NEW ORLEANS, LA (May 9, 2022) — Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to announce that the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC) tickets and conference agenda are now available via the Foundation’s website. Commemorating its 20-year anniversary, TOTC will return for an in-person celebration in New Orleans from July 25-29, 2022, and to toast this momentous occasion, TOTC is presenting a curated lineup of seminars, events, and, of course, festivities all in the name of “progress” — the conference’s official 2022 theme.
Attendees can expect TOTC’s signature educational initiatives, including more than 70 unique sessions, seminars and panels, Beyond the Bar activations, the Diversity Distilled Career Fair, Day of Service, Meet the Distillers, an all-new New Orleans Cocktail Tour series, the annual Spirited Awards®, and more. Additionally, TOTC will offer a mix of in-person programming at the official host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, plus digital programming via the virtual TOTCF platform, allowing guests from near and far to enjoy the conference’s programming.
“We are so honored to host an exceptional slate of programming for our 20-year anniversary Tales of the Cocktail conference,” said TOTCF CEO Eileen Wayner. “This year’s offerings of educational programming, marquee events, and interactive activations showcase the magnitude of talent and experience within our cocktail community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to connect and progress under the guidance of our industry colleagues and peers.”
Educational Seminars, Panels, Q&A Sessions, and More
Tales of the Cocktail will feature more than 65 educational sessions, including seminars, roundtable discussions and more across Tales’ three education streams (Business, Culture and Beyond the Bar), featuring over 250 industry leaders. The Tales of the Cocktail Education Advisory Committee has spent six months curating an all-star lineup of beverage industry education, including 54 in-person seminars which will be presented at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, including eight Beyond the Bar Workshops, complimentary for all attendees, and 46 in-person panels, technique classes, exclusive tastings, and 101 sessions. An additional 12 seminars will be pre-recorded and presented on the Foundation’s Whova platform during TOTC 2022.
Highlights from this year’s slate include:
Business
- As Seen on IG: How to Build a Business in the Digital Marketplace by Selena Donovan
- Big Little Brands: Corporate Learnings for Small Businesses by Lauren Mote
- Measuring Change: How Utilizing Assessments Can Improve Personnel Well-Being in your Organization by Laura Louise Green
- Trade Marketing for Bartenders and Brands by Lindsey Johnson
- Virtual is a Vibe by Tiffanie Barriere
Culture
- Across the Pacific and Back Again: The Evolution of the Japanese Cocktail Bar by Emma Janzen
- De-Stress on Tap: Creating Calming Cocktails Using Herbal Ingredients from CBD to Lemon Balm by Derek Brown
- Mexican Spirits: Agave is just the tip of the penca! by Cesar Sandoval
- Nixology: Understanding The (Best?) Worst Drinks Ever by David Wondrich and Jeff Barry
- (Re)introducing Vermouth: More than a Modifier! by Emma Kuhl
- You Don’t Know Dick: The Creative and Operational Genius of Dick Bradsell by Anistasia Miller and Jared Brown
Beyond the Bar
- Approaching DEI with Authenticity by Kamilah Mahon
- How To Build A Cocktail Champion: Equipping Yourself Through Community by Michael Holiday
- Indigenous Intent and Identity in Cocktail Creation by Chockie Tom and Charlotte Big Canoe
- Safe Bars: Crafting a New Culture of Safety and Respect by Amie Ward and Zack Sanders
- “The Customer is Always Right” is Wrong!: Understanding How to Identify and Address Manipulation and Exploitation by Jessica Pomerantz
- The Miseducation of Appreciation: Relearning How to Celebrate, Share, and Grow by Chris Cabrera
Marquee Programming: Brand Hosted Events, Dame Hall of Fame, New Orleans Cocktail Tour, Meet the Distillers, Pig and Punch, Speed Rack Championship, and Spirited Awards.
- Brand Hosted Events: TOTCF’s brand partners are returning to New Orleans to host their legendary parties for conference attendees. Tasting Rooms held onsite at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans will offer guests opportunities to discover new brands and interact with their favorite products in between activities. Dining and Drinking events will feature partner brands against the setting of New Orleans’ bars and restaurants, highlighting local talent and guest bartenders. And brands will once again host Invitation Only events in venues around New Orleans for TOTC attendees to be awed and inspired by the creativity and conviviality of some of the world’s top beverage products.
- Dame Hall of Fame: The tenth annual DHOF induction ceremony will be held on Friday, July 29 at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. Dame Hall of Fame is a celebration of leaders who have made unique and lasting contributions to accessibility and intersectionality within the global hospitality industry. *Please note that DHOF Induction Ceremony tickets will be available on June 9.
- New Orleans Cocktail Tour: To celebrate the 20 year anniversary of TOTC, in collaboration with Wayne Curtis, a reimagined New Orleans Cocktail Tour will offer attendees a series of five educational walking tours to provide a wealth of knowledge and keen insight into the city’s history and cocktail scene. Enlisting special guests to help guide the tours, Wayne (Author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails and frequent spirits contributor for The Atlantic, Imbibe Magazine, Punch, The Daily Beast, and Garden & Gun) will lead a series of tours, including:
- Bourbon Street and How it Got That Way
- Down River: Bars Beyond the French Quarter
- The Surely Bartender’s Bar Tour
- The Big Gay Bar Tour
- Hunting Down the Sazerac
- Guests may register to join the New Orleans Cocktail Tour via the TOTC ticketing platform. Registration is encouraged as these will be available on a first come, first served basis.
- Meet The Distillers: Back for TOTC 2022, on Friday, July 29 from 3-6pm,
Meet the Distillers will feature distillers, owners, blenders, founders, and makers of over 40 brands gathered together in one space to offer tastings, education and interaction. With special early access to credentialed media, distributors, and national account representatives; the Friday afternoon event is open to both trade and consumers.
