A.

Pallini Limoncello is a brand of traditional Italian lemon-flavored liqueur known as limoncello. It is produced in Italy by Pallini S.p.A. a family-owned and operated beverage company based in Rome, Italy. It is 26% alcohol by volume, 52 proof. The limoncello was introduced in 1999... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Physiology of Shake 2
This seminar provides an in-depth look at physical movements behind the bar and how they affect our bodies on a day-to-day basis. We will not only talk about bar related injuries but provide an in-depth video study on proper movement behind the bar. Also, we will provide a list of supplements and vitamins that counteract many bar "lifestyle" ailments such as fatigue, insomnia, liver toxicity, poor circulation, and dehydration. In addition we will have real time demonstrations and evaluations with Dr. Tarek Adra. The ultimate goal of this seminar is to extend the career bartender's life "Behind the Stick".
Moderators
avatar for Marcos Tello

Marcos Tello

National Brand Ambassador, El Silencio Mezcal
MARCOS TELLO Marcos Tello became enamored with the bartender trade while watching his favorite television show, “Cheers,” as a young boy growing up in Los Angeles. He developed a fascination with the relationships that formed around the iconic bar – an impression that continues... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Eric Alperin

Eric Alperin

Co-Owner, The Varnish
Eric hails from New York City and has been a resident of Los Angeles for more than seven years. He feels fortunate to have found a small, passionate, and ever-growing cocktail community in LA. Eric’s first venture out West was as part of the team that opened Osteria Mozza (owned... Read More →
avatar for Simon Ford

Simon Ford

Cofounder, FORDS GIN
Cocktail bars and Gin
avatar for Tarak Adra, D.C., L.A.c , Pharm.D.

Tarak Adra, D.C., L.A.c , Pharm.D.

Dr. Tarek Adra is committed to providing advanced and effective treatments in a comfortable, caring environment. A Doctor of Pharmacy, Dr. Adra started his career working n both community and hospital settings. Through this practice, he became aware of the limitations of traditional... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Fords Gin
avatar for Mezcal El Silencio

Friday July 17, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Technique

1:00pm CDT

Brandy With A Spanish Accent
Brandy de Jerez has been underrated and ignored by bartenders for too long. Yet despite it's obscurity, there's no bottle on the liquor store shelf looks as grand or does as much peacocking. Spanish brandies wear crimson and gold upon their labels, dress in ribbons and wax seals, and announce themselves in Renaissance fonts. Then there are the courtly names, after kings and dukes and cardinals. You've surely noticed these grandees of the brandy world — even if, like most Americans, you've never bought one. Well, now is the time to find out what's inside. Do yourself a favor, and come to this seminar to taste and hear what makes Brandy de Jerez unique among the world's brandies. Our panel will feature experts who’ve flown in from Spain to will share in-depth knowledge of the country’s native spirit. We will taste hard-to-find aged brandies, and learn what special element that Spanish brandy brings to cocktails. Viva la Brandy de Jerez!
Moderators
avatar for Jason Wilson

Jason Wilson

Author, Boozehound & Planet of the Grapes
JASON WILSON is the author of Boozehound: On The Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits and the wine series Planet of the Grapes. He previously wrote the drinks column for the Washington Post, for which he won awards for Best Newspaper Food Column three times... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Francois Monti

Francois Monti

Author & Journalist
François Monti is a Belgian cocktails and spirits writer who has been living in Madrid since 2009. He was one of the writers for French magazine Ginger (Spirited Awards finalist for Best Publication in 2014). His personal blog, Bottoms Up, available in both French and Spanish, is... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Cardenal Mendoza
avatar for Gonzalez Byass
avatar for Gran Duque d'Alba

Friday July 17, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

Mint: Keeping Cocktails Fresh Since 1492
Through banks of green moss, midst flowers and gently trickling streams, nestles the ideal place to pick tender shoots of mint…

Mint can actually be grown in most places on earth providing a common, year-round flavor that keeps drinks bright and fresh in an illuminatingly pleasant, offensive to no one, perfectly unisex way.

Mint is nothing new. Mint is found in almost every bar on the planet and in many cocktail recipes: the old and new; the robust and refined; the classic and the tiki.

But where is mint from? What was it used for before the Julep came along and what, really, is the best way to store it?

Charlotte Voisey, mixologist, spirits educator and host of The Proper Pour along with Peter Vestinos, The BarMedic, President of the USBG Chicago Chapter, and Beverage Director of The Betty, present a seminar riddled with refreshment.

Discover the route mint has taken from its mythological make up to its place as herb king of the cocktail.
Find out which of your favorite Amari, Vermouths and Liqueurs use mint as an ingredient
Taste what happens when an Old Fashioned blooms to life as a Mint Julep, enjoy the famous heir to the rarely referenced Rum Rickey and be convinced that even creamy drinks taste good when made with mint!
Learn how to grow your own mint or how to maximize the mint on your doorstep.
And see, touch and smell different varieties of mint presented in the context of cocktail applications.

Rarely does a cocktail not benefit from a copious amount of mint, spanked, bunched tight and thrust down into the ice soaring tall and plenty with intoxicatingly good aroma.
Come celebrate the lord of the leaves!
Moderators
avatar for Charlotte Voisey

Charlotte Voisey

Global Head of Brand Ambassador Advocacy , Emcee, William Grant & Sons
Charlotte Voisey is an award-winning mixologist with cocktail recipes published and placedon menus across the world including New York’s famed PDT, the iconic Dorchester Hotel inLondon and Whitechapel in San Francisco.Charlotte’s passion for all things spirits and cocktails keeps... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Peter Vestinos

Peter Vestinos

Owner / Beverage Director, The BarMedic / The Betty
Peter Vestinos currently serves at the President of the Chicago USBG and Beverage Manger at The Betty in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. With over 14 years of experience in the bar and restaurant industry, Vestinos has worked at all levels of the business including behind the... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

Friday July 17, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Amaro Is The New Sweet!

Italian Aperitifs, Liqueurs and Amari have been around for centuries and nowadays represent a significant and growing influence as mixology ingredients worldwide. Yet formulation of some of these products often involves the use of botanical ingredients that elicit less than desirable taste sensations such as bitterness and astringency. Or on the opposite, liqueurs depend on the importance of the sweetness component used as a flavor fixative in the manufacturing of proprietary formulas handed down by generations, still largely enjoyed today neat or mixed. The aim of the seminar is to learn the origins, cultural influence and organoleptic differences explored through the breakdown of flavoring components and manufacturing techniques. You will learn how to maximize the cocktail-crafting organoleptic experience based on botanical intensity, texture and lingering aromatic complexity. New tasting evaluation techniques will also be shared for the first time during the seminar. There will be 7 tasting samples spanning from vermouth, amari and liqueurs ready to stimulate your mixology creative talents!

The audacious panel moderated by Francesco Lafranconi-a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award Winner, Erik Lorincz and Avery Glasser founder of NYC first Bitter Bar: Amor Y Amargo utilizing an extensive offering of Amari in cocktail creations. This elite team along with The Spirit of Italy brands' owners/producers will share with you the origins and heritage of the Italian Amari & Liqueurs.

Sponsored by The Spirit of Italy, www.thespiritofitaly.com

"In life there are the sweet and the bitter, I say that you have to take them both.” (from the movie: Il Dolce e l’Amaro, 2007)
Moderators
avatar for Francesco Lafranconi

Francesco Lafranconi

Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Educator, Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada
One of the world’s foremost mixologist, Francesco Lafranconi is the Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Educator for Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada. Francesco’s personal appeal has made him a hit with his A-list celebrity clientele, world-class corporate clients... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Avery Glasser

Avery Glasser

Co-Founder, Bittermens, Inc.
Avery Glasser is co-founder of New Orleans based Bittermens, Bittermens Spirits and Vendetta Spirits where he focuses on creating and producing new products for the cocktail community. A dedicated barfly, Avery was invited to a bitters making event while living in San Francisco in 2007. His first attempt at making a flavor combination resulted in what is now the Bittermens Xocolatl... Read More →
avatar for Erik Lorincz

Erik Lorincz

Head Bartender, American bar, The Savoy
Erik started his career graduating from the Hospitality School in his native Slovakia in 1999. Shortly afterwards he came across the first bartending book by Roman Uhlir. This inspired Erik greatly and he decided to take up the opportunity to learn about bartending. He joined a... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Amaro Lucano 1894

Amaro Lucano 1894

Quality. Knowledge. Tradition. Ideas. These are the values that, for more than one hundred years, have made Amaro Lucano one of the most important reality in the spirit market. A story of passion, and authenticity, contained in Cavalier Pasquale Vena’s secret recipe.
avatar for Cocchi

Cocchi

Giulio Cocchi is an authentic 125 years old family owned producer of Aromatized Wines and premium Sparkling Wines based in Asti, Italy.  Cocchi vermouths are a range of drinks solutions, best value for money, adaptable and easy to use. A cult name for bartenders all over the wo... Read More →
avatar for Distilleria Varnelli

Distilleria Varnelli

Distilleria Varnelli has been producing spirits since 1868 in the Marche region of Italy, in a pleasant inland area on the slopes of Monti Sibillini. The business started by the founder Girolamo Varnelli, a keen herbalist who applied his knowledge and skills to create an elixir with... Read More →
avatar for Ditta Bortolo Nardini

Ditta Bortolo Nardini

The first Italian distillery. A family passion since 1779.Located in Bassano del Grappa, a medieval town near Venice, Nardini is the market leader in the production of premium grappa.The historic enterprise has successfully united their centuries-old traditions with the most advanced techniques... Read More →
avatar for Luxardo

Luxardo

LUXARDO® is Italy’s premier liqueur producer, creating essential ingredients for modern and classic cocktails. Founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo, the company is still family-owned and managed by the sixth generation of the Luxardo Family. Based in Torreglia, located in the Veneto... Read More →
avatar for Pallini S.p.A.

Pallini S.p.A.

Pallini Limoncello is a brand of traditional Italian lemon-flavored liqueur known as limoncello. It is produced in Italy by Pallini S.p.A. a family-owned and operated beverage company based in Rome, Italy. It is 26% alcohol by volume, 52 proof. The limoncello was introduced in 1999... Read More →
avatar for The Spirit of Italy
avatar for Toschi Vignola

Toschi Vignola

The mission of Toschi Vignola Srl is to bring to market quality products and the company “spirit” is to tell through its products the excellence of the Territory and of the Italian Tradition, with particular attention to tradition and territory.The Company was founded in 1945... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Cocktails & Cohiba
Do you want to up your style game? Or maybe you are just a fan of hedonism. Either way, fine cocktails and cigars are a hedonistic dreamland. The potent flavours of smoke and spirit, in combination, can create a truly unique taste experience. Reaching taste nirvana is not as simple as lighting a cigar and sipping something potent, the Cocktails & Cohiba session will show you the proper way.

