“We are absolutely trending towards an era of less reverential and more irreverent cocktail drinking," says Jamie Gordon, manager of mixology for Pernod Ricard USA. "There is still a great appreciation towards the craft as a whole, but bartenders are finally working out that a tongue-in-cheek delivery of a good drink still delivers a good drink.” At the Absolut party during Tales of the Cocktail, servers used syringes to serve shots to guests in a room with the feel of a mad scientist's lab (pictured).
"The most interesting cocktail trend I noticed at Tales this year were cocktail fountains," says Claire Smith, Belvedere Vodka's head of spirit creation and mixology. "I think these will gain popularity at corporate events because they are both fantastic for serving signature cocktails to larger groups and also serve as a gorgeous decorative element for an event." Another vodka brand, Absolut, used cocktail fountains at its party during Tales of the Cocktail (pictured).
The Mint Agency produced a fete for Toronto International Film Festival flick The Grand Seduction at Brassaii on September 8. The film centers on a doctor character, and the catering from executive chef Chris Kalisperas played up the theme. Menu items included lemon vodka shots served in syringes.
The E4 (Escape, Experience, Encounter, and Engage) 2013 conference was planned by the Experient team for both Experient and Maritz clients August 11 to 14 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. For the closing reception, the dessert bar setup included a working conveyor belt, and plasma screens displayed the food station menus.
