NEW ORLEANS (NOLA WEEKEND) - Many consider New Orleans the birthplace of cocktails which makes it the perfect city for Tales of the Cocktail, which returns to New Orleans from July 23 to July 28.
The annual trade conference and festival brings together spirits industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts to New Orleans. Movers and shakers of the cocktail industry gather for a curated lineup of seminars, events and parties reflective of the theme “vitalize,” the festival’s official 2023 theme.
As Tales of the Cocktail toasts its 21st event, this year offers more ways for cocktail lovers to join the fun -- with more than 300 events on the calendar.
“We are thrilled to welcome attendees back to Tales of the Cocktail with a diverse lineup of signature programming that meets the ever-changing needs and interests of our community,” Eileen Wayner, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO, said in a release. “It’s our honor to be the industry’s annual meeting place, and we look forward to once again hosting an incredible group of talent and participants in our home city of New Orleans.”
The Tales of the Cocktail calendar comes packed with hundreds of opportunities developed for industry professionals from bartenders to distillers and cocktail enthusiasts. This year’s event will feature educational seminars, tastings, networking, and awards programming. Organizers are hosting most of the programming at the official host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
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In addition to programming tailored to industry professionals, many events are open to the public this year. Local bars and restaurants host drinking and dining events citywide, including happy hours, special dinners and parties featuring several cocktail brands. Organizers provide a listing at the website, talesofthecocktail.org/events, under the Spirited Dinners and Spirited Drinking filters.
The Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans is one location offering a special week of cocktail programming open to the public to sip and socialize. The lineup includes nightly live music, guest bartenders and special menus featuring premium brands. Those events include a champagne bar event from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 24, a happy hour from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 25 and a late happy hour from 8:30 p.m. to midnight on July 26.
Also, Pig & Punch, one of the festival’s big events for a good cause that closes out Tales of the Cocktail, also returns this year to Frenchmen Street, between Royal and Chartres Streets, from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 28.
The Bon Vivants launched Pig & Punch at Tales more than a decade ago, and this day-long, one-of-a-kind party for charity to close out Tales of the Cocktail offers attendees all of the food, drink, live music and revelry they can enjoy. Tickets for the event are $40 and include food from Hogs for the Cause, spirited punches, live music and other goodies. Guests are encouraged to secure tickets in advance here or purchase at the door. Proceeds from the event benefit several charitable causes, including KIPP New Orleans Schools, the Bon Vivants Scholarship, the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and Hogs for the Cause.
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