There is a growing international trend in the area of specialty cigar lounges that cater to a sophisticated clientele. Pairing drinks with cigars has always focussed on strong spirits, like scotch and cognac, though scientifically there are better choices. Cocktails are a great way to produce a flavour that pairs well with a cigar.

Delicia Silva the "Cigar Vixen" will expertly guide attendees on the basics of cigar appreciation. Much like fine spirits, there are parallels in the production of cigars that align with the creations of spirits and cocktails. Delicia will demonstrate the rituals of cigar culture while Darcy O'Neil will explain the scientific reasons why certain cocktails and spirits pair better with cigars.

This session is for anyone who wants to elevate their enjoyment of cigars and cocktails.
Moderators
avatar for Darcy O'Neil

Darcy O'Neil

Art of Drink
Darcy S. O'Neil was born in Sarnia, Ontario (Canada) and spent many of those years living near the beach. A cold Canadian beach, but a beach none-the-less. After high school, the decision of a career choice was whittled down to chemistry or the culinary arts. Chemistry was the winner... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Delicia Silva

Delicia Silva

Brand Ambassador, Cigar and Spirits
Cigar reviewer, cigar lifestyle promoter, model and cigar enthusiast. Brand Ambassador for Cigar and Spirits magazine

Sponsors
avatar for Tales of the Cocktail®

Friday July 17, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Write Yourself Famous
Would you like to improve the visibility of your bar? Of course you would, stupid question. But what if you could do that without spending a dime? Having the ability to write clearly and engagingly is an acquired skill that, published in the right places, can cement you and your bar’s name firmly on the cocktail map.

Bartenders regularly write columns and features for national newspapers, magazines and websites. By exploring themes they encounter in their everyday lives these bartenders-turned-writers have found a simple way to promote themselves and their bar on a national (sometimes international) stage and are even getting paid for the privilege. Meanwhile, many more are turning their hands to the more profitable skill of writing books on subjects ranging from cocktail history to modern mixology and explorations of their own bars.

Sounds like a perfect solution, but ask yourself – can you write? Do you have a killer idea for an article or book and know who to approach to get it published? Are you clued up on what editors and publishers are looking for? If the answer is no but you’re still keen to get scribbling on the nearest napkin you can find, this seminar is for you.

Moderated by Scotchwhisky.com editor Becky Paskin, and with advice and tips from World Atlas of Whisky author Dave Broom, Death & Co’s David Kaplan, and Worship Street Whistling Shop's Tristan Stephenson, you’ll discover how to shape the perfect article for print in a magazine, newspaper or website, the bad habits to avoid, how to pitch a book idea to a publisher, and work to those all-important deadlines. Plus you’ll get to sample some of the cocktails that made it into print from Death & Co’s menu.
Moderators
avatar for Becky Paskin

Becky Paskin

Editor, Scotchwhisky.com
Having originally trained as a bartender in Brighton, UK, before becoming a food and drink journalist in 2007, Becky Paskin has seen her fair share of Burgers and Boilermakers, writing on subjects as diverse as cheese fermentation through to the hotel bars of Chicago. The first... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dave Broom

Dave Broom

Dave Broom was born in Glasgow (Scotland) and has spent his working life in drink. He is chief engineer of www.scotchwhisky.com and writes for numerous international titles, including Whisky Advocate. He won Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer at the 2015 Spirited Awards. He’s written... Read More →
avatar for David Kaplan

David Kaplan

Proprietor, ProprietorsLLC
David Kaplan is the founder and co-owner of Death & Company, a New York City nightlife destination, as well as the founder and co-owner of Proprietors LLC, a full service hospitality company, with Alex Day and Devon Tarby. David has worked in the hospitality business since the age... Read More →
avatar for Tristan Stephenson

Tristan Stephenson

Author, The Curious Bartender, Fluid Movement
Tristan has been involved in the hospitality industry for 16 years, as a chef, waiter and bartender. After leaving Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant in 2007, Tristan took a role as a Brand Ambassador for the Reserve Brands Group, training bartenders and consumers on the delights... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

Friday July 17, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

New Orleans Cocktail Tour
Before Tales of the Cocktail® became the international festival it is today, it started as a walking cocktail tour of one of America’s most spirited cities: New Orleans. Today the tour continues to delight visitors and locals alike with tall tales on how the city’s most legendary drinks came to be. Join New Orleans’ resident cocktail history expert, Joe Gendusa, on an exclusive Tales of the Cocktail® romp through the French Quarter.
Personalities
JG

Joe Gendusa

Gendusa is a New Orleans native and a respected teacher for 38 years. After his retirement, he joined forces with Tales of the Cocktail® founder, Ann Tuennerman, to start what is known today as New Orleans Original Cocktail Tour. Gendusa has also written a book entitled History With... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Cointreau

Friday July 17, 2015 3:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event

3:30pm CDT

Talk With a Pro: An Awesome Threesome
For the latest installment of this interview series which brings together leading figures in our industry for candid, informative discussions and creative exchanges, we ask you to consider this Awesome Threesome: Claire Smith-Warner, Head of Spirit Creation and Mixology, Moët Hennessy; Lorena Vásquez, Master Blender, Zacapa Rum; and Ann Tuennerman, Founder and Executive Director, Tales of the Cocktail.

All three panelists are innovators in their fields with a vast amount of experience between them. These trailblazers have a great deal of knowledge and perspective to impart about their various areas of expertise and the business in general.

We'll examine what it takes to create a new spirit. How to make it good enough to stand out above the others. How to make it desirable, how to make it sell. We'll discuss what it's like to blend one of the most iconic rums in the world. How to innovate, adding your own mark, while still respecting tradition. What qualifications and training are actually needed to become a Master Blender? We'll delve into how and why Tales of the Cocktail first came to fruition. What it takes to run an event of this scale, and how to go about making it economically viable. We'll talk about its influence, and how it became the premiere cocktail festival in the world today. We'll also chart each Pro's individual trajectory and hear about their experiences along the way.

Join us as these three impressive, talented women: a creator, a blender, and an enabler, share their insights into their careers and our industry. Perhaps they'll inspire you to follow a similar path, or carve out one of your own!
Moderators
avatar for ms. franky marshall

ms. franky marshall

Franky is a New York City hospitality industry veteran. Having worked as a Bartender and in various other front-of-house positions at establishments across the spectrum has given her a great deal of experience to draw on. She was introduced to this rarefied cocktail world when she... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Claire Smith-Warner

Claire Smith-Warner

Head of Spirit Creation & Mixology, Belvedere Vodka
Claire Smith-Warner is Head of Spirit Creation at Belvedere Vodka and has been working with alcohol in its various forms for over 15 years. Committed to discovering new ways to drink ‘better’, Claire has developed a range of sugar free and 100% fresh fruit flavoured vodkas for... Read More →
avatar for Ann Tuennerman

Ann Tuennerman

Founder, Tales of the Cocktail
Ann Tuennerman is the Founder & Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s premier cocktail festival, which draws cocktail professionals from around the country to New Orleans each year. Ann and her husband Paul founded the New Orleans Culinary & Cultural Preservation... Read More →
avatar for Lorena Vásquez

Lorena Vásquez

Master Blender, Zacapa Rum
Lorena Vásquez Ampié is the Master Blender of Zacapa® Rum and is a woman at the top of her field. For Vásquez, being a Master Blender is not a profession but a way of life. She considers herself as having one of the greatest jobs in the world and has devoted her entire career... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Belvedere Vodka
avatar for Zacapa Rum

Friday July 17, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:30pm CDT

Tapping Rum’s Past for Rum’s Future
Rum’s history spans centuries, and its flavor and character have changed dramatically over the years. But what did rums of the past taste like—and more importantly, can we reverse-engineer those styles of spirits, and improve on them for today? This session will plunge through rum’s past—drawing inspiration from historic styles of the spirit, as well as from vintage menus, cocktail recipes, distillers’ notes and popular literature—and will demonstrate how contemporary rum producers are dissecting old spirits in order to reengineer rums that bear the taste of history. We’ll also explore the ways these new rums are created—from employing procedures borrowed from the manufacture of other styles of spirits, to utilizing 21st century tools and techniques—and discuss analogous projects such as the recreation of 19th century-style Cognac and liqueurs. As we ponder the possibilities (can we recreate the rum Trader Vic first used in a Mai Tai?), we’ll taste the components of such reengineered rums, and take the spirits for a test drive in historically inspired cocktails.
Moderators
avatar for Paul Clarke

Paul Clarke

Executive Editor, Imbibe
Paul Clarke is the executive editor of Imbibe magazine and the author of The Cocktail Chronicles (Spring House Press). A journalist who has specialized in spirits, cocktails and the culture of drink for nearly a decade, he has written for the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jeff Berry

Jeff Berry

Owner, Beachbum Berry\'s Latitude 29
One of Imbibe magazine’s “25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century” and one of The Daily Meal’s “60 Coolest People in Food & Drink,” Jeff “Beachbum” Berry is the author of six books on vintage Tiki drinks and cuisine, which Los Angeles magazine... Read More →
avatar for Martin Cate

Martin Cate

Owner, Smuggler's Cove
avatar for Alexandre Gabriel

Alexandre Gabriel

President and Owner, Maison Ferrand
Alexandre Gabriel was born and raised in France, on a farm in southern Burgundy near the medieval town of Cluny, where his grandfather taught him how to make wine and distill spirits. Twenty-five years ago Alexandre Gabriel came upon an ancient Cognac house and built it into what... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Plantation Rum

Plantation Rum

Alexandre Gabriel is a man with a singular focus from which he has not wavered in the 20 years he has been the head of esteemed Maison Ferrand. His focus and philosophy are simple – to produce special, unique spirits, gems so distinctive and revolutionary that they set the bar for... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

5:30pm CDT

Daiquiri Time Out Happy Hour
With five days of events from morning till night, your Tales schedule can get a little busy. The Daiquiri Time Out was started just for times like these. Founded by Andrew Deitz as a way to remind us to slow down when life gets hectic, the Daiquiri Time Out is a growing cocktail trend to savor the moment with a perfectly crafted daiquiri.

