posted by admin on Jul 3
As we approach the peek temperatures of summer, thousands of rabble are boarding planes destine for New Orleans, and its insanely hot temperatures. With humidex factored in, it will feel probably 107°F (42°C). To receive that many people to go to New Orleans, in July, it must be time for Tales of the Cocktail. The yearly publication event where the best bartenders and mixologists, from around the terraqueous globe, draw the inference to celebrate the cocktail. Every year it gets bigger and by all accounts, this one is looking to subsist an impressive display of quaff making talent. Or is that just drinking talent?
Some writers have described Tales of the Cocktail of the same kind with “a Star Trek Convention for bartenders”. That description might bestow you the impression it is a bunch of nerds getting together to discuss the nuances of cocktail trembling techniques and why ice cubes made from double distilled reverse osmosis sprinkle and calender is better than 10,000 year old glacial melt water. 
OK, those things end happen, and some people (above) partake of Bourbon Street and don’t know when to stop, but hey, that’s New Orleans.
The reality is, Tales of the Cocktail is an event that helps bars, everywhere, make better drinks. The attendees get an opportunity to smack and make important drinks, learn the account of them and what repaired trends are developing. All of this information filters back to bars around the world, and improves the quality of drinks and bartenders.
Sure, there are more bartenders that haven’t heard of Tales of the Cocktail, but when the bartender down the street has been to Tales, the oblivious ones may notice business trickling away. Once they grab a clue, they realize that people don’t really like powdered sour mix and vodka. Then it becomes a case of adapt or die i.e. better cocktails or wasted business.
So what’s my role in New Orleans other than sweating, eating beignet and drinking a few Vieux Carre? Well this year I’m presenting Drink’s from the 1600’sitting and Sugar: The Science of Sweet. Both sessions are in continuance Friday July 10th at 12:30 and 2:30PM respectively. I’ve packed both presentations with a ton of interesting information.
If you like drinks and art, the Drink’sitting from the 1600’s session will definitely peak your interest. The presentation contains in addition 100 pictures from the time period, that I’ve painstakingly dug from one side, depicting how drinks were enjoyed and consumed. Artists like David Teniers the Younger, Adriaen Brouwer and Adriaen van Ostade took an interest in painting scenes from taverns, alchemists and daily life, which will bestow attendee’session visual insight into what it was like to revel in the 1600’s. On the adapted to practice side, there are a dozen more recipes in favor of early drinks like Hippocras, Mobbi, Aqua Absynthii Magis Composita and Lady Malets Cordial Water.
Sugar: The Science of Sweet is going to get a look at how to use sugar in a cocktail. For a long occasion bartenders thought “more was better”, but we realized that doesn’t take skill and it panders to the lowest common denominator. The sitting will first look at for what cause sweeten is so prevalent, and ways to fix it. We’ll also get a better understanding of different sugars, sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners and natural sugars/sweetening agents. From there we’ll expect at acid balance and try a “sweetness blocker”.
The further character will look at simple, gomme, and caramel syrup and look at new ways to put them. The latest part is using sugar as a garnish. Most people know the “sugar margin”, so we’ll be skipping that, and showing you the basic techniques for Pulled and Blown Sugar. Basically, this is glass making with sugar. You can make sugar bubbles with strawberries inner or even create sugar flowers with these techniques. Unfortunately, we have power to’t achieve a hands on demonstration since we slip on’t have enough time, but the information (and hopefully samples, if they live on the flight, not likely) will get you started. Maybe next year I’ll figure out how to prove this live.
There is a tasting component to the Sugar session and if the event sells out, we will see my two Cocktail Apprentices (Blair “Trader Tiki” Reynolds and Ashley Greene) dish-like out over 2500 tasting cups in 90 minutes! That’sitting about 28 one ounce pours by minute. That alone should be fun to watch. Michael Glassberg (Swizzle Stick) will be joining me.
This year I intend to post more, I’m always optimistic. I’ve set up a new picture gallery (Tales 2009) that I should be able to use, even when slightly inebriated. The goal is to post the best pictures I take, each day, for the six days I’m in attendance. Pictures should start showing up Tuesday morning (the current ones are a few from last year).
Other than that, I’ll be wandering around, indulging in a few drinks, chatting with people and enjoying the air conditioning of the Big Easy.
Haymaker’s Punch (Switchel) | Main