- Pig & Punch: Hosted by The Bon Vivants, the global drinks industry is invited to celebrate the 11th year of Pig & Punch with a Volunteer Day of Service on Sunday, July 24. The industry will come together at a KIPP New Orleans campus for some serious volunteer work, as they enjoy awesome musical acts hooked up by the team at d.b.a. New Orleans, food from five Hogs for the Cause chef teams, plus punches and highballs featuring brand sponsor spirits. Additionally Pig & Punch and TOTCF are honored to partner with Edrington Americas who will generously match all of the proceeds raised through tickets sales and event merch. To date, the Pig & Punch event series has raised $519,203.24 and contributed 10,306 volunteer hours in charter schools across the country.
- Speed Rack Season 10 Championship: In partnership with Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero, Tales will play host to the long-awaited finals for Speed Rack’s 10th season on Sunday, July 24 at Republic NOLA. The in-person competition is geared at raising funds and awareness for breast cancer while promoting equality in the spirits industry. The finals will surely be a good time as the 16 women+ semi-finalists come together to compete in a high-speed, round robin style cocktail making event.
- Spirited Awards: The 16th annual Spirited Awards Ceremony, taking place in partnership with Forbes, will celebrate a full slate of winners including U.S. and International recipients for Timeless Award, Best New Cocktail Bar, Best Restaurant Bar, Bartender of the Year; and global categories including World’s Best Bar, the five awards within the Writing and Media categories, the Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award, Pioneer Award, and more. The awards ceremony will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans on Thursday, July 28. *Please note that Spirited Awards Ceremony tickets will be available on June 9.
2022 Keynote Address
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is honored to welcome Brandy Rand, COO of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, who will be introduced by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO Eileen Wayner, to deliver the 2022 Keynote Address. As an expert in the beverage market and a leader in US beverage research, operations, analysis, and expansion, Rand’s address will explore “Twenty Years of Cocktails, Craft, and Change,” as she delves into changing tastes, a rise in quality, category convergence, and shifting consumption trends in the industry. Listeners are invited to raise a glass to progress as Rand leads an insightful and educational discussion of the industry’s ongoing development.
Day of Service + Diversity Distilled Career Fair
The New Orleans community was deeply impacted by Hurricane Ida in 2021. During Tales of the Cocktail 2022, attendees can sign up and join Brown Forman, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, and the Saint Bernard Project (SBP) for a Day of Service on July 24, 2022. SBP rebuilds for homeowners in need, placing a special focus on families with small children, the elderly, disabled persons, war veterans, and the under and uninsured. This service project may include hanging insulation or drywall, mudding and spackling, sanding, texturing, priming, painting, laying floors, and/or hanging trim, doors and baseboards. The TOTCF Day of Service will take place on July 24, 2022 from 9am-12:30pm CT, and those who are interested in participating may submit here.
Additionally, participants are invited to join Diversity Distilled for a career fair powered by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. A host of employers will join TOTC to review resumes, share job openings, as well as share insight into current hiring practices. The Diversity Distilled Career Fair will take place from 1-5 pm CT on July 25. For those interested in posting job opportunities, please email [email protected]. Brands, distributors, agencies, and bars are welcome to reach out with job postings.
Beyond the Bar
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is proud to share the return of its ongoing mental health and wellness arm, Beyond the Bar, which focuses on the holistic bartender and addresses critical issues within the industry from substance use and abuse to sexual harassment, race, equity and inclusion. Beyond the Bar programming serves to highlight and explore the diverse topics that make a well-rounded drinks industry professional and digs into complex and sometimes difficult topics in order to challenge the industry to be more equitable while supporting the community through present day obstacles and challenges.
Beyond the Bar highlights for the Tales of the Cocktail 2022 conference include fitness and mindfulness activations like and Tales Shorts — the all new short, interactive info sessions held with a variety of bartender support and scholarship initiatives aimed at improving the lives of bartenders and bar owners. These rapid-fire sessions will explore bar-focused initiatives that support women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and uninsured individuals in the drinks industry. Info sessions include Farm Distilled, Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, Step Up Foundation from the American Craft Distillers Association, Oyster Sunday, and CORE.
Beyond the Bar Programming is free of charge. When registering for TOTC 2022, add the complimentary “Beyond the Bar Package” to the ticket purchase.
Tales Partners
Tales is proud to partner with conference sponsors to bring a premier festival experience to New Orleans and beyond. TOTCF is pleased to present the Tales of the Cocktail 2022 Official Partners: Official Mixer: Q Mixers, Official Glassware: Libbey Glass, Official Water: tbd.
A Note on COVID
Please note that the health and safety of TOTC 2022 in-person attendees is our highest priority, and TOTCF will continue to monitor all CDC, state, and local guidelines leading up to the event. Tales of the Cocktail 2022 attendees must agree to abide by and engage in certain safe and healthy conduct while attending the event.
For the health and safety of our attendees:
- Upon arrival attendees will be obligated to show proof of COVID vaccine or a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 72 hours) or negative Rapid test (within 24 hours) result.
- All TOTCF staff in attendance will all be vaccinated.
- Physical distancing will be encouraged wherever possible.
The full schedule and talent line-up for Tales of the Cocktail 2022 is now available via tocstaging.wpengine.com. The Tales of the Cocktail Event App will be live starting July 6 for both in-person and digital attendees. Media may apply for press credentials here.
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ABOUT TALES OF THE COCKTAIL FOUNDATION:
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates, advances and supports the global hospitality industry and creates lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make a lasting impact in communities that host our events.
Media Inquiries:
Foxglove Communications
Gia Vecchio, [email protected], 917.280.5043
Hunter Smith, [email protected], 803.397.8878
