photo credit: Tales of the Coctkail and www.JenniferMitchellPhotography.com

For the fourth consecutive year, the A History of Drinking team headed down to New Orleans for the annual Tales of the Cocktail celebration. Here’s our all-round favorites from the festivities:

Getting Our “Learn” On:

Regardless of the parties and special events, the seminars at Tales of the Cocktail are usually the biggest draw for our team. Here’s some of the info-nuggets we gleaned this year:

Westward Goes the Jug of Empire: Wayne Curtis, Derek Brown, and JP Fetherston taught us that Sherry, Rum, and Whiskey were the keys to colonization and Westward expansion on the North American continent.

Scotch with everything. Dave Broom and Ryan Chetiyawardana from White Lyan proved to us that Scotch and other whisk(e)y doesn’t have to be enjoyed straight (which dates to the advertising of the 1950′s/60′s). Pull your favorite single malt off the shelf and try it with the likes of cola, green tea, and even coconut water!

Wisecracks win you booze! An off-hand remark by Nicole (aka Mrs. A History of Drinking) in the Worm-Tub Tales seminar nabs us a bottle of rare 18-year old Scotch

Be sure to speak up during seminars. Even sarcastic answers can win prizes!

Tasting Rooms:

Photo credit: Tales of the Cocktail

Delmarva finally gets some love: Drinking in the DMV showcased several brands from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, including our personal favorite, Catoctin Creek out of Purcellville, VA as well as our Wednesday night party, Lyon Distilling out of St. Michaels, Maryland.

Tales of the Cocktail – Globe Tailing with Purity Vodka

Purity Vodka (another one of our favs) took us around the world with the Martini in a spirited journey to Sweden, Spain and the United States featuring nationally inspired cocktails and food.

Parties:

Absolut Welcome Reception

Absolut came out firing with all guns early Wednesday evening at Mardi Gras World with a schizophrenic romp through several “themed” zones that included an outdoor carnival, a tribute to Andy Warhol, and a southern plantation garden party. All of this led up to a Studio-54 80′s dance party on the upper floor, complete with Lemon Drop shots dispensed from faux prescription bottles.

Crying on the inside?

William Grant & Sons

This year, William Grant & Sons reclaimed our top-party nod, after losing out to Absolut’s raucous fun-house-themed event at Arnaud’s last year. Their salute to globe-hopping cocktail traveller Charles H. Baker at the Lakefront airport had guests circling the world with TARDIS-like speed from tropical islands to exotic dessert oases outside and all the way through the 1940′s – 1960′s inside the terminal.

Nicole & I made it into the official photos again this year. Too bad my hair decided to go all sticky-uppy.

My coconut is empty – Nicole enjoys a Sailor Jerry cocktail

Fezzes are cool! The Reyka Vodka tent outside the Lakefront Airport

The soda fountain craze still rages at this Root retro- refreshment stand inside the terminal.

Please return your seat back to its upright position: These ladies are serving up some champagne based cocktails

Diageo House Party

Diageo hosted more than 1,500 Tales of the Cocktail attendees at their Friday night House Party event that turned the warehouse of the Contemporary arts center into a de-constructed house straight out of sitcom suburbia. As guests moved through the venue, they could pick up a variety of “room” themed drinks and eats, while rocking out to local cover band The Chee Weez and their hard-rock versions of 1980′s classics. It was a great time, but one of a number of events where you couldn’t hear yourself think and had to shout yourself hoarse to be heard.

Spirited Dinners:

The spirited dinners are easily my favorite event during Tales of the Cocktail and this year was no exception. Thursday night, we were guests at the CAMUS cognac dinner at Broussard’s and both food and drink were in top form.

Noisette of Louisiana Beef served with three CAMUS cognacs

Saturday morning, The King’s Ginger hosted a “Prohibition-style” brunch at the Windsor Court hotel, featuring cocktails disguised as various types of tea, this method was apparently used by 1930′s imbibers in order to hide their drinking habits from the prying eyes of law enforcement.

Special Events:

Las Vegas Invades Tales of the Cocktail

Thirty of Sin City’s finest bartenders dropped in and took over the Masquerade lounge at Harrah’s Casino. Check out our full write-up here!

The Trends:

Innovative Cocktail Delivery Systems:

Prescription bottle shots: As we mentioned earlier, the twisted minds behind the Absolut Welcome reception came up with a novel and era-appropriate method for deploying Lemon Drops. Maybe I should be keeping those BP-med containers?

Take one of these and call me in the morning: Lemon Drop Shots served pharmaceutical style!

Tea was in this year and Absolut Vodka, Crown Royal and The King’s Ginger all added some really creative tea-related elements into their offerings.