Our DTO invites everyone to take it easy for an hour or so as a team of bartenders from around the world serves their own take on traditional, frozen, Hemingway and all kinds of other daiquiris featuring the world’s best rums. Be a part of this special event to enjoy some R&R and the best collection of daiquiris you’ll ever taste.
Sponsors
avatar for Batch Bar at the Hyatt French Quarter
avatar for Bayou Rum

Bayou Rum

Bayou Rum is handmade in the largest privately-owned rum distillery in the USA, utilizing traditional methods with state-of-the-art equipment for all four steps: fermentation, distillation, maturation, and bottling. The beautiful facility right down the road in Lacassine, Louisiana... Read More →
avatar for Blue Chair Bay Rum
avatar for Chateau du Tariquet

Chateau du Tariquet

Château du Tariquet produced its first Bas-Armagnac in 1683. The Grassa family purchased the estate in 1912, and since then has been focused on producing the finest award-winning Bas-Armagnac in the region.Château du Tariquet Bas-Armagnacs are a pure expression of the terroir of... Read More →
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for El Camino Restaurant and Bar
avatar for El Dorado Rum
avatar for Everclear
avatar for Giffard
avatar for Glencairn Crystal

Glencairn Crystal

Glencairn created the glass that shaped whisky drinking. A family owned business in Scotland for two generations, we have also decorated and produced decanters for some of the largest & smallest spirit brands in the world. We treat everyone with warmth & respect, like a family would... Read More →
avatar for Glencairn Glass
avatar for Gosling's Rum
avatar for Hangar 1 Vodka
avatar for Leblon
avatar for Mess Hall Cocktail Co.

Mess Hall Cocktail Co.

Mess Hall Cocktail Cherries are a new cocktail cherry specifically made for the high quality of craft cocktails that are being stirred, shaken, and poured across the globe. We preserve our cherries by hand, with demerara sugar, a splash of bourbon, and the smallest notes of black... Read More →
avatar for Montanya Distillers

Montanya Distillers

Montanya Distillers is an American craft distillery making rum in the spectacular Rocky Mountains of Colorado. We use Louisiana-grown, non-GMO unrefined raw cane from a family farm and mill in Belle Rose, LA. Our rum is distilled, proofed and bottled using 100% mountain spring water... Read More →
avatar for Mount Gay
avatar for Novela

Novela

Serving cocktails with character, Novela is a book-­‐themed bar where literary references present themselves in intriguing ways. From its chromatically classified book collection to art pieces that riff on characters in historic novels, Novela offers a compelling setting that juxtaposes... Read More →
avatar for Old New Orleans Rum
avatar for Orgeat Works Ltd.
avatar for Papa's Pilar Rum

Papa's Pilar Rum

Papa’s Pilar Rum is an award-winning premium sipping rum, crafted with the Hemingway family and inspired by Papa’s spirit for adventure. Sourced from hand-selected rums spanning the Caribbean, U.S. & Central America, our artisan-crafted spirit is solera aged and blended in American... Read More →
avatar for Pink Pigeon Rum
avatar for Plantation Rum

Plantation Rum

Alexandre Gabriel is a man with a singular focus from which he has not wavered in the 20 years he has been the head of esteemed Maison Ferrand. His focus and philosophy are simple – to produce special, unique spirits, gems so distinctive and revolutionary that they set the bar for... Read More →
avatar for Rhum Barbancourt

Rhum Barbancourt

Over 150 years ago, Dupre Barbancourt created the perfect recipe for pure Haitian sugar cane rhum. By using a double distillation process and Limousin oak barrel aging normally used for the most exquisite cognac, the Rhum Barbancourt tradition has stood the test of time. Barbancourt's... Read More →
avatar for Rhum Clement
avatar for Roman Candy Rum
avatar for Rums of Puerto Rico
avatar for Sugar Island Rum
avatar for The Last Word


Friday July 17, 2015 5:30pm - 7:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event, Happy Hour

8:00pm CDT

Party Bus Daiquiri Tours
Get on the bus and roll with us to the Daiquiri Shop! Since the New Orleans style Daiquiri (AKA Frozen Daiquiri) is the official cocktail this year, Tales of the Cocktail has teamed up with the New Orleans Daiquiri Festival & Defend The Daiquiri to take you on a Daiquiri Tour! Jump aboard an authentic New Orleans Party Bus (you have to see it to believe it) and roll with us around the city to the tune of what we've dubbed "Daiquiri Music." The Daiquiri is the icon of outdoor drinking in NOLA, it's the poster boy of Go-Cup culture, so Daiquiri Music is the outdoor sound of NOLA, what you hear rolling by outside, flooding out of bars, and being played on street corners. In other words, Brass, Bounce, & old-school Rhythm & Blues. We'll be rolling to a few legendary Daiquiri Shops and some new school Craft Daiquiri spots. Hosted by local comedian, historian and Daiquiri Expert, Corey Mack, you'll learn a thing or two about the history of Daiquiris in New Orleans, as well as some essential Daiquiri pop culture insights (like where Beyonce & Jay Z stop for Daiquiris). The Who Daiq Flava Girls will be there to demonstrate how to dance on a party bus while enjoying your Daiquiri (a required skill for locals). 

Ticket includes:
  • Chartered tour guide and bus to some of New Orleans best Daiquiri Shops and several of the cocktail bars serving up Craft Daiqs!
  • Discounted Daiquiris 
  • Limited Edition "Defend The Daiquiri" Go-Cup
  • Daiquiri Shirt
  • Defend The Daiquiri swag
 Cost: $49.00 per person 
Sponsors
avatar for Tales of the Cocktail®

Friday July 17, 2015 8:00pm - 10:00pm CDT
Front Steps of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event
 
Saturday, July 18
 

10:00am CDT

Around Brazil in 40.000 Alembics
"Around Brazil in 40.000 Alembics" is a seminar conducted by Felipe Jannuzzi, a journalist and researcher at Mapa da Cachaça, a reference about cachaça recognized as one of the best cultural projects in Brazil by the Federal Ministry of Culture, and Jean Ponce, one of the most respected mixologists in Brazil with experience commanding the bar at "DOM", from the chef Alex Atala, elected as the seventh-best restaurant in the world. Felipe has been studying cachaça and traveling around Brazil discovering some of the best alembics in the country. While tasting some outstanding cachaças, he is also creating content (videos, articles, infographics, music) to show what this sugarcane spirit is all about. Although cachaça is the third most consumed spirit in the world, very few is known about the artisanal cachaças – a category represented by thousands of alembic producers spread all around Brazil. Jean Ponce has been studying cachaças and Brazilian ingredients for the past fifteen years and will bring to the seminar his philosophy and approach concerning the use of the spirit in mixology. This seminar will be an opportunity to share some of these stories mapped along the Brazilian alembics and a way to demonstrate all aspects involving cachaça, proposing a new look at its history, production techniques (industrial x artisanal), regional terroir, customs, flavors, cocktail recipes and its relations with the Brazilian culture, mixology and gastronomy.
Moderators
avatar for Felipe Jannuzzi

Felipe Jannuzzi

Creator, Mapa da Cachaça
I am a journalist and researcher at Mapa da Cachaça, a reference about cachaça recognized as one of the best cultural projects in Brazil by the Federal Ministry of Culture. I have been traveling all over Brazil learning about cachaça and creating content to educate people... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jean Ponce

Jean Ponce

Bar Consultant in Cachaça & raw material from Brazil, Coquetelaria Brasileira
Degree in Hospitality in 2002. Elected for two consecutive years, 2013 and 2014, as the best barman in Brazil by a magazine specialized in haute gastronomy. Led large bars of São Paulo as the renowned D.O.M. Restaurant as well as other bars from the same group of Chef Alex Atala... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Leblon

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Around the World in 80 Staves
Do you consider yourself a lover and connoisseur of aged spirits? Some say the best whisk(e)ys are the ones old enough to drink themselves. Whatever you fancy, may it be agave based or from a picturesque chateau in Cognac, the wood of the barrel defines much of the character. We will take a look at the obvious indicators like char level, dressing, and age. In addition we will analyze the many factors at play from the tannin and lactones reacting with the distillate to the speed of oxidation impacted by both pressure and temperature. The aging process is not just about time. Each barrel has a life, a lineage, and a story to tell. Some barrels have been shipped around the world and stored in the harshest of winters or enjoyed the tropical delights. If only barrels had passports to log their great journeys and guide us through their storied past and present!

In this session we will take your palate for a trip as we taste through expressions of neutral grain distillate that have been aged in all corners of the world. We invite you to compare and contrast to see how climate comes into play. Learn how to take this into your own bars and mimic the forces of nature on barrel-aged cocktails. Upon completion of this seminar you will have a keen understanding of exactly how coconut, chocolate, toffee or cherry notes develop!
Moderators
avatar for Jaymee Mandeville

Jaymee Mandeville

Senior Portfolio Ambassador - Bacardi USA West, Team Enterprises
This West Coast native started off behind Hollywood's starlit nightclubs slinging at a high volume pace. As with many Angelenos, Jaymee had quite a few career aspirations and worked for well known motion picture studios, talent agencies and as a fashion stylist for top magazines... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Rob Crabtree

Rob Crabtree

Beverage Director, Goode Company
Rob is a former coastal engineer, who successfully engineered a career change to pursue his passion for food and beverage. He has worked behind multiple bars over the years and was one of the opening bartenders of Half Step in Austin, TX. Rob's passion for agave spirits is well known... Read More →
avatar for Kevin Diedrich

Kevin Diedrich

Kevin Diedrich brings a deep appreciation for Bay Area cocktail culture to his position as bar manager of BDK Restaurant & Bar. Growing up in Northern Virginia, Diedrich first began his hospitality career in 2002 as bartender at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. before assuming... Read More →
avatar for Oscar Garza

Oscar Garza

Senior Research Scientist, Bacardi-Martini Product Development
Oscar is a Senior Research Scientist at Bacardi-Martini Product Development.  He is an expert, 22 years of experience, with analytical instrumentation; such as, Gas and Liquid Chromatographs, Mass Spectrometers, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Wets and other techniques pertaining to the... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Grape Escape: Peru's Pisco Varietals
Peru served as the first center of viticulture of the Western Hemisphere dating back to 1548. The vines the Spaniards brought to the New World blossomed thanks to the engineering feats of the Incas who designed aqueducts to irrigate the Pisco Valley with water that melted from the Andean glaciers. This is the home where over 500 years ago varieties such as Moscatel, Torontel, Albilla and Mollar took root. Today these grapes plus Quebranta, Italia, Negra Criolla and Uvina, represent the richness of the Pisco category.

In fact, the wealth and diversity of each of these grapes is celebrated by the “campesinos” who work the land by the nicknames they have given each grape. Want to find out what they are? And who the Sophia Loren of grapes might be? Join us at our seminar and also learn how each grape's unique identity can be exploited in cocktails whether for their aromatic bouquets or their grassy, toasted notes. The bounty these grapes offer are ripe with opportunity to create exciting cocktails. At our seminar you'll enjoy new Pisco cocktail creations from Tony Abou-Ganim, Juan Coronado and Brother Cleve, and you'll get to hear the lore about these grapes directly from producers Johnny Schuler (Porton) and Melanie Asher (Macchu Pisco/La Diablada).
Moderators
avatar for Tony Abou-Ganim

Tony Abou-Ganim

Author, The Modern Mixologist
Abou-Ganim is widely regarded as one of the pioneering and leading bar professionals in the world. He has made dozens of national TV appearances on shows including TODAY, Iron Chef America, Good Morning America, CNBC, FOX News and more. Abou-Ganim is the author of The Modern Mixologist... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Melanie Asher

Melanie Asher

Distiller and Master Blender, Macchu Pisco
How does an investment banker on Wall Street become the world’s first female pisco distiller? For Melanie Asher—the Peruvian Embassy’s 2013 “Peruvian Woman of the Year in the U.S. in Business” and founder of Macchu Pisco—it comes down to family: collaboration with and encouragement from her sister, Lizzie, the company’s President; the support of her mother and late father; and the mantra of her 99-year-old grandmother that a nip of pisco every night is what has kept her young. “My grandmother still tastes every blend of our ultra-premium line, La Diablada, before we officially bottle it,” says Melanie, who founded Macchu Pisco in 2004... Read More →
avatar for Brother Cleve

Brother Cleve

Ambassador of the Cocktail Nation
Bartending since 1987, also work as musician, DJ, producer, bar consultant. Spread the cocktail gospel in the 90's as keyboardist with loungecore act Combustible Edison (SubPop). Old drunk.
avatar for Juan Coronado

Juan Coronado

Founder, The Pour Group
With 20+ years in the food and wine industry, Juan Coronado has established his name as an award-winning mixologist and entrepreneur, which began in Champagne as a Sommelier for the prestigious Bubble Lounge NY/SF. Along with his impeccable knowledge of wine, he also served as an... Read More →
avatar for Johnny Schuler

Johnny Schuler

Master Distiller, Pisco Portón
Johnny Schuler is Pisco Portón’s Master Distiller and one of the foremost pisco authorities in the world. Having dedicated much of his life to setting the standards for excellence in the pisco industy, Johnny Schuler has revitalized interest in Peru’s native spirit. As Master... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Trade Commission of Peru in Miami

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:00am CDT

Spanish Brandy: It's a Thing
There's no doubt that the Brandy category's presence on hot cocktail bar menus is on the rise with an assortment of Cognacs, Armagnacs and Calvados on many a drinks list. Yet, where does Spanish Brandy, infamous for both it's value to quality ratio while tinged with history fall into the mix?

'Spanish Brandy: It's a Thing' will offer an exploration into the general category of Brandy placing emphasis on Spanish Brandy. Leading category experts; Master Sommelier, Robert Bigelow, Torres Brandy Global Brand Manager, Michael La Terriere and Joel Cuellar of NYC's infamous Brandy Library will deep dive into the background and history of Spanish Brandy and how it differs from other Brandy's around the world.

And, attendees will be greeted to 'Spanish Brandy: It's a Thing' with a Classic Brandy Cocktail followed by an exclusive guided Torres Brandy vertical tasting featuring 10, 15, 20 and 30 year pours in addition to barrel samples and other rare offerings.
Moderators
avatar for Rob Bigelow

Rob Bigelow

Director of Wine Education, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
As Senior Director of Wine Education and On-Premise Development, Rob Bigelow oversees all wine education programs for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. As part of his dual responsibilities he also plays a critical role in the company’s work with key stakeholders in the on-premise trade... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Joel Cuellar

Joel Cuellar

The Brandy Library
Joel Cuellar has been an authority on brown spirits for a decade first behind the bar at the NYC institution, The Brandy Library, and at its recently opened baby brother, Copper and Oak.Joel also teaches seminars on a regular basis and is a permanent judge on the New York International... Read More →
avatar for Michael La Terrière

Michael La Terrière

Spirits Global Manager, Miguel Torres
As Global Spirits Manager for Miguel Torres, S.A., Michael La Terrière is responsible for the development of a new Spirits Division within Miguel Torres, SA.Despite his French ancestry and surname, Michael was born and brought up in Scotland. His father worked for Justerini & Brooks... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com
avatar for Torres Master Distillers

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

10:00am CDT

Strong Cocktails, Stronger Opinions
The polite and well behaved rarely make history; often, it takes a strong personality to leave a lasting impression. In this lively session, a panel of modern-day rabble-rousers, led by Ambassador and Gin authority Rachel Ford, will weigh in on the outspoken philosophies of three early cocktail authors.

What do Bernard DeVoto, Charles H. Baker Jr., and David A. Embury all have in common? They are among the early tastemakers; three outspoken voices of cocktail history. By asserting their strong opinions, these three left a legacy and influenced generations of bartenders and consumers.

Prior to the days of the Internet and social media, information spread via the published written word. Those with the loudest voices were not only those with the largest platform, but often those with the strongest opinions.

Bernard DeVoto (The Hour, A Cocktail Manifesto) found the only two acceptable drinks to be Whiskey and Gin Martinis, loathed Rum, and completely writes off cocktails (all slop in his opinion).

Charles H. Baker Jr. (Jigger, Beaker, & Glass, Drinking Around the World) traveled the world in search of cocktails, recording the best practices of what he learned from all corners of the globe. For decades, his written word would dictate the “best practices” of many.

David A. Embury (The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks) possessed a highly discerning palate, demanded a dry cocktail, and stated an open distaste for citrus.

Today, Sean Kenyon, Erick Castro, Ivy Mix and Kyle Ford are among the outspoken voices of modern cocktail culture. With a book, multiple bar programs, a vast vintage cocktail book library, and a more than a few strongly-worded tweets and Facebook posts under their collective belts, you can trust this group to speak their minds.

After an in-depth exploration of the authors of the past, Rachel Ford will lead the outspoken and knowledgeable panel through a discussion of bold assertions and a lively debate is sure to ensue. Hear the spirited panel answer such questions as: Are you a DeVoto? A Baker? An Embry? Where do you stand on cocktail culture and modern technique? What opinions will define your legacy?
Moderators
avatar for Rachel Ford

Rachel Ford

National Ambassador, Tanqueray
Rachel Ford is the National Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray Gin, affectionately known as Lady Tanqueray. She is a spirits educator, contributing cocktail writer, and media personality, having appeared on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. United States Bartenders Guild. Court of Master Sommeliers... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Erick Castro

Erick Castro

Beverage Director, Possessed by Spirits
Erick Castro initially built his cocktail empire at San Francisco's Rickhouse and Bourbon & Branch by searching for obscure recipes, methods and ingredients that originated prior to Prohibition. The bartending behemoth has created unique beverage programs that have earned a place... Read More →
avatar for Kyle Ford

Kyle Ford

Cocktail & Spirits Expert, Rémy Cointreau - Collectif 1806
Kyle Ford is the Cocktail & Spirits Expert for the international spirits company Rémy Cointreau. Bow-tied and wing-tipped, Kyle pens sartorial musings from the cocktail glass while promoting the spirited life via Collectif 1806, a nation-wide community of craft cocktail bartenders. “The... Read More →
avatar for Sean Kenyon

Sean Kenyon

Bartender/Proprietor, Williams & Graham, Denver, CO
Sean Kenyon was literally born to be behind a bar. He is a third generation Barman, his Grandfather, Mother and Father have been pub owners and bartenders in New Jersey since the 1930's. Sean was raised in his family's pubs and while other kids wanted to be firemen or super heroes... Read More →
avatar for Ivy Mix

Ivy Mix

Co-Owner and Head Bartender, Leyenda
Ivy Mix is Co­Owner and Head Bartender of Leyenda, her pan­Latin cocktail bar in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, backed by her long­time mentor, Julie Reiner. Leyenda pays tribute to her years of living and bartending in Guatemala, as well as extensive travels throughout all of Latin... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Diageo USA
avatar for Tanqueray

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

Prehistoric Cocktail Technology Demo
In our modern era that affords the technology of low-pressure distillation and high-speed centrifuges, we still smoke barley over an open fire and crush agave fibers with giant rocks. In this fun demonstration-oriented seminar, we’ll focus on the low-tech methods once used and sometimes still employed in making spirits and cocktails, and talk about whether they produce better booze or merely invoke old-timey nostalgia. Discussions and demonstrations will include processes like clarification with bone and milk solids, cooling cocktails with ammonia, early carbonation technology, using bugs and burnt caramel to color spirits, glass blowing, ice and salt pond-harvesting, and much, much more.
Moderators
avatar for Camper English

Camper English

Writer, Alcademics
Camper English is a San Francisco-based cocktails and spirits writer and speaker, and is the publisher/writer of Alcademics.com. He has contributed to Saveur, Details, Fine Cooking, Modern Farmer, Popular Science, the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Whisky Advocate, and many other... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Don Julio Tequila
avatar for East Imperial Collection
avatar for Zacapa Rum

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

10:30am CDT

The Long Haul: Bars Built to Last
The past decade has seen a seismic shift in the bar business, with changes unrivaled for generations--but the challenges of owning and running a bar are more complicated than ever, and change remains the only constant. This seminar will bring together the owners of several of the country’s most enduring and successful bars—Employees Only in New York, Elixir in San Francisco, and Teardrop Lounge in Portland—along with the executive editor of Imbibe, who will share a decade’s worth of experiences, strategies, observations and insights with those looking to open their own bars, or who are charting a fresh course forward. We’ll cover the expected challenges of bar ownership as they relate to finances, management and business basics, but we’ll also delve into ways to prepare for unexpected challenges such as global financial upheaval, the cocktail boom and its many fluctuations, and the ever-changing media landscape. And ten years is just the beginning—how are these owners preparing their own bars for the next decade of business? Come learn from those who've built their bars into legacies, as you plan your own path for long-term success.
Moderators
avatar for Paul Clarke

Paul Clarke

Executive Editor, Imbibe
Paul Clarke is the executive editor of Imbibe magazine and the author of The Cocktail Chronicles (Spring House Press). A journalist who has specialized in spirits, cocktails and the culture of drink for nearly a decade, he has written for the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for H. Joseph Ehrmann

H. Joseph Ehrmann

Owner & Chief Mixology Officer, Elixir & Fresh Victor
As the 12th Proprietor of ELIXIR, San Francisco’s second oldest continually operating saloon, H. is recognized for his role in the pioneering efforts to revitalize cocktail culture in the last two decades. ELIXIR has been called a “Best Bar in America” by multiple media outlets... Read More →
avatar for Daniel Shoemaker

Daniel Shoemaker

Daniel Shoemaker began his career in the middle of the microbrew revolution in San Francisco in the early 1990’s, and subsequently slung his wealth of hops over the next 12 years.  Just as the cocktail renaissance was heading into full swing in the Bay Area, he re-located to Portland... Read More →
avatar for Dushan Zaric

Dushan Zaric

Porter, The 86 Co
Dushan Zaric is the cocktail mastermind behind world-famous New York bars Employees Only and Macao Trading Co. He is widely recognized as an industry leader and a pioneer in craft bartending; his innovative work behind the bar has revolutionized the art of the cocktail. Dushan specializes... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bulleit Bourbon
avatar for Fords Gin

Saturday July 18, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Barley Matters: From the U.S. to Europe
Barley. It’s the dominant cereal grain in most whiskies, from American Single Malts to legendary Scotches. Even bourbons require respectable malted barley percentages to activate fermentation. But what do we know about this grain? Is an American Single Malt made from the same type of barley as Scotch? In the times of genetically modified organisms and Big Agriculture, how clean and sustainable is the barley used for making whisky?

In “Barley Matters: From U.S. to Europe,” attendees will get Geeky with grain knowledge.

In a world, where consumers just want to know where their products come from, Barley Matters: From U.S. to Europe is an open barley book.

And perhaps more importantly, as the likes of Monsanto clone and create new seed types, whisky makers are among the last line of defense for GMO-free grains. Their passion and efforts are keeping barley pure. Just like it should be.
Moderators
avatar for Fred Minnick

Fred Minnick

Author, Author
Author of Bourbon & Rum Books

Speakers
avatar for Wayne Carpenter

Wayne Carpenter

He is a founding partner of Salish Coast Enterprises doing business as Skagit Valley Malting in Skagit Valley, Washington. Skagit Valley Malting works closely with the farming community, the Port of Skagit, and the Washington State University Research Center to develop added value... Read More →
avatar for Emerson Lamb

Emerson Lamb

President, Westland Distillery
Emerson Lamb is president and co-founder of Westland Distillery. Started in 2009 with the goal of putting the state of Washington on the map as a world class place to make single malt whiskey, today Westland is the largest such distillery in the United States. As a family business... Read More →
avatar for Brigid Meints

Brigid Meints

Brigid Meints is a PhD student at Washington State University working with Dr. Stephen Jones in the Bread Lab and Small Grains Breeding Program. Her project focuses on breeding and trialing malt and food barley for production in northwestern Washington. She grew up in Corvallis, OR... Read More →
avatar for Scott Ungermann

Scott Ungermann

Vice President, Production, Anchor Brewers & Distillers
As the Vice President of Production at Anchor Brewers and Distillers, Scott is in charge of all beer, gin and whiskey production at this iconic San Francisco brewery and distillery.  Anchor has been brewing beer in San Francisco since 1896 and distilling rye whiskey since 1993. Scott... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Anchor Distilling Company

Anchor Distilling Company

Named the 2015 Icons of Whisky Importer of the Year by Whisky Magazine, Anchor Distilling Company aims to provide the bridge between discerning buyers and world's finest spirits. A privately owned distiller and importer, Anchor boasts an artisanal portfolio with over 400 specialty... Read More →

Saturday July 18, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

Clairin - Authentic Rhums of Rural Haiti
A look inside the little known and rarely understood world of rural rhum production on the island of Haiti. Beyond the large brands such as Barbancourt and Vieux Labbe, most of the rhum produced and consumed by islanders in rural Haiti follows rustic, age-old production methods in the outer regions of this unique island. Slow, natural fermentation attracts the natural yeast of each micro-region, delivering a true snapshot of local DNA -- true terroir -- followed by a gentle distillation and simple finishing to produce a delightful, fresh cane spirit of fine quality. In this intimate tasting seminar, we'll sample some of the very best examples of Clairin from Haiti, which are now gaining greater appreciation in Europe thanks to the passionate efforts of Gianluca Gargano of Velier.
Moderators
RB

Robert Burr

president, Quantum Leap Network - Robs Rum Guide
Robert publishes Robs Rum Guide and the National Rum Examiner, as well as rum reviews on the Rum Minute YouTube video channel. He is host of the Miami Rum Festival/Trade Expo and the annual Rum Renaissance Caribbean Cruise. Robert serves as a judge in international rum tasting competitions... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ian Burrell

Ian Burrell

Host, The Rum Experience Co ltd
One of the most travelled figures within the drinks industry, the award winning “EduTainer”, has redefined the definition of an international spirits ambassador. An ex professional basketball player in the UK and international recording artist, he has now established himself as... Read More →
avatar for Gianluca Gargano

Gianluca Gargano

Luca Gargano started as a youngster to show interest for Rhum. In 1975, when he was just 20 years old, he was appointed Brand Manager for Saint James, embarking on a long season of travels across the Caribbean Islands. In 1983 he acquired control of Velier SpA -- a small wine & spirits... Read More →
avatar for Peter Holland

Peter Holland

Owner, TheFloatingRumShack.com
What should people talk to you about? Rum. Mostly rum, although I've a love for all spirits and actively looking to learn more. Keen to spread the word about the best spirit category in the world (Rum), experiencing and educating.
avatar for Alexandre Vingtier

Alexandre Vingtier

French Spirits Consultant & Author
Alexandre Vingtier is a French spirits consultant & author and judge at numerous spirits & cocktails competitions worldwide. He works with distillers, blenders, bottlers, retailers, bartenders, sommeliers, chefs and even noses, and has visited hundreds of distilleries around the world... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Velier

Saturday July 18, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

12:30pm CDT

Maryland Rye: Its History and Future
Rye was once a powerhouse of the whiskey world, but America’s changing palates and Prohibition put an end to that...until now. Thanks to the current craft spirits renaissance and an army of cocktail focused bartenders, rye and the classic libations it inspired have made a triumphant comeback. “Maryland Rye” once existed as a beloved and widely marketed style appreciated throughout the country, as storied in its history as Kentucky’s own bourbon.

How did such a booming industry slowly get proofed out of national prominence? How do we recognize and support new craft whiskies with a sense of place and purpose? We’ll explore some of the social, agricultural and economic forces that wiped this distinct regional style of a great American spirit off the face of the earth.

Join Baltimore bartender Doug Atwell (managing partner, Rye) as he leads a discussion on the appeal and process of bringing Maryland rye back from the brink of extinction. This seminar will feature the expert opinions of owner-distillers Allen Katz (New York Distilling Company and Baltimore native), Ned Wight (New England Distilling Company) and Ben Lyon (Lyon Distilling Company).

This seminar will also feature a historic Maryland punch, whiskey tastings, and the first public industry tasting of New York Distilling Co.’s Ragtime Rye.
Moderators
avatar for Doug Atwell

Doug Atwell

Managing Partner, Rye
Doug Atwell is managing partner and head bartender of Rye in Baltimore. A Maryland native and veteran bartender, he spent several years researching the cocktail culture taking hold in other cities before opening Rye in 2011. In its first three years, Rye has gathered accolades from... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Allen Katz

Allen Katz

Co-Founder, New York Distilling Company
Allen Katz is the co-founder of the New York Distilling Company in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he produces Dorothy Parker – American Gin, Perry’s Tot – Navy-Strength Gin, Chief Gowanus – New-Netherland Gin, Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye…and Ragtime Rye. He is also the Director... Read More →
avatar for Bernie Lubbers

Bernie Lubbers

The Whiskey Professor, Heaven Hill Brands
Known as The Whiskey Professor, Bernie Lubbers is the Global Whiskey Ambassador for the family owned and operated Heaven Hill located in Bardstown and Louisville, KY; the largest American owned bourbon company, and holders of 25% of the world's aging bourbon. He hosts the popular... Read More →
avatar for Ben Lyon

Ben Lyon

Distiller // Co-Owner // Plumber-in-Chief, Lyon Distilling Co.
Ben is the co-owner and distiller at the Lyon Distilling Company, and in December of 2014, proudly released the first batch of rye whiskey distilled in Maryland in over 40 years. In addition to reviving Maryland's illustrious history in rye, Ben also makes a signature line of rums... Read More →
avatar for Ned Wight

Ned Wight

Owner-Distiller, New England Distilling
Ned is the founder and distiller at New England Distilling in Portland, Maine. He is a sixth generation distiller, whose family began producing rye whiskey in Maryland back in the 1850’s. Ned has been brewing and distilling professionally and otherwise for more than 20 years... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Lyon Distilling Company

Lyon Distilling Company

Lyon Distilling Company
Lyon Distilling Company is proud to be a micro, craft distillery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Dedicated to transforming raw ingredients into splendid liquor, step by step, in ultra small batches. Rum & Whiskey.
avatar for New England Distilling
avatar for New York Distilling Company
avatar for Pikesville Rye

Saturday July 18, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

12:30pm CDT

The Blinder Truth About Aging Whisky
After the success and controversy caused by last years seminar we want to bring it back bigger and better with a breakdown of where flavor comes from and why age is just a number, it doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the contents of your bottle of whisky.

It’s an age-old question: when it comes to spirits, does older mean better? This seminar will challenge even the most seasoned palates to answer that question tasting some of the rarest and unique whiskies from Diageo’s warehouses in Scotland many of these whiskies have never been tasted by anyone outside of Diageo before.

The Diageo Whisky team, including those behind of some of the most iconic single malts from Talisker and Lagavulin, will be joined again by World-renowned author Dave Broom to lead a blind tasting of whiskies with vastly varying ages from Diageo’s stocks including liquid that has never been offered to the public before.

Attendees will hear how single malts and blends have evolved since the beginning of the 20th Century through to the modern day by changes in production, through to the corks used. They will also learn how multiple flavors from different types of casks make up what we know as a single malt, as they taste the whiskies.

The panel will ask participants for their opinions of each, before the grand revealing of the names and, more importantly, their ages. Attendees will discover what their favorite whisky was, followed by an opportunity to ask questions about each.

Will the older whiskies live up to the hype? There were some real revelations last year and this year will be no exception.
Moderators
avatar for Ewan Morgan

Ewan Morgan

National Director : Diageo Masters of Whisky, Diageo
Ewan is a third generation ‘whisky man’. His father was maltings manager at Tamdhu Distillery in Speyside and later the distillery manager at Highland Park Distillery on the island of Orkney. His Grandfather was the brewer at the famed distillery Cardhu. Ewan was born in Dufftown... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dave Broom

Dave Broom

Dave Broom was born in Glasgow (Scotland) and has spent his working life in drink. He is chief engineer of www.scotchwhisky.com and writes for numerous international titles, including Whisky Advocate. He won Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer at the 2015 Spirited Awards. He’s written... Read More →
avatar for Gregor Cattanach

Gregor Cattanach

Master of Whisky, Director of Whisky Education, Diageo
As a boy, Gregor grew up at distilleries such as Caol Ila, Coleburn, Cragganmore andCardhu in Scotland where his father Evan worked as Master Distiller of these qualitysingle malts. This is where Gregor's apprenticeship truly began. Learning from his father issomething that he never... Read More →
avatar for Gerard Graham

Gerard Graham

Gerry Graham grew up surrounded by the origins of whiskey in his native land of Ireland.  It was inevitable that this Ulsterman would work in the world of Uisce Beatha and in his current role as Master of Whisky for Diageo  he loves nothing more than instilling his love for whisky... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Nicholas Morgan

Dr. Nicholas Morgan

Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo
Dr Nicholas Morgan Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo Dr Nicholas Morgan is Head of Whisky Outreach at Diageo plc, the largest Scotch whisky producer. Nick is an acknowledged authority on the Scotch Whisky business and a frequent speaker at Whisky and Spirits events around the world... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Diageo Single Malts
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com

Saturday July 18, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

12:30pm CDT

To Batch or Not To Batch?
Craft cocktails take time… but do they have to? From the four-hour Michelin meal to the 15-minute handcrafted cocktail, today’s food and cocktail culture has changed. For today’s consumer, quantity of time means quality of product. But there’s not always time for that.

Many kinds of establishments and special events demand top-of-the-line quality drinks in very little time — delicious cocktails made fast and at high volume. But how? In this seminar, our expert panelists share stories and advice from their years in the fast-craft trade.

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the benefits of draft cocktails and how to serve 10 to 10,000 customers a consistent, fresh, visually appealing drink. They will take away the do’s and don’ts of pre-batched cocktails and the trials and tribulations of creating ready to drink, all natural, bottled cocktails for the home consumer. They will also learn how it is possible to do-away with all perishables, including citrus and ice, deliver a round of Manhattans in 25 seconds and be awarded World’s Best International Cocktail Bar. This is a seminar not be missed!
Moderators
avatar for Elayne Duff

Elayne Duff

Luxury Brand Ambassador, MKTG / Diageo
Despite a jet-set lifestyle that can have her styling cocktails in Hawaii one day, and filming for national TV the next, Diageo USA's luxury brand mixologist Elayne Duff's first love is talking craft cocktails with bartenders, bar managers and owners. After graduating from St... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Charles Joly

Charles Joly

Founder, Crafthouse Cocktails
Chicago native Charles Joly is an award-winning, lifelong food and beverage professional. In 2012 Joly took on the roll of Beverage Director at the Aviary in Chicago. Partnered with Chef Achatz this venture was granted the 2013 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program. Formerly... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan)

Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan)

Bartender, Owner, Dandelyan and Cub
Cocktail bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana goes by Mr Lyan, which is arguably easier to say. He opened his first bar, White Lyan, in London in 2013 as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables; no fruit and even no ice. It was an exploration in sustainability, with much... Read More →
avatar for Shane McKnight

Shane McKnight

National Craft Beverage Director, Best Beverage Catering
Shane McKnight has been a craft beverage professional in San Francisco since 1997. He is the National Craft Beverage Director for Best Beverage Catering and the founder of Top Hat Provisions & Top Hat Ginger Beer. Shane McKnight has had many opportunities in craft cocktail program... Read More →
avatar for Ben Scorah

Ben Scorah

Founder, Road Soda Bar
Ben Scorah Chief Development Strategist Ben’s two decades in hospitality encompasses fine dining, nightclubs and bar projects in London, Prague, Miami and New York. Having managed at many NYC landmark restaurants including the The Lion and Bill’s Food and Drink as well as... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Diageo USA

Saturday July 18, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

Around the World in 30 Gins
Around the world in 30 Gins!
There can be no question around gins currently soaring popularity. Gin cocktails have never been so popular in recent decades and the classic gin martini is being restored to its rightful position at the pinnacle of cocktail culture. Gin is simply the king of cocktails. Gin lends versatility to mixing by its very design, adorning an enormous amount of cocktails that pay tribute to this botanically driven spirit.

Today it is definitely not easy keeping up with the seemingly weekly new vibrant offerings the gin category is currently exuding.

But it wasn’t always this way, where did it all start? Gin has known its fair share of ups and downs. The post war period of the 50’s and 60’s was a time when bars may have barely stocked 3-4 gins; in the 70’s gin was seen as a washed up old broad with her best days behind her.
Oh how things have changed. Why has gin become so popular once more and why are we enjoying such a gin renaissance globally? Is there such a thing as a benchmark or a ‘must stock’ gin in this brave new world or those your bar should not be without? What are the mixed drinks held responsible for our joyous glee?

What better time than now to explore some of the more notable recent innovations from industry giants and lend a nod to some of the smaller brands making quite a splash in local markets around the globe.

Join gin expert Raj Nagra, together with historian and distiller Jared Brown, and celebrated industry figures Julie Reiner and Mike Enright, on a journey of gins modern history and discover why we’re currently experiencing this gin reawakening and forecast where we’re heading. These 4 gin authorities will uncover the roots of Gin’s resurgence, how innovative distillers and passionate bartenders led to this modern ‘Gin Craze’ and explore the best and most surprising Gins from across the globe. Uncover the new and emerging styles and families that allow the Gin lover to make sense of all this incredible choice. Are Gins an expression of geography or terroir? Can there really be such a thing as a ‘local’ gin? What are the most unique botanicals that are delighting the modern palate? And what are the most delicious ways to serve these gins? Join us for a high paced journey of discovery as we bring the world, and the world of Gin, to New Orleans for a journey like no other!
Moderators
avatar for Raj Nagra

Raj Nagra

House of Bombay Global Ambassador, Bacardi Global Brands
The always vibrant and charismatic industry personality and Global Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Raj Nagra brings over two decades of unique industry knowledge from both a business and trade perspective to his role at Bacardi Global Brands. Now in his 14th year as an Ambassador... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jared Brown

Jared Brown

Master Distiller, Sipsmith Limited
Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown made his first spirits at age ten after reading that early American colonists froze cider and lifted out the ice to concentrate the alcohol. As an adult (after a degree in hospitality from NYU, five years in operations at the Essex House Hotel... Read More →
avatar for Mike Enright

Mike Enright

Owner, The Barber Shop, Australia
Mike Enright Originally from the UK Mike Enright or sometimes known as Mikey has over twenty five years experience in the hospitality industry. Mikey started his career in traditional ale and managing pubs in England. He was later trained in London as a Cocktail Bartender and moved... Read More →
avatar for Julie Reiner

Julie Reiner

Owner, Clover Club
Julie Reiner has been elevating the cocktail scene in NYC for fifteen years, most notably with the opening of the Flatiron Lounge (2003), the Pegu Club (2005), and Brooklyn’s Clover Club (2008). As co-owner and beverage director of the Flatiron Lounge, Reiner drew much of her inspiration... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bombay Sapphire

Saturday July 18, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

The Flavor Complex
What is flavour really? How are you creating, separating, categorizing and keeping your flavours as your specialized arsenal behind your bar. Well we have brought you an expert panel of Food and Beverage Scientists plus some of the industries most accomplished characters. To TRULY break it down for you! We will be interactively exploring with you, the processes of flavour extractions, enhancements, preservation and real scientific foundation behind these processes.
Moderators
avatar for Adrian Biggs

Adrian Biggs

Senior Portfolio Ambassador, Bacardi USA
Having worked with his Uncle and Grandfather in Sydney restaurants during school holidays, Biggs discovered a desire to work in the Food and Beverage industry. Hailing from Hobart Tasmania, Biggs has lived and worked around the world in a myriad of segments in the Food and Beverage... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Liv Bader-Shores

Liv Bader-Shores

Senior Beverage Scientist, Bacardi-Martini Product Development
Being the daughter of a Flavorist, Liv grew up in the international flavor and fragrance industry. Whether her father brought home the latest candy concepts, chips from a Snaxpo convention, or a perfume designed just for her, she was always intrigued by taste and aroma. After a trip... Read More →
avatar for Kari Bishop

Kari Bishop

Kari is a Senior Scientist at Bacardi-Martini Product Development.  She crafts the liquids for new products, making sure every drop is produced to perfection.  How does one fall into this fulfilling line of work?  It started with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from the University... Read More →
avatar for Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths has been involved in the hospitality industry for over ten years, with extensive knowledge of all aspects of the business. From his experience in his native Australia, through to Edinburgh and finally landing in London, along the way he worked in more then a few of... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Saturday July 18, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

1:00pm CDT

Storytelling: Letters to Young Bartender
Letters to a Young Bartender returns to Tales of the Cocktail® with new letters from legendary mentors of the global bartending scene. Find out what advice they wish they could have given themselves as they started out on their journey behind the stick.
Personalities
avatar for Alba Huerta
avatar for Colin Asare-Appiah

Colin Asare-Appiah

Senior Portfolio Manager, Bacardi
Colin Asare-Appiah is a trendsetter in the spirits industry. In the UK, he was the original cocktail guide for "The Good Food Show" and co-founder of the London Academy of Bartending, known today as LAB – the benchmark bar in London.  "The Good Food Show elevated the concept of... Read More →
avatar for Erik Lorincz

Erik Lorincz

Head Bartender, American bar, The Savoy
Erik started his career graduating from the Hospitality School in his native Slovakia in 1999. Shortly afterwards he came across the first bartending book by Roman Uhlir. This inspired Erik greatly and he decided to take up the opportunity to learn about bartending. He joined a... Read More →
avatar for Lynnette Marrero

Lynnette Marrero

Owner/Co-Founder, DrinksAt6/Speed Rack
Lynnette Marrero’s “spirited” career began when she accepted a job at New York’s Flatiron Lounge alongside cocktail savant Julie Reiner. Marrero quickly made the transition from cocktail-waitress to bartender and knew that the spirits industry was her true calling. After learning... Read More →
avatar for Sean Kenyon

Sean Kenyon

Bartender/Proprietor, Williams & Graham, Denver, CO
Sean Kenyon was literally born to be behind a bar. He is a third generation Barman, his Grandfather, Mother and Father have been pub owners and bartenders in New Jersey since the 1930's. Sean was raised in his family's pubs and while other kids wanted to be firemen or super heroes... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Saturday July 18, 2015 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Le Petite Theatre du Vieux Carre 616 St Peter St, New Orleans, LA 70116
  Special Event, Storytelling

3:00pm CDT

Brains & Booze: The Neurology of Mixology
We get it, you know how to create the perfect cocktail. You spend hours studying the trends and reading the books to produce drinks to sell on your menus. But, how come not all of them are ordered? Do we really understand the ways in which our cocktails are enjoyed or even recognized by our consumers? And when it comes to cocktail selection, how do consumers make one decision over another? What the heck is going on in the brain to make people enjoy one drink and despise the next?

