Yeehaw! Have I got stories for you.
Day one of Tales of the Cocktail is the Professional Series; the seminars are all geared towards proprietors of cocktalian establishments. As I am not one of these people, most of the seminars run a bit on the dry side. I went to the early seminar on starting a bar, where I did learn a fair amount on the trials of bar ownership, but after that I decided to stick to the tasting rooms and other events of the day. It was truly a day full of spectacle (which is my buzz word for the week, as in ‘the word I use a lot when I’m buzzed’).
To appreciate the atmosphere, I have to start at the beginning. I woke up at the unfortunate hour of 6a.m., with the intent of moving slow, showering leisurely, and breaking the nightly fast at a pace becoming of a proper gentleman who is staying at the French Quarter’s only 4-diamond hotel. I thankfully managed to achieve this schedule, and arrived down in the lobby about a half hour before Dan and Carine (whom I was meeting for the first time.) We ate breakfast at Le Cafe, the Monteleone’s enjoyable if slightly overpriced eatery. After breakfast we were off to register!
Registration was in a better place this year, actually warranting its own room, and the process was rather smooth. Somehow my name was missing from the media list, but the wonderful staff quickly fixed the problem and we were off to our next stop, the swag room. Now, it’s no secret that convention type events are full of swag, or that the swag gathered at Tales can be truly monumental, but this year they have outdone themselves. Rather than fill a bag with samples and gadgets from the various sponsors and distribute the bags to VIP’s (and oddly enough, us) they instead filled a room with swag and gave us empty bags to fill as our hearts desired. I have pictures, but for the interest of safety, I won’t post them until after Tales closes for the year.
There are a lot of things to love about Tales, and it goes beyond the swag. The Monteleone, built and adapted as it is, has many floors that are half stories up or down, which gives it an almost catacombed feel. Looking down a hallway, one find amazing hidden gems. Dan and I found one such gem in a hidden passage containing the good folks at Cointreau. After bluffing our way inside as members of the ‘press’, we watched a demonstration in which a molecular mixologist created little gel capsules of Cointreau. This process was absolutely fascinating, if painstakingly time-consuming, and the end result was truly amazing.
Hard to see, but cool up close.
This demonstration was put on by one Fernando Castellon, a man whom I expect none of you to know, but whom all of you should admire. Go ahead, admire from where ever you are currently. At this event, which was really more like a private party we crashed, we ran into a guy who, I’m not kidding, introduced himself as Ugly. He told me his real name, but insisted I call him Ugly. How could I resist? At one point he walked away from the demonstration, only to miss the best part, so when I saw him next, I called out “Hey Ugly!” Too fun…
The thing I really love about Tales of the Cocktail is that your glass is never, ever empty. I kid you not, I sat with my arm outstretched clutching a glass I’d just finished and turned my attention away a minute and no foolin’ someone appeared with a bottle to fill my glass.
I spent the early afternoon watching the live version of the Chef and the Fatman show. I can’t say much here except that these guys are really great people and quite fun to watch, and when you’re there live you get to taste what they cook up. They even shanghaied Dan, Carine, and me into doing some photography/videography for them, which was an absolute blast. During one of Dan’s many trips away from the booth to get a good shot, I was joined by Ted Breaux, head distiller for Lucid Absinthe. In one of the great moments of the day, he actually remembered who I was from the previous year. The best thing I can say is that good people deserve a fair shake, so if you’re in the market for absinthe, give Lucid a try.
Moving right along…I only need two words to get your attention my next tasting experience: jalapeño shots!
The Raven taking a hearty sup from a pepper.
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As it’s 1 in the morning, I can’t go into all the detail on these drinks, but I promise to follow up within the next month and show you how you too can contain your alcohol with vegetables.
Friends, I have to turn in. I may post again in the morning, or may just edit this post throughout the day tomorrow.
Caw!
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