NEW ORLEANS—Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC), a weeklong celebration of the spirits industry, turned 21 this year. From modest beginnings, the New Orleans cocktail conference now welcomes nearly 25,000 global industry professionals a year to participate in educational seminars, brand activations, recognition events like the Spirited Awards, tastings, networking opportunities, and more.
Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans July 23-28, this year’s TOTC event theme was “Vitalize” to signify the “hospitality community’s vibrancy and adaptability, and its unmatched kinetic energy.” In addition to the in-person experience, organizers also hosted a variety of digital education and networking opportunities.
As usual, spirits brands like Moët Hennessy, Captain Morgan, and Jägermeister used the conference to showcase their products and promote their initiatives. Keep scrolling to see more brand activations and events from Tales of the Cocktail...
La Maison by Moët Hennessy USA
For the first time ever, Moët Hennessy USA introduced a portfolio-wide event at Tales of the Cocktail: La Maison by Moët Hennessy USA. Guests were invited into Moët Hennessy’s home for three days at Latrobe’s on Royal in New Orleans.
Photo: Courtesy of Moët Hennessy USA
La Maison showcased the offerings of Moët & Chandon, Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, Belvedere, Volcan, and Hennessy V.S and V.S.O.P with a specialty curated cocktail for each brand, including Coco Cafe with Hennessy V.S, the Scotch Swizzle with Glenmorangie 10, and the Airy One with Belvedere Organic.
Photo: Courtesy of Moët Hennessy USA
Moët Hennessy also hosted an intimate dining experience at the Penthouse at Latrobe’s on Royal featuring two brands—Moët & Chandon and Hennessy. Guests enjoyed curated cocktails followed by a seated paired dinner, while learning about the heritage, craftsmanship, and history of the portfolio.
Photo: Courtesy of Moët Hennessy USA
Throughout the activation, each Moët Hennessy brand partnered with a local New Orleans business: Glenmorangie with local artists TJ Black, Solid Gold, and Meghan Davis; Ardbeg with Smoke Perfume, a local perfume company; and Hennessy with French Truck Coffee and New Orleans Tea Company.
Photo: Courtesy of Moët Hennessy USA
On July 24, Moët Hennessy hosted a coffee-only pop-up outside The Ritz-Carlton with New Orleans-based French Truck Coffee. Together, the two companies crafted an event-exclusive blend of South American beans and chicory.
Photo: Courtesy of Moët Hennessy USA
Captain Morgan’s Pool Party
Diageo-owned Captain Morgan hosted a pool party at the Ace Hotel, welcoming over 200 guests to enjoy Original Spiced Rum Captain cocktails and Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan. DJ Brice Nice was on hand, and guests had the chance to snap photos with Odin the Parrot.
Photo: Kat Kimball
The space featured custom Captain Morgan bucket hats, towels, sunglasses, and swimsuits, along with authentic Caribbean cuisine.
Photo: Kat Kimball
Monkey Shoulder’s “Disco Nap” After-Party
Rounding out TOTC, on July 26, Monkey Shoulder whisky hosted a pajama party with brand ambassador Anna Mains; Trackstar the DJ, from hip-hop duo Run the Jewels; and four bar teams.
Photo: Joshua Brasted
With a “disco nap” theme, the experience included branded orange silk robes and eye masks, roller-skating performers, aerial acrobatics, feather launches throughout the night, and late-night bites.
Photo: Joshua Brasted
Special performances included The Miami Rollers and aerialists Yael Vengroff and Noelle Bruno. Momentum Worldwide produced the event in conjunction with Monkey Shoulder.
Photo: Joshua Brasted
Templeton Whiskey
During the 1920s, white horses were placed in front of farmhouses in Iowa as a signal that new batches of whiskey were ready. One single elevated fence post was also a secret sign that bootleg whiskey was hidden underneath. Infinium Spirits-owned Templeton recreated that bit of history during TOTC registration.
Photo: Courtesy of Infinium Spirits
Kraken Rum Attack
On July 27, New Orleans was attacked by The Kraken when it shipwrecked the Creole Queen riverboat.
Photo: Ari Weiss
Guests entered the ship amid a tangle of giant tentacles that encased the boat and were greeted with sips of The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum served by live tentacle hands.
Photo: Ari Weiss
From there, guests were also able to sign a graffiti wall before choosing one of three bars for a Kraken Rum libation.
Photo: Ari Weiss
Attendees could wrestle The Kraken via an interactive arcade game and release their inner Kraken in a smash room.
Photo: Ari Weiss
Guests were also entertained by a tarot reader, palmistry, a voodoo doctor, an authentic NOLA brass band, and local DJ Kelly Green. PopLife handled the event strategy and experiential production and KLG PR handled press relations and influencer strategy.
Photo: Ari Weiss
Jameson Irish Whiskey’s 'Where Y'at!'
Jameson Irish Whiskey and Bar Lab Hospitality presented "Where Y'at!," the opening night extravaganza for Tales of the Cocktail.
Photo: Courtesy of Jameson Irish Whiskey
Guests received custom merch, including pieces from the latest Jameson x Dickies collaboration, and the cocktails were complemented by Central City BBQ's offerings.
Photo: Courtesy of Jameson Irish Whiskey
The music festival-inspired party welcomed and celebrated the bartending community and featured bar mashups, such as Bar 1661 from Dublin and Bar Lab's Broken Shaker, where bartenders showcased the versatility of Jameson.
Photo: Courtesy of Jameson Irish Whiskey
There were two digital art installations by Random Quark: an alternate reality photo booth where users saw other versions of themselves through time and space, and the Jameson bartender family ecosystem, an interactive piece that showed the interconnectedness of the bartending community. The event was capped off with performances by Pete Rock and The Pharcyde.
Photo: Courtesy of Jameson Irish Whiskey
Cointreau's 75 Years of the Margarita
Cointreau welcomed hundreds of industry members and bartenders to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Original Margarita on July 26. Attendees enjoyed Cointreau activities and sipped on Cointreau classics.
Photo: Courtesy of Cointreau
Cointreau welcomed sixth-generation family member Alfred Cointreau and Cointreau brand ambassadors to share the history of Cointreau, as well as influential bartenders from across the nation to mix up and serve their variation of the margarita.
Photo: Courtesy of Cointreau
Redemption Whiskey’s ‘Afternoon at the Tailors’ Tasting
Redemption Whiskey hosted its “Afternoon at the Tailors” interactive tasting at a secret speakeasy tucked away inside a vintage tailor shop—reminiscent of the brand’s pre-Prohibition prominence.
Photo: Karlie Louise Photography
During the immersive experience, guests learned about the history and heritage of Redemption Whiskey, got an inside look into how the brand’s spirits are made, and gained insights into Redemption’s upcoming innovations. Guests also heard from Redemption’s newest master blender, Alan Kennedy, who shared a sip of a not-yet-released spirit.
Photo: Karlie Louise Photography
Jägermeister’s Behind the Shot Live
On July 24, Jägermeister hosted Behind the Shot Live—the live event format of the brand’s hospitality industry newsletter—at Republic NOLA. The event brought together members of Behind the Shot and Jägermeister’s bartender collective, the Hubertus Circle, who served custom cocktails, "shottails," and ice-cold shots. Guests also danced to beats from local DJ Antwigaadee.
Photo: Courtesy of Jägermeister
Jägermeister’s Safe Space Airstream
Continuing Jägermeister’s partnership with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and The Lesbian Bar Project, the brand hosted an Airstream encouraging nightlife establishments, stores, organizations, and more to become a certified Safe Space for the LGBTQIA+ community. By the end of Tales of the Cocktail, Jägermeister and SIGBI had collected 215 Safe Spaces sign-ups. The Airstream also offered guests the opportunity to watch episodes of The Lesbian Bar Project, as well as a short documentary film that showcased the work the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative does to ensure safety and equity for all queer people worldwide.
Photo: Courtesy of Jägermeister
Casa Lumbre’s House of Fire
Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal returned to TOTC for its second year, while Nocheluna Sotol made its debut. On July 27, the two brands, which are owned by spirits company Casa Lumbre, joined together to host House of Fire, which took place at Generations Hall. Mickey Perez and Marahuaco provided the beats throughout the night.
Photo: Courtesy of Casa Lumbre
Elijah Craig’s Old Fashioned Week Preview
Elijah Craig hosted a media preview of the brand’s annual Old Fashioned Week, which takes place Oct. 13-22. The July 25 event was hosted by Elijah Craig brand ambassador Lynn House and Alba Huerta of Houston’s Julep. The pair served up riffs on Old-Fashioned cocktails, including a nonalcoholic Old-Fashioned as well as a cherry bark Old-Fashioned.
Photo: Paprika Studios
The fourth annual Old Fashioned Week is a 10-day celebration taking place at participating bars around the country. This year, Elijah Craig has pledged to donate $1 for every Elijah Craig Old-Fashioned sold at participating bars, up to $100,000, to the Southern Smoke Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emergency support, relief, and mental health assistance to those in the food and beverage industry.
Photo: Paprika Studios