Join the tag team of world wide known neurologist Dr. Max Wiznitzer in conjunction with his daughter, NYC bartender Pamela Wiznitzer, as they reveal the mysteries of the brain and its functionality. With over 30 years of experience in the field of neurology, Dr. Wiznitzer is a leading medical specialist and has uncovered new information about the sensory experience of enjoying a cocktail. This seminar will go into the breakdown of how the brain processes information and the effect it has on our decision making. Learn with hands on demonstrations and tastings, cutting edge studies and information, and interactive data about how the brain and nervous system directly engage with the drinks we craft for our guests. Could one potential scent, odor or color increase your sales or leave a cocktail unordered? This seminar aims to find answers to these questions and leave you with the ability to "make up your mind" about what makes the most effective cocktail for consumers.
Moderators
avatar for Pamela Wiznitzer

Pamela Wiznitzer

Creative Director, Seamstress
Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves and also transcends the bar. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC, and most recently as the Creative Director and bartender at Seamstress on the Upper Eastside... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Max Wiznitzer

Dr. Max Wiznitzer

Child Neurologist
Dr. Max Wiznitzer is a child neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Childrens Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio and professor of pediatrics and neurology at Case Western Reserve University.  He attended Northwestern University Medical School and trained in pediatrics and child development at... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Fleeting Bubbles: Rare Champagne Tasting
Party like its 1999 with this rare opportunity to taste Champagnes no longer available outside of private collections! Taste tête de cuvées from the mid-to-late 90s along with Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs and Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs from one of the only major Champagne houses to produce these varietals as grand crus, which are not available anywhere in the U.S. Doug Frost (MS, MW) and Rob Bigelow (MS) will present a deep-dive into the world of Champagne with insight from category expert Monsieur Olivier Zorel. These esteemed panelists will discuss Champagne’s past, present, and future in an ever evolving liquid landscape.
Moderators
avatar for Rob Bigelow

Rob Bigelow

Director of Wine Education, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
As Senior Director of Wine Education and On-Premise Development, Rob Bigelow oversees all wine education programs for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. As part of his dual responsibilities he also plays a critical role in the company’s work with key stakeholders in the on-premise trade... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Doug Frost

Doug Frost

Managing Partner, Beverage Alcohol Resource
Doug Frost is a Kansas City author who writes and lectures about wine, beer and spirits. In 1991 he passed the rigorous Master Sommelier examination and two years later became America’s eighth Master of Wine. He was the second person in history to complete both exams and more than... Read More →
avatar for Olivier Zorel

Olivier Zorel

Area Export Manager Americas, CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATTE
French native Olivier Zorel brings more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the international wine business, having worked with some of the most famous brands in the industry. After completing business studies in Paris, New York, and Tokyo, Zorel began his career in... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte
avatar for DrinkUpNY.com

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Exclusive Tasting

3:00pm CDT

Improved Sustainability in Your Bar
Are we taking the most appropriate steps to use ingredients in a sustainable manner in our bars? And what would we do if the ingredients we hold so dear simply weren't around anymore? Join a bartender, a botanist and two botanical buyers as they discuss the steps to controlling the ingredient chain from producer to consumer, and learn about practical steps that can encourage us to use our ingredients better. The seminar will include links and a platform that helps engage bartenders and owners in a way of making real changes in their bars, and join the debate on whether we can, and should be controlling more of our input into our ingredients.
Moderators
avatar for Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan)

Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan)

Bartender, Owner, Dandelyan and Cub
Cocktail bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana goes by Mr Lyan, which is arguably easier to say. He opened his first bar, White Lyan, in London in 2013 as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables; no fruit and even no ice. It was an exploration in sustainability, with much... Read More →
avatar for Ian McLaren

Ian McLaren

Director Trade Advocacy & Training, Bacardi USA
A proud Scotsman, Ian started his career in the alcohol business straight from school working for an independent wine merchant in his home town of Edinburgh. From here his formative years in the On Premise were spent in the late night scene working in more sticky floored nightclubs... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Anette Modvaer

Anette Modvaer

Director, Square Mile Coffee Roasters
Anette Moldvaer is co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, a multi award winning coffee roasting company based in East London. She started her career in coffee as a barista in Norway 16 years ago, and since coming to the UK in 2003 she has worked in green coffee imports, education... Read More →
avatar for Ivano Tonutti

Ivano Tonutti

I was born in Turin (Italy) the February, 4th 1960. In Turin (Italy) I’ve followed the entire educational pathway at the Faculty of Pharmacy obtaining a PhD in Pharmacy and then the Diploma of Pharmacist Before I started working for Bacardi I've spent one year as Pharmacist... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bombay Sapphire
avatar for Martini

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Jamaica's Influence on Cocktail Culture
Jamaica, that tiny island in the Caribbean is internationally known for it's cultural exports such as Bob Marley, Reggae, Usain Bolt, Herbs* and even Bob-sleighing, but it has also influenced some famous cocktails with it's biggest and most re-known of exports... RUM. Global Rum Ambassador, Ian Burrell brings to life some of the historical Jamaican stories with a few samples of new & world exclusive rums & cocktails for you to taste as you learn what influence Jamaica has had on cocktail culture. Yeah Mon
* You know what herbs I'm talking about.
Moderators
avatar for Ian Burrell

Ian Burrell

Host, The Rum Experience Co ltd
One of the most travelled figures within the drinks industry, the award winning “EduTainer”, has redefined the definition of an international spirits ambassador. An ex professional basketball player in the UK and international recording artist, he has now established himself as... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for George Freegard

George Freegard

International Brands Manager, Pusser's rum Ltd
It is hard not to see the smile on his face whenever people mention his job. George's love of the spirits industry and his passion for the brand led him back to a role that seems perfect for him. Since 2012 he has overseen the production, operations and International sales for Pusser's... Read More →
avatar for David Morrison

David Morrison

Appleton Estate’s Senior Blender, David Morrison, is a true Jamaican in best sense of the word —easygoing, fun-loving and adventurous.  Born in Kingston, David attended both preparatory and high schools in Kingston before moving on to the University of the West Indies where... Read More →
avatar for Eric Seed

Eric Seed

Principal, Haus Alpenz LLC
Eric Seed is the Founder and Principal of Haus Alpenz, an importer, distributor and brand manager for a wide range of wines and spirits. Established in 2005, Haus Alpenz is recognized for reviving a number of historic and important classic drinks components such as Creme de Violette... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Appleton Estate Aged Rum
avatar for Fee Brothers
avatar for Pusser's Rum

Pusser's Rum

Pusser’s Rum Ltd. bottles, blends and distributes the original Royal Navy rum—one of the most historic and traditional rums still available today. Pusser’s Admiralty blends are the product of five stills located in Guyana and Trinidad. Each marque is hand-selected, according... Read More →
SA

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

You Don't Know Schmidt
Fact: William Schmidt, known as "The Only William" was better known than Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson combined in his lifetime. He argued—via the international press with the Emperor of Germany—that if his punch recipe gave the Emperor a hangover it was made wrong. He was certainly outspoken on many sensitive topics. He authored a few great cocktail books. And he was legendary for his ability to create new drinks at the drop of a hat. Drinks historian and London gin distiller Jared Brown has studied Schmidt for years and even models his cocktail creation and mixing techniques on Schmidt. Come learn far more than you ever knew about the last of the great 19th century bartenders.
Moderators
avatar for Jared Brown

Jared Brown

Master Distiller, Sipsmith Limited
Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown made his first spirits at age ten after reading that early American colonists froze cider and lifted out the ice to concentrate the alcohol. As an adult (after a degree in hospitality from NYU, five years in operations at the Essex House Hotel... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Luxardo

Luxardo

LUXARDO® is Italy’s premier liqueur producer, creating essential ingredients for modern and classic cocktails. Founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo, the company is still family-owned and managed by the sixth generation of the Luxardo Family. Based in Torreglia, located in the Veneto... Read More →
avatar for Sipsmith Gin
avatar for Wilson Daniels

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:00pm CDT

Bacardi Drinks Theater presents "The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking"
You've heard of dinner theater?  Well, drinks theater is way better!  Only Bacardi could bring Off-Broadway to The French Quarter with this critically-acclaimed, smash-hit musical comedy, on special break from its sold-out run in New York City!  Join world-renowned mixologist and raconteur Anthony Caporale along with a glittering cast of guest stars for a boozy romp through the history of spirits and cocktails!  Founder Ann Tuennerman calls The Imbible "a super addition to Tales of the Cocktail!"

