Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) strives to bring innovative, inclusive, and stimulating educational programming to our annual conference. Aimed at educating people in the drinks industry, the educational seminars’ themes of Business, Culture, and Beyond the Bar offer content that is relevant and applicable to today’s bartenders, managers, and owners.
TOTC seminars will be hosted at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, and will be 60 minutes. Selected from an open call for submissions by the Education Advisory Committee, Tales of the Cocktail prioritizes educational seminars curated and selected by drinks industry professionals looking to inspire their peers.
Business Seminar Track
An excellent bar only works if the business is built on an equally impressive foundation. The bar industry is evolving constantly with innovative ideas, progressive bar programs, and creative bar concepts that today’s consumers are thirsty for. Business Seminars are a platform to address current trends in industry commerce, venture, and design. Topics include marketing, operations management, human relations, finances, investors, real estate, and more. The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation recognizes the advantage of pooling together global business insights from the best and brightest in the industry and leveraging this tremendous resource to uplift and improve the entire community.
Culture Seminar Track
Thoughtfully exploring the culture and the lifestyle of the bartending community has always been at the core of Tales of the Cocktail’s programming. Covering a variety of topics, Culture Seminars are industry-driven and designed for bartenders of all levels. These seminars are a space to learn about the specifics of the drinks industry including spirit proficiency and drinks industry history. Most of these seminars include tastings and/or cocktails and are 15-90 minutes in length.
Exclusive Tasting Seminars
Exclusive Tastings Seminars are an intimate opportunity to taste and learn about rare and hard-to-find spirits. In these seminars, attendees experience products that: are from extinct distilleries or brands, are expensive, or have never been released for sale (such as experimental liquids or blend components).
Technique Lab Seminars
Sometimes the best way to learn something is by doing. Technique Lab seminars offer hands-on technique building or teaching a physical skill. Attendees will get hands-on training with equipment or other experiential learning style models.
Beyond the Bar Seminar Track
Beyond the Bar Seminars allow attendees to explore themes beyond traditional spirits education. These seminars are a platform to address challenges and opportunities within the global drinks industry including; mental and physical health, intersectionality, substance use, sexual harassment, diversity, equity, and sustainability.
Workshops
Workshops are intimate conversations held in the Beyond the Bar space and free to all attendees.
Fitness Activations
Fitness activations will be held in the Beyond the Bar space and are free to all attendees looking to add movement into their week.
TOTC2023 Education Partners
Appleton Estate, Beam Suntory, Bombay Premier Cru, Ciroc, Clear Creek Distillery, D’USSÉ, Franklin & Sons, Glenfiddich, Grey Goose, Hood River Distilleries, La Gran Familia: Bacardí, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, Martini & Rossi, Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, Oxbow Rum, Patrón Tequila, Pronghorn, Saints & Monsters LLC, Samson & Surrey, St. Germain, Teeling Whiskey, Tequila Cazadores, and Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey
