Tales of the Cocktail 2008

[johnder]

Tickets are now on sale of the 2008 Tales of the Cocktail. They just announced the full lineup of classes, and there seems to be even more this year than last year.

I am hoping they come up with a better way to view all the classes because the current website makes it hard to see what each class is about. Hopefully they can provide some way to print them all out for review and study on the train rides home.

Also it doesn't look like the the info about the spirited dinners is up yet.

Ticket info is on this page.

Edited April 3, 2008 by johnder (log)

[limewine]

Spirited Dinner tickets & info will be available May 1, I'm told.

Previews of Tales sessions, events and goings-on are being featured at Blogging Tales of the Cocktail: 2008, a new group blog produced by around 30 cocktail-lovin' bloggers, including eGullet's very own eje. In July, the blog will feature frequent live updates from New Orleans.

And since johnder is too modest to mention it, I'll note that he and eje will be joining me and Jamie Boudreau in presenting a session entitled "Making Your Own Cocktail Ingredients," on Saturday afternoon.

edited to correct one of those devilish details

Edited April 4, 2008 by limewine (log)

[J_Ozzy]

Forgive an ignorant foreigner, but is the Founder's Day pass for a single particular day?

[J_Ozzy]

hmm.. I wish I could edit my last post.

After a little help from Victoria, I signed for the whole shebang.

I'm sorry I missed last year; I won't make that mistake again

[J_Ozzy]

Any reccomendations from N.O. natives for the restaurants featuring spirited dinners? I'm sure they will all be exceptional, but are there any favourites?

[eje]

I had a hard time finding this on the Tales site, so I'll post a link.

There's a full list of the menus of the various spirited dinners, including drinks on this page:

2008 Spirited Dinner Menus

It also tells you the names of the chefs and bar chefs involved.

[JAZ]

Last year, I found the Spirited Dinner I attended to be the low point of the whole conference. Too many people for anything but banquet quality food (there seemed to be about 80 at the dinner I attended), no explanation of most of the drinks, and when the "bar chefs" did speak, it was virtually impossible to hear them. Maybe some of the other venues had smaller groups, but unfortunately, there's no way to tell from the website how many reservations each place will take. I'm sure that all the chefs and bar chefs will come up with great menus and drinks. The restaurants are some of New Orleans' best, and there are some great mixologists featured. But don't expect an intimate dinner with a bar chef. You'll be at a banquet.

[Alchemist]

What were the cocktail hours like? Is it an "open bar" free for all or is a little more civilized? I am working one and would like to be thinking of how best to pull it off.

I was just down in Atlanta and was working a Derby party for 750. Yeah, 1,200 Mint julips, Blinkers, and Manhattans over four hours.

I am hoping that more can be done a la minute than that event, but I am guessing a certin amount of batching will be needed.

I guess I'm asking are the people who attend these events looking for quality or is it a way to get hammered.

Thanks

Toby

[misterdyer]

It seems that I have heard at least three or four head-shakingly disappointing reviews of last year's spirited dinners for every one positive one. Based on the limited free time that I'll have down at Tales, and given the great and bountiful food/drink options available elsewhere, I might pass on the official dinners.

Having looked over the menus, I'm assuming that Domaine de Canton, Fee Brothers, Funkin Fruit Purees, and Absolut are sponsoring these events. Otherwise, there is...well...really, Domaine de Canton?

I understand that Tales drives along smoothly on roads paved by spirit company sponsorship, however some of the spirited dinner menus are dangerously close to corporate-shill territory. If I'm laying down good money for a Tales dinner event, I want to know that the drinks are the very best libations possible to match the food, not the very best libations possible from that brand ambassador's product line. Seriously, some of those menus strain credibility more than a philandering politician's excuses. Don't sell me a cocktail dinner event if it is merely a celebration of a liquor company's portfolio, and don't tell me that you were just taking a "wide stance" in the stall. A five course cocktail tasting menu featuring only one brand/label/distributor has a place...it's website, or a dinner that is openly sponsored by that company. Otherwise, it's just free advertising under the guise of a serious cocktail/food pairing. And that's horseshit if I'm paying 85 clams for it.

My rant is now finished. Thank you for listening.

[bostonapothecary]

i'm interested in attending tales... but i'm not really into partying... when i travel i want t soak up a city at every hour of the day... most seriously 4 in the morning onwards... do people know any good breadfast spots? and how early in the day can i get a drink at a cafe?

[TAPrice]

i'm interested in attending tales... but i'm not really into partying... when i travel i want t soak up a city at every hour of the day... most seriously 4 in the morning onwards... do people know any good breadfast spots? and how early in the day can i get a drink at a cafe?

←

How early can you get a drink? I don't understand this question. Do other places stop selling liquor during certain hours?

Getting a drink is never a problem in New Orleans.

For more generally food questions, it might be best to start a topic in the Louisiana forum. More locals and frequent New Orleans visitors will see it there.