Postcards from Tales of the Cocktail 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana celebrates the many parties, seminars, tasting rooms, breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and a Spirited Dinner® that we experienced as part of the annual five-day spirits industry festival.

The Beefeater Gin Masquerade Ball

The Beefeater Gin Masquerade Ball opening reception for Tales of the Cocktail 2011, held at Gallier Hall.

Phantom of the Party 

Debra and Kimberly Paxton Bragg Unmasked

The Phantom and the Band

Ballerina in Globe (No Shaking Required)

The William Grant & Sons Swinging ‘40's
Shore Leave Party

The party continued later that evening with the William Grant & Sons Swinging ‘40's Shore Leave Party at The National World War II Museum.

Debra and Edward
The Wild, The Crazy, and Milagro Tequila 

Tatoo to You

Rosie the Riveter Bartenders 

PARTY!!

Debra and Ben Jones of Rhum Clement 

Phil Greene
"Having a great time in New Orleans,
Bringing a Guest Home for Dinner" 

Late Night Jazz

Benedictine and B&B Liqueur hosted a late night party at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta Hotel with hot Jazz.

Irving Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse

Hotel Monteleone

The French Quarter actually begins in the lobby of the historic 125-year old Hotel Monteleone, and is home to many of the Tales of the Cocktail events. Stay in the lobby long enough and you run into old friends and meet new ones.

Debra, Ann Tuennerman, and Jennifer English 

Debra and Joe Gendusa (Tour Guide Extraordinaire) 

Debra and David Wondrich

Debra, Joan, and Cheryl 

Junior Merino and Debra 

Anistasia Miller and Edward 

Debra and Gary Regan

Bartender Chad Solomon 

The Leblon Caipi-Mobile

Leblon Cachaça delivered a cool way to heat the heat with their refreshing sorbets laced with Leblon Cachaça from the distinctive green Caipi-Mobile parked on Rue Royale in front of the Hotel Monteleone.

Jamie Keller serving sorbet laced with Leblon Cachaça  

Joe Fee and Edward sampling sorbet 

The Tales of the Cocktail Seminars

6 Rums You'll Probably Never Taste Again given by Edward Hamilton held at the Royal Sonesta 

Edward, Phil Pritchard, and Edward Hamilton 

Irish Whiskey Legends given by Paul Pacult and panelists John Cashman, John Ross, and Liam Donegan held at the Hotel Monteleone.

Paul Pacult, Liam Donegan, Debra,
John Cashman, and John Ross 

Tasting Rooms at the Royal Sonesta Hotel

Deep Eddy Handmade Spirits

Deep Edward 

Don Q Tequila

John Menite 

Don Q Cocktails

Botron Rum Tiki Lounge

Debra and Robert Burns 

Breakfasts, Brunches, Luncheons, and a
Spirited Dinner®

Purity Vodka Brunch at The Bombay Club,
Restaurant and Martini Bistro
with Master Blender Thomas Kuttanen.

Edward and Thomas Kuttanen, Master Blender 

Bar Chef Cheryl Charming 

Debra Making a Cocktail  with Purity Vodka

Edward sampling his Purirty Vodka Cocktail 

Cognac Ferrand Luncheon at the Hotel Monteleone
with Master Distiller Alexandre Gabriel.

Ann Tuennerman and Joe Fee 

Debra and Joe Fee

Samogon Luncheon at the Hotel Monteleone
with Master Distiller Valerly Stepanovich.

Bartenders Willie Shine and Aisha Sharp 

Bartender Sean Kenyon

Edward and Doug Frost 

  Spirited Dinner®

Every year as part of the Tales of the Cocktail, several local restaurants host Spirited Dinners® where the restaurant's chef works with guest bar chefs to create a one-night cocktail pairing dinner menu.

Chef/Owner Michael Stoltzus of Coquette Bistro Wine Bar in the Garden District and Guest Bar Chef Debra C. Argen and Guest Bar Chef Edward F. Nesta of Luxury Experience Company worked together to create a six-course menu with seven cocktails.

Bar Chef Debra and Chef Michael Stoltzus 

Bar Chefs Edward and Debra 

Guests met many of the master distillers, brand ambassadors, and brand representatives of the used at the attended the dinner.

   
  Audrey Fort                        Harry Gorman
         G'Vine Gin                     Vermont Gold Vodka
Esprit de June Liqueur                                        

  
         Jamie Salas                       Alexandre Gabriel
Milagro Tequila                        Citadelle Gin

Coquette Team

Eleanor Jardine of Coquette Bistro 

Elizabeth, Ali, and Debra mixing drinks 

Guests

Guests at Spirited Dinner 

At the end of the night, guests were invited to "eat the scorpion" from the bottles of Scorpion Mezcal Resposado.

Richard Hoerner Downing a Scorpion (YUM!!) 

Trish's turn to eat a Scorpion 

Scorpion Mezcal ROCKS!! 

Tales of the Cocktail 2011 featured fun-filled days and nights with special receptions, parties, seminars, tasting rooms, breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and dinners, and of course, we experienced as much as we could. When did we find time to sleep? On the plane home!

See you in New Orleans for the 10th anniversary of Tales of the Cocktail from July 25 - 29, 2012!

For information on attending or participating in Tales of the Cocktail, please visit their website www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Tales of the Cocktail
538 Louisa Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70117
United States  
Telephone:        +1-504-948-0511
Email:                This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website:           www.TalesoftheCocktail.com

Read more about Tales and the Cocktail and New Orleans in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Liquor Cabinet, and Music Scene sections.

For information on New Orleans, please visit: www.NewOrleansCVB.com. 

© October 2011. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.