Last week bartenders from across the country, some of the top mixologists in the world, and representatives from liquor brands of all stripes gathered for the annual drinks festival known as Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. With spirits companies hosting a couple hundred tastings, seminars, and parties around the French Quarter, the festival is an ideal place to find drink ideas and bar trends for events and parties.
This is especially true because the mixologists making drinks at these events need to choose cocktails that can be made quickly for large groups—there's no time for the labored process that can characterize some places that claim to specialize in hand-crafted cocktails. That means lots of punches, as well as drinks served in bottles and fountains.
Here's a look at some of the trends that were on display and under discussion during Tales of the Cocktail July 17 to 21.
Disclosure: The writer of this article attended Tales of the Cocktail as a paid speaker for a William Grant & Sons meeting.