Paul's Spirited Travel
Spirited Travel: 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Rum Recap
As I sit here at my computer, my mind swirls with the experiences from the recent 2019 Tales of the Cocktail event held annually in New Orleans. This year I went in with high hopes after the positive and thought provoking 2018 conference, led by the new Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. Personally, planning this year’s event was the most intense part of my Tales experience. Invitations to events and meeting requests began coming in May and with the buildup in July I worked hard to develop a balanced schedule. My primary goal was to cover and participate in as many rum education events, brand experiences, and meetings as I could and still have a little down time. For the most part I was successful, but sadly missed out on a few opportunities due to conflicts.
I flew into New Or leans Wednesday morning, checked in at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, and picked up my credentials before heading to