If you’re feeling adventurous and looking for a challenge, this margarita sorbet made using liquid nitrogen could be your next undertaking! I had this at Tales of the Cocktail in July, and it has a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture and the familiar flavors of a margarita. I enjoyed the science-lab show as well.

Liquid nitrogen is dangerous! If you feel comfortable using it, please take all necessary precautions. Research its use thoroughly in addition to reviewing … Read more

The idea behind H₂O cocktails is simple: Infuse water with fruit, spices and herbs and mix that infusion with a complimentary spirit. What you get is a light, fresh and low-calorie cocktail. I learned about this intriguing cocktail concept at Tales of the Cocktail from mixology master Tony Abou-Ganim and culinary superstar Kathy Casey. Here’s my favorite concoction from their presentation.

Mandarin Hibiscus Cocktail

Created by Tony Abou-Ganim

Ingredients

1 oz Purity Vodka

… Read more

This week’s drink is the Negroni! I’ll admit I didn’t love my first Negroni, but now I can’t imagine why. Made with London dry gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, this Italian aperitif has a strong character and unique flavor that I’ve grown to love.  One Negroni leaves you wanting more.

Ingredients:
1 part London dry gin
1 part Campari
1 part Italian sweet vermouth

Directions:
Pour each ingredient over ice in an old-fashioned glass and … Read more

The last two days at Tales of the Cocktail were packed with tasting rooms and (more) big parties!

We spent a lot of time talking to great bartenders, writers, liquor makers and people just out for a good time. We’ll be sharing what we learned from our seminars and some fantastic recipes soon. So sad to be leaving New Orleans, but here are just a few highlights from the last two days in one of … Read more

This year’s Tales of the Cocktail started off right! Yesterday was the first day, and we just had to share some highlights of our favorite experiences so far.

Before “Day 1” of Tales officially started, Grey Goose welcomed us to New Orleans with a party at Latrobe’s in the heart of the French Quarter the evening before. Our favorite concoction of the night was a watermelon and basil cocktail (the only thing we liked better … Read more

Today is the the last day of Tales of the Cocktail 2010. Soon we’ll post the official Drink of the Week wrap-up on all the seminars, parties, tastes and general NOLA madness! But first I wanted to spotlight my favorite seminar of the event. Hendrick’s Gin wrangled up some fresh exotic fruit from around the world — ingredients you may find in your cocktails over the next few years. Some were pleasantly sweet, others messed … Read more

This Week’s Drink is brought to us by guest blogger Caitlin D. (@catincal).

I’m the kind of girl who giggles for no reason, loves twirly dresses and is the first to grab a karaoke microphone. Oh, and I love cocktails.

I’m a huge fan of outdoor dinner parties in the summer and love matching a festive, seasonal drink to a traditional BBQ menu. One of my favorite bartenders, Esteban Ordonez, created the following recipe with … Read more

This is the first in a series of reports from Tales of the Cocktail 2009.

I arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday, the day before Tales of the Cocktail would be in full swing. Still, there were a few events scheduled for the evening. First off, the bloggers reception held at M.S. Rau Antiques on Royal Street. There, I was fortunate enough to meet many of my fellow cocktail bloggers and see some really amazing … Read more

The first session I attended during last week’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans was a panel titled “2009 Big Trends in Cocktail & Spirit Service.”

The panel consisted of Jim Meehan, Michael Waterhouse, Devlin Tavern, and Simon Difford (Source Guide) and was moderated by Ryan Magarian (Aviation Gin).

The program covered the 4 Ps of Cocktail Service Success, not unlike the 4 Ps of marketing: product, precise execution, promotion, passion.

It was here … Read more

Tales of the Cocktail kicked off today on Royal Street in New Orleans. Ann and Paul Tuennerman, Founder and Executive Director of the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society and Tales of the Cocktail, opened the festivities with Herbsaint Frappés and Creole Juleps, the official cocktail of TOTC 2009.

Joining the Tuennerman’s was Robert Hess of Herbsaint which is celebrating their 75th Anniversary. To honor this unique flavor of New Orleans, the New Orleans … Read more