Hold up at the Roosevelt during Tales

A generous gentleman gave Drue and me a two-nights stay at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans and we decided to fold it into our Tales of the Cocktail experience. The grand lobby with its decadent chandeliers, gorgeous dark wood finishes and mosaic tile lined floors, always screams luxury and wealth. I've attended many parties and events at the Roosevelt, but this was the first time, we would actually check in and spend a couple nights. 

The room was on the 12th floor on the corner of the newer tower overlooking Canal Street and facing the French Quarter. The king deluxe room was just the right size to set up our Tales headquarters, stash our swag, take a disco nap and enjoy another shower of the day. Salvatore Ferragamo products in the bathroom was an added treat. 

Mornings spent by the pool enjoying the quiet surroundings and the view of the onion domes on the church across the way were just the peaceful retreat necessary before returning to the madness of thousands of folks swarming the Monteleone for Tales. 

The gift shop at the Roosevelt is one I will add to my favorites in New Orleans. All the adorable New Orleans stuff, clothing, products and more made this a great gift shop for any occasion and the prices were so reasonable for a hotel gift shop. 

I'd be remiss to not mention our delightful and much needed stop in at Domenica for Happy Hour. I was fading and my mood was anything other than pleasant, but a couple of slices of one of Domenica's pizzas and I was good as new and ready to hit the Wednesday evening Tales parties.  

Thursday morning tasting rooms at Tales!

The spirits featured in the Thursday morning tasting rooms at Tales of the Cocktail couldn't have been further from each other in taste and promotion. 

Before I hit the rooms though, I stopped by the Absolut Bloody Mary Bar in the Mezzanine at the Hotel Monteleone. I was being adventurous, which is what Tales is all about, as I normally would not even consider a tomato juice based cocktail. It's the spices lining the inside of the glass that makes me a little grossed out, but this particularly morning they were serving the national Absolut Bloody Mary winner and it was clean, and surprisingly, my belly welcomed it. 

In a small room next to the Bloody Bar was the first of the tasting rooms of the day, Midori, a melon liqueur. We hear it's making a come back. Wonder if it has anything to do with Kim Kardashian being their spokesperson. Probably not, but I must admit, she looks hot in the ads, but unfortunately, didn't make a Tales appearance. It no doubt would have been a hot mess. 

Next up was the Barcardi rum tasting room lined with signature cocktail stations and vintage memorabilia as the brand celebrates its 150 years in existence. Pretty impressive. The highlight of the room was a Japanese bartender named Shingo who mixed his Bacardi based cocktail with green tea powder using his foreign tools and implements. His shaking style was like nothing I've seen and was part shimmy, party snake, like the old dance move. 

The Kahlua tasting room included a cupping education session and a taste of the Kahlua black product. Swag in this room was a small reusable Kahlua bag with a mini coffee peculator and tops the list of my favorite take away items of all of Tales. 

Irish Whiskey Breakfast Shot, yes indeed!

I was constantly reminding myself during Tales of the Cocktail that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Days on end of sampling spirits is definitely for the tolerant and apparently my tolerance was at an all time high. Thursday began with the media breakfast sponsored by Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey. 

Breakfast shot? Sure, why not! The Kilbeggan breakfast shot consists of a butterscotch and Kilbeggan shot, chased with a shot of orange juice and then a nibble of Canadian bacon. It was certainly a different flavor combination, but tasty! 

For more than 250 years, this premium Irish whiskey has been produced in the town of Kilbeggan, on the main road between Dublin and Galway. It is the oldest continually licensed distillery in the world. 

A kiss of the Blarney Stone and a full bottle of Kilbeggan as a parting gift made this a perfect Tales breakfast!  

William Grant and Sons celebrate 125 years

The later evening party at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Wednesday during Tales of the Cocktail and celebrating the 125th Anniversary of William Grant & Sons, featured spirits like Hendrick's and Solerno and many others that memory doesn't serve. The party spanned throughout the first floor of the museum, the front steps, side yards, the Sculpture Garden and the lawn to the left of the entrance. It was massive. 

Surrounding the Lin Emery fountain out front was giant birthday candles nearly one story high. Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group provided nibbles like my favority Buffalo Oysters and the drinks were served in large glasses. 

A huge birthday card from Hudson Whiskey to Tales was available for guests to sign and was huge. 

Drue and I had a great time visiting with Trixie Minx and Gogo McGregor, burly girls who were set to perform later that evening with the Sailor Jerry rum brand. The muggy heat and wet grounds sent us back to the Roosevelt Hotel sooner than more favorable conditions would have. 

Absolutely Fabulous Kick off to Tales

When Absolut vodka throws a party, they throw a party. Every year, the opening party of Tales of the Cocktail is one that stays with you and sets the tone for the rest of the week. 


Walking into the Contemporary Arts Center was like any other time, we've been to a party there, and we've been to many. However, in this instance we were ushered by hot young things in Absolut jumpsuits to the Warehouse which had been completely transformed. 


White washed plank flooring was laid throughout. Little cottages contained bars, each with a specialty cocktail or two, videos and oversized and regular sized Absolut bottles. White branched trees and white soap flakes were sprayed throughout the warehouse which also included interactive displays, a photography session where guests used over sized martini glasses and head wear, shades and boas. 


There were two points of cool worth highlighting. First, the nitrogen bar. Quick infused mint shots in a space aged setting was super cool. Secondly, there was a krewe of three fly boys from Los Angeles that flew in to screen print Absolut tees onsite. Two sets of designs included a 10th Anniversary Tales logo, an outline of an Absolut bottle or martini glass, a dotted map line from Sweden to NOLA and a set of beads were a those I can recall. 



Mrs. Cocktail Ann Tuennerman addressed the crowd thanking them and the party hosts Absolut for making the kick off event one to remember. -WW

Hendricks Gin Most Ridiculous Collins bar

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Tales of the Cocktail

Bacardi Tasting Room

Shingo Gokan



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Hotel Monteleone, tales of the cocktail

Tales of the Cocktail - WednesDAY Roundup

Seminars on the first day of Tales of the Cocktail are targeted to industry professionals. While the whole five days are educational packaged in pleasure, the first day is really about the meat of the bartending business. 


The Ups and Downs of Running Multiple Venues, Part 1:From Cocktail Napkin to Cocktail Bar: How to open your own bar and Bringing Service Back all competed for my time in the 10-11:30 a.m. slot. Sadly for me, Part 1 of Opening your own bar, sponsored by Nola.com and brought by BarSmarts was SOLD OUT, which a lengthy standby line and I opted for Bringing Service Back, which was a perfect choice given recent work conversations. 

Bridget Albert, Master Mixologist

Led by Master Mixologist Bridget Albert with Tony Abou-Ganim, Tobin Ellis, Allen Katz and Leo Robitschek, Bringing Service Back! was presented by Heaven Hill Distilleries and upon entering the seminar a cocktail was placed in my hand. The Lonesome Hero was delicious but was so wrought with details of spirits and countries where they hailed, that I can only tell you that it had rye whiskey, cinnamon, cherry and orange bitters. It was an awesome cocktail for breakfast it turned out. 

Tony Abou-Ganim

The details of the seminar and its findings will appear in the Louisiana Restaurant Association magazine October Issue, but the most interesting thing uttered was by panelist Tobin Ellis who said the economy crashing was the best thing that ever happened to the workforce. People are hungry again and are realizing what it's actually like to do real work. No one really wants to talk about that, but he had a solid point. 

Following the seminar, I meandered to the Oxley Gin tasting room and upon arrival, I was handed a clear plastic logoed shaker and instructed to visit each station for a signature cocktail, as well as an ingredient for a "make my own cocktail" experience. The room was dimmed with green accent lighting and decked out with greenery and gorgeous floral arrangements on the bars. Let me not forget that the bartenders in this tasting room were smoking hot! Which greatly made up for the fact that the make your own cocktail, was less than impressive taste wise. It consisted of a generous pour of Oxley, lime juice, tapioca and at its final stop was poured on a cold slab and returned to a tasting cup. It's consistency wasn't bad, but the jolt of tang made my mouth pucker and gave me a full body chill. 

Prior to lunch, I also visited the Come and Get it! Cocktails Texas Style! tasting room, which featured Republic National Distributing Company brands and Dallas-Ft. Worth's most accomplished bar talent. Texas hospitality and flavors as big as the Lonestar State is the description  and that summed it up. Craft spirits, farm-fresh ingredients and homegrown talent made this a high point of the morning. 

Lunch was really where it was at, however, most Tales attendees are not privy to the happenings of the Reincarnation Lounge for members of the media. Eleven tequila brands and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) hosted a lunch to boast the extreme growth of the agave based spirit in the U.S. market, emerging super premium brands and how tequila fits any budget and any occasion. 

Kimberly Patton Bragg and a one of the cocktail apprentices mixed up two delightful tequila cocktails--one heavy on the ginger, my favorite! Following a Mexican-themed lunch and the presentation, guests were invited to sample the various brands and within theme the lines of product. Goodie bags included a full bottle of one of the 11 brands and I lucked out with a bottle of Patron Platinum. 

Paul Tuennerman, Robin Barnes, Ann Tuennerman with
Delta Dawg and the Second Line Lady at the Toast to Tales!

Last stop on my day part of Tales Day one journey concluded with the Toast to Tales on the front steps of the Monteleone Hotel, the event's headquarters. Robin Barnes was belting out good ole New Orleans tunes as Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail hit the stage, thanked the sponsors, ambassadors, attendees, professionals and the like for their support as the event reaches its 10th Anniversary status. Sazerac Seal of Approval awards were given to six bars - five in New Orleans and for the first time, outside of the Big Easy. Guests were invited to imbibe on this year's official cocktail, the Rum Row Old Fashioneds and enjoy a cake pop from Pure Bakery. I was honored to hold the first dog of Tales while the festivities were underway. Delta Dawg donned her outfit for the occasion and she was a hit. 

Then the skies opened up, I grabbed my umbrella and headed to the car. Need a disco nap before the parties of the evening. 

Meet your 2012 Tales Ambassadors!

Since Kirk Estopinal and Neal Bodenheimer opened Cure and became the Pioneers of Freret Street, the once desolate stretch between Central City and Tulane (my alma mater), is now home to quite a few restaurants and businesses. 

Kirk Estopinal and Neal Bodenheimer
are the 2012 Ambassadors of Cocktails.
Tales of the Cocktail starts July 25!

In an renovated fire house, they have essentially brought the craft cocktail center stage in the New Orleans arena. With nearly 1,000 bottles of highend booze lining the shelves behind the bar and upon entering, it's a who's who of brands you know, many you don't and some that have long been out of production, like Ojen. 

Sitting at the bar at Cure is like going to the coolest school around. These are the professionals. And luckily, they are hold up in New Orleans for the duration, keeping the natives sated and the visitors impressed. 

Tales of the Cocktail is their busiest week of the year, and has become literally the Super Bowl of the international cocktail community. In recent months, Neal and Kirk opened Bellocq in the Hotel Modern in Lee Circle. Between the two locations, their desire to attend seminars, parties and spirited dinners with their industry peers, they will be operating on little or no sleep. 

In the real world, I'm the VP of Communications for the Louisiana Restaurant Association. For the Summer issue of the LRA magazine, I interviewed Neal and Kirk for the Beverage Beat article, Ambassadors of Cocktails, yes, there's such a thing. And anyone who knows me can guess what the next line is...As an ambassador of Tales of the Cocktail myself, they certainly make me proud given what the two have accomplished. They have raised the profession of bartending considerably. It's not just slinging drinks to these gentlemen, they are true craftsmen.  

The MisEducation of Mr. BonVivant

So apparently we are issuing dueling blog posts today, which I think is cute in a way.  My lovely wife has been educating me in the ancient ways of the shaolin blogger, link here "POW!", keyword there "BANG!".  So apparently content, no matter how topical or heartfelt,  is only as important as the traffic that it pushes through the site, consider me educated.

Realistically, I started the blog to shine a light on those things that I felt are important, but underserved, to the New Orleans community and those who love it from afar, and I suppose, as a means of catharsis for myself. In that respect, Blog Accomplished!

So where does this leave us? I know one thing, we'll have a lot of coverage from the Tales of the Cocktail 2012, and hopefully a new found resolution to bring to light some items that I think that the general populace in and out of the city may find noteworthy. So please if you like this blog (and can find it) let us know, we'd love to hear from you.

Rise and shine, it's Tales of the Cocktail time!

It's in the 6 a.m. hour on the first day of Tales of the Cocktail 2012 and I'm wide awake...and have been since 4:15 a.m. Never mind that I was out until midnight at the Grey Goose soiree at the Martine Chaisson Gallery on Camp. Apparently where Tales is concerned I don't need much sleep. 

Reminds me of a friends' line on a Mardi Gras morning of past when she was costumed and eager to hit the streets at this hour, saying, "I'm late for work everyday, but for Mardi Gras, I'm early." Same theory applies, although I'm hardly ever late for work. 

Last night, as I entered a familiar space I was greeted by young women with scantly black dresses and the men in black, obviously with the Grey Goose brand. A step and repeat faced the door with the symbolic geese in a checkerboard pattern to complete a celebrity-like experience. Champagne and vodka cocktails were being served from the gallery's front desk. 

Upstairs on the third floor, the large room with its high ceilings, ridiculous crown molding and gorgeous window treatments were not the focal point, but rather a large claw foot tub filled with a Grey Goose, peach syrup and Pernod, an anise flavored spirit, being served in punch cups. I heard it referred to a the new luge, but with its large ice blocks floating, it was hardly enough to keep the tub's contents cool, thus a little disappointing on delivery. My favorite of the night was served by a too hot bartender who took special care in lining the Grey Goose metal cocktail picks with Luxardo cherries and adding an anise star for garnish. Memory fails me on the recipe. 

The kitchen was a flutter with several bartenders serving to order, hand-crafted cocktails featuring the spirit of the event, along with fresh fruits and complimentary elixirs like St-Germain Elderflower and Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueurs. Just off the kitchen was a smaller room with a line of small bistro tables covered in black cloths, each with a punch bowl containing one of five recipes from the Grey Goose Punch, Summer is Served series. Each of these recipes featured a flavored Grey Goose like Cherry Noir, La Poire (my favorite), L'Orange and Le Citron. 

Grey Goose La Poire Lakeshore Punch

5 Parts La Poire 

4 parts pear nectar

3 parts elderflower liqueur

2 parts fresh-squeezed lime juice

2 parts mint water

1 whole large cucumber

Thinly slice cucumber, and place in a punch vessel. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Chill for two hours. Serve over ice, and present with cucumber slices. 

To make mint water, steep 1/2 bunch mint in 2 parts hot water for 10 minutes, then strain and cool. 

The party is just one of several hundred events that will transpire in New Orleans during the next five days. -WW

Seeking vs. Finding

As I weekly meet new residents to the city of New Orleans, I am constantly at odds about what to tell them about the city and its activities. There are a lot of people who move here with a preconceived notion of what New Orleans is and because of this they may miss out on a host of things that are worthwhile and rewarding. 


Tales of the Cocktail is a perfect example. For eight years Wendy and I have been attending and throughout that time we have met many people, some from New Orleans, and many who are not. Some people have continued to attend some have not and the difference, I think, is a preconception about what the event is. 


Tales of the Cocktail is not a drunken frat party. It is an opportunity for people who enjoy good spirits, being educated, and sampling well-made cocktails to convene and leave with a better understanding of where cocktails have come from and perhaps some measure of inspiration to guide where they are destined to go.


If you want to attend an event ask someone who has gone before, especially someone similar in age to yourself, or someone that enjoys the same things as you. If a person enjoys live music, they may not enjoy an event like Tales of the Cocktail which are more seminar based and which actively promote conversation. By all means, however, attend these events and try them on, they may exceed your expectations and may possibly engender an interest that applies.

So what is the lesson to be learned from this? Leave your predetermined ideas at the door. If you attend an event or come to town to visit you will get as much out as you put into it. 

This Week...Tales of the Cocktail Returns

As Tales of the Cocktail approaches my inbox overflowth with invites to parties, press releases announcing competition winners and what's in store for me as I hit the French Quarter on Tuesday for pre-Tales events.

Artist Robert Rodriquez creates a
commemorative 10th Anniversary 
print reminiscent of the 
Belle Epoque period. 

It's truly my favorite time of year. Tales of the Cocktail is finally here.


I cannot begin to tell you how many different events, seminars and tasting rooms I plan to hit. I honestly have no idea. Thank goodness there's an app. What did I do in past years? Maybe I just winged it. 


Regardless, I always manage to find an undiscovered spirit, learn a new technique for tending my own home bar and reconnect with my Tales friends and colleagues.


Cheers to 10 years of success Tales of the Cocktail! -WW

Back to Work

NoCultcha triumphantly returns to work post new job and bathroom renovation. Looking forward to keeping you all up with the goingson in the northern most Caribbean City.