With bartenders and cocktail fans from across the country in town for the giant drinks festival known as Tales of the Cocktail—which spreads tastings, seminars, and parties around the French Quarter—the challenge for liquor brands is to stand out. William Grant & Sons got plenty of attention on July 17, the opening night of the five-day festival, with a movie-themed party to promote the brands in its portfolio.
The giant party incorporated smaller installations for Stoli, Hendrick's, Sailor Jerry, and others, all inspired by iconic films including Coyote Ugly and The Untouchables, with themes that matched the brands. Irish whiskey Tullamore Dew, for example, served cocktails from a small boxing ring inspired by the Guy Ritchie film Snatch that starred Brad Pitt as an Irish boxer.
A big hit: The tequila brand Milagro hosted a flip-book-making station that had guests lined up to don silent-film-style costumes and act out a scenario provided by a performer dressed as a director.
Produced by Momentum with local production by the Solomon Group and creative direction from Miguel Calvo, the party took over the recently refurbished Civic Theatre. Built in 1906, the theater has historic touches, including Beaux Arts plaster work, but its large space and white walls worked as a blank canvas that didn't distract from the colorful activations and activities.
Hanging above the area that normally hosts the theater's performances was a stage where the David Higgins Band from Charleston, South Carolina, performed a wide-ranging set of covers in a '90s rock style, moving from songs by the likes of Third Eye Blind and the Gin Blossoms to Lady Gaga and Whitney Houston. The big moment: William Grant portfolio ambassador Charlotte Voisey—who was in charge of the event—appeared with the band to play the tuba on a cover of the White Stripes song "Seven Nation Army."
Disclosure: The writer of this article attended Tales of the Cocktail as a paid speaker for a William Grant & Sons meeting.