Combining history, science, and music along with three craft cocktails served during the performance, The Imbible sweeps audiences along a 10,000-year journey through history and across the globe accompanied by the vocal stylings of The Backwaiters acapella group.  Sit back and enjoy the music and drinks while Anthony holds forth on all things alcoholic, traces their economic and political impact on our cultural development, conducts live demonstrations of brewing mead and distilling spirits, and – like any good bartender – keeps his guests laughing throughout the night!  Combining Anthony’s encyclopedic knowledge of beverage history and decades of bartending experience with his legendary skills as a storyteller and entertainer, The Imbible treats audiences to a completely original and thoroughly enjoyable evening of immersive theatre utterly unlike anything they’ve ever experienced.  Renowned beverage writer Robert Haynes-Peterson declares that “while the show is wholly entertaining for the average civilian, it’s particularly poignant for bartenders, cocktailians, and distillery geeks.”
Speakers
avatar for Tony Abou-Ganim

Tony Abou-Ganim

Author, The Modern Mixologist
Abou-Ganim is widely regarded as one of the pioneering and leading bar professionals in the world. He has made dozens of national TV appearances on shows including TODAY, Iron Chef America, Good Morning America, CNBC, FOX News and more. Abou-Ganim is the author of The Modern Mixologist... Read More →
avatar for Anthony Caporale

Anthony Caporale

Principal Consultant, ICE Consulting Group
Anthony is a true pioneer in the beverage world, internationally known for being the first to bring mixology to both YouTube, with his seminal web video series Art of the Drink TV, and then to the New York stage with his groundbreaking Off-Broadway musical comedy, "The Imbible: A... Read More →
TF
avatar for Ann Tuennerman

Ann Tuennerman

Founder, Tales of the Cocktail
Ann Tuennerman is the Founder & Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s premier cocktail festival, which draws cocktail professionals from around the country to New Orleans each year. Ann and her husband Paul founded the New Orleans Culinary & Cultural Preservation... Read More →
avatar for Paul Tuennerman

Paul Tuennerman

Chief Business Office & Co-Owner, Tales of the Cocktail
Paul Tuennerman is Chief Business Officer and Co-Owner of Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s must-attend cocktail festival held annually in New Orleans. Since its inception, it has attracted more than 100,000 drinks experts and libations enthusiasts from as far away as China, Kenya... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Le Petite Theatre du Vieux Carre 616 St Peter St, New Orleans, LA 70116
  Special Event, Storytelling

3:00pm CDT

New Orleans Cocktail Tour
Before Tales of the Cocktail® became the international festival it is today, it started as a walking cocktail tour of one of America’s most spirited cities: New Orleans. Today the tour continues to delight visitors and locals alike with tall tales on how the city’s most legendary drinks came to be. Join New Orleans’ resident cocktail history expert, Joe Gendusa, on an exclusive Tales of the Cocktail® romp through the French Quarter.
Personalities
JG

Joe Gendusa

Gendusa is a New Orleans native and a respected teacher for 38 years. After his retirement, he joined forces with Tales of the Cocktail® founder, Ann Tuennerman, to start what is known today as New Orleans Original Cocktail Tour. Gendusa has also written a book entitled History With... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Cointreau

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event

3:30pm CDT

The Manhattan and the Perfect Bitters
The Manhattan, and the perfect bitters
Join Award-winning mixologist and author Dale DeGroff for a lively presentation on the origins of aromatic bitters. Participate in a tasting of five different aromatic of bitters- first on their own, then paired with a rye Manhattan. Experience the flavor profiles of a variety of styles of aromatic bitters and how they impact this Iconic Cocktail. Degroff talks through a couple classic 19th century bitters recipes during the tasting, and captivates with stories of how these botanicals were discovered and how they influenced history.
Moderators
avatar for Dale DeGroff

Dale DeGroff

Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff, aka King Cocktail,developed his extraordinary techniques and talent tending bar at great establishments, most notably New York's famous Rainbow Room, where in the '80's, he pioneered a gourmet approach to recreating the great classic cocktails... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Beam Suntory
avatar for Martini

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

3:30pm CDT

The Three Phases of Hospitality
There are three major phases to consider when creating an atmosphere and culture that is conducive to great service and hospitality. What do you do before the guest walks in the door to set your staff up for success? How do you create an amazing atmosphere of warmth and hospitality one the guest is inside? And, how do you inspire your staff, instill a belief system, and create a sense of community? Jon Santer, Joaquin Simo, and Sean Kenyon each specialize in a different phase of hospitality. The always entertaining moderator Andy Seymour will guide you through the method behind their madness.
Moderators
avatar for Andy Seymour

Andy Seymour

Andy Seymour counts over twenty years experience in the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, and has emerged as one of the leading educators and consultants on all matters of beverage.  His company, Liquid Productions, is devoted to developing education and beverage programs... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Sean Kenyon

Sean Kenyon

Bartender/Proprietor, Williams & Graham, Denver, CO
Sean Kenyon was literally born to be behind a bar. He is a third generation Barman, his Grandfather, Mother and Father have been pub owners and bartenders in New Jersey since the 1930's. Sean was raised in his family's pubs and while other kids wanted to be firemen or super heroes... Read More →
avatar for Jon Santer

Jon Santer

Owner/Operator, Prizefighter
Jon Santer has been in the spirits industry for the past 15 years. Between 2006 - 08 he was the only person to be a part of the opening teams at: Bourbon & Branch, Beretta, and Heavenʼs Dog. From 2007-2009 he served as President of the San Francisco Chapter of the United States Bartenderʼs... Read More →
avatar for Joaquin Simo

Joaquin Simo

Bartender/Owner, Pouring Ribbons NYC
Joaquín Simó, 37, has traveled a long way from his native Ecuador in his search for the perfect daiquiri. Raised amongst Cuban family in Miami, he grew up eating fruits and vegetables fresh from his grandfather's farm and helping his father at his French bakery. His epicurean... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for BarSmarts

Saturday July 18, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Seminar, Traditional

6:30pm CDT

The Spirited Awards® Ceremony
At Tales of the Cocktail® 2015, we’re taking you from Bourbon Street to the streets of Havana for the 9th Annual Spirited Awards®. This colorful and festive event will pay homage to the unique sights, sounds and flavors of Cuba as we honor the best of the spirits industry from bars and bartenders to writers and distillers. Come dressed in your best Cuban attire as we sip on daiquiris, take in some Cuban Jazz and celebrate the people that are changing the way the world drinks.
Sponsors
avatar for Bacardi USA
avatar for BarSmarts
avatar for Beefeater Gin
avatar for Chivas
avatar for Courvoisier
avatar for House of Angostura

House of Angostura

The House of Angostura®
Capitalizing on its heritage as the world's most well-known maker of aromatic bitters, the House of Angostura® has catapulted into the 21st century with an exquisite range of rums, the magnificent Amaro di Angostura® and of course, ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters and ANGOSTURA® orange... Read More →
avatar for Luxardo

Luxardo

LUXARDO® is Italy’s premier liqueur producer, creating essential ingredients for modern and classic cocktails. Founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo, the company is still family-owned and managed by the sixth generation of the Luxardo Family. Based in Torreglia, located in the Veneto... Read More →
avatar for Maison Ferrand
avatar for Mezcal El Silencio
avatar for Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

Since 1988, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley has indulged the culinary passions of chefs, mixologists and food enthusiasts with products that provide ultimate fresh fruit flavor without the peeling, dicing and simmering required for making purées from scratch.The company offers... Read More →
avatar for Pernod Ricard
avatar for The Cromwell Las Vegas
avatar for Ventana Al Jazz
avatar for William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons


Saturday July 18, 2015 6:30pm - 11:30pm CDT
Sheraton New Orleans 500 Canal Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
  Special Event
 
Sunday, July 19
 

3:00pm CDT

New Orleans Cocktail Tour
Before Tales of the Cocktail® became the international festival it is today, it started as a walking cocktail tour of one of America’s most spirited cities: New Orleans. Today the tour continues to delight visitors and locals alike with tall tales on how the city’s most legendary drinks came to be. Join New Orleans’ resident cocktail history expert, Joe Gendusa, on an exclusive Tales of the Cocktail® romp through the French Quarter.
Personalities
JG

Joe Gendusa

Gendusa is a New Orleans native and a respected teacher for 38 years. After his retirement, he joined forces with Tales of the Cocktail® founder, Ann Tuennerman, to start what is known today as New Orleans Original Cocktail Tour. Gendusa has also written a book entitled History With... Read More →

Sponsors
avatar for Cointreau

Sunday July 19, 2015 3:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
  Special Event
 
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Angela King Gallery
Arnaud's French 75
Balise
Bar Tonique
Bellocq
Bevolo
Bonnet Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone
Bourbon O
Brennan's
Broussard's
Cane & Table
Capote Suite at the Hotel Monteleone
Carousel Lounge at the Hotel Monteleone
Chicory
Commander's Palace
Compere Lapin
Contemporary Arts Center Warehouse
Criollo Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone
Criollo Restaurant at the Hotel Monteleone
Cure
Donner-Peltier Distillers
Erin Rose
Ernest Hemingway Suite at the Hotel Monteleone
Evangeline A & B at the Royal Sonesta Hotel
Evangeline Lobby of the Royal Sonesta
Felipe's Taqueria
Freret Street
Front Steps of the Hotel Monteleone
Generations Hall
Grand Ballroom North at the Royal Sonesta Hotel
Grand Ballroom South at the Royal Sonesta Hotel
Harrah's Theater
Hotel Mazarin Queen Anne Courtyard
Hotel Monteleone
House of Blues
Iberville Room at the Hotel Monteleone
Il Mercato
Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta Hotel
Jackson Square
Jul(e)p House
La Louisiane
La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone
La Nouvelle Orleans East at the Hotel Monteleone
La Nouvelle Orleans West at the Hotel Monteleone
Le Petite Theatre du Vieux Carre
Le Salon at the Windsor Court Hotel
Lobby of the Hotel Monteleone
Lobby Phone Bank at the Hotel Monteleone
Mid City Softball Fields at Mid City Yacht Club
Montegut House
MOPHO
Muriel's
Museum of the American Cocktail
Napoleon House
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
NOLA Brewery
Old Absinthe House
Old New Orleans Rum
Orleans Room at the Hotel Monteleone
Pool at the Hotel Monteleone
Pool at the Royal Sonesta
Private
Q & C Bar
Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone
Riverview Room at the Hotel Monteleone
Rock N' Bowl
Royal Ballrooms A & B at the Hotel Monteleone
Royal Ballrooms C & D at the Hotel Monteleone
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Salon by Sucre
Sheraton Four Points
Sheraton New Orleans
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
Sylvain
Tableau
TBA
TBD
The Cocktail Bar at The Windsor Court
The Sugar Mill
The Swizzle Stick Bar at Cafe Adelaide
The W French Quarter
Three Muses
Tiki Tolteca
Tujague's Restaurant
Twelve Mile Limit
Various Locations
Vieux Carre Room at the Hotel Monteleone
Washington Square Park
WWII Museum
  • By Invitation Only
  • Cocktail Apprentice Program Event
  • Complimentary Event
  • Dining & Drinking
  • Seminar
  • Special Event
  • Tasting Room
  • Accessibility
  • Complimentary
  • Credentialed Media and Presenters Only
  • First Come First Serve
  • Invitation Only
  • Invite Only
  • Media Invitation Only
  • Open to the Public
  • Open to the Public. Cocktails for Purchase
  • Reservation Required
  • Reservation with Restaurant Required
  • RSVP Required
  • Space Limited
  • Ticket Required
  • Wristband Required
  • Stream
  • Bar & Cocktail Related Technique
  • Cocktail History & Production
  • Grape- Spirit History & Production
  • Inspiring. Different or Fun!
  • Rum & Sugarcane Spirits- Spirit History & Production
  • Spirit History & Production
  • The Business of Bars & Cocktails
  • The Business of Brands
  • Whisk(e)y- Spirit History & Production
  • Wine History & Production
  • Your Bartendering Career