A First Timer’s Guide to Tales of The Cocktail

Posted on July 14, 2011
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Going to Tales of The Cocktail for the first time is a pretty daunting task.  Thumbing through the program there are so many seminars, tasting rooms, parties, dinners and events that’s it’s nearly impossible to decide what to do and where to go.

Since the 2011 Tales of The Cocktail will be Drink Spirits‘ first, we asked a number of seasoned professionals for their advice on how to tackle the fest as a first timer.  Here are some of the nuggets of advice we received:

• “Remember, Tales is a marathon not a sprint…enjoy the journey!” – Tony Abou-Ganim (The Modern Mixologist)
• “Number one rule: No matter how much you plan your schedule in advance, your plans will change.  What I’ve learned from Tales is to not overbook yourself and try to attend every event. It is so easy to get caught up in talking to people in the Monteleone lobby or find that you’ve spun around the Carousel Bar one too many times and before you know it you’ve missed an entire seminar you signed up for.” - Stephanie Jerzy (PR and Social Media Marketing professional)
• “Don’t forget to eat food and drink lots water (eating garnishes doesn’t count) a few great places for food right near the Hotel Monteleone : Johnny’s Po-Boys (511 Saint Louis Street) – amazing po-boys, super fast and super cheap;  Coops Place (1109 Decatur St) – great jambalaya and a fantastic staff; Mother’s Restaurant ( 401 Poydras St) – the fried chicken sandwich is not to be missed” - Jenny Adams (Freelance Writer and 8 Year Tales Vet)
• “Use Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook to see where the action is. Each year, Tales of the Cocktail assigns a #tag that you should set up as a real time search in your Twitter application. Following the @totc account is helpful too- they will be giving out hints, making important announcements and keeping you up to date on breaking Tales news. Before the event, it’s helpful to create your own list of friends and followers who will be attending. This way, you can see where your crew is headed without making phone calls and leaving texts which often go unanswered in loud parties. Feel free to @reply me too. I’m always happy to point you in the right direction.” – Lindsey Johnson (Lush Life Productions)
• “I remember my first time, and how caught up I got in all of the free samples, overabundance of liquor everywhere, and long hours of drinking – often in the sun.  My advice is to imbibe intelligently, be sure to drink plenty of water, and don’t forget to take in as much of the wonderful food to be found in the city. Southern cooking is where New Orleans really shines” – Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common and JeffreyMorgenthaler.com)
• “Pace Yourself, and remember what happens at Tales stays on Facebook forever” – Jackie Patterson (Lillet and Solerno Ambassador)

Looking over the program a few seminars also really stood out that we plan to attend and cover: H20 cocktails with Tony Abu-Ganim, Andrew Bohrer’s The Chainsaw Shift and Drinking on A Deadline (something we’re all to familiar with) and events we’re told not to miss: Cocktails From Around the World: Diageo Happy Hour,  Imbibe Magazine Happy Hour, and The Plymouth Gin Bartender’s Breakfast.

I’ll be tweeting more tips and advice as I get them onTales of the Cocktail @DrinkSpirits and posting coverage of the event here and on DrinkSpirits.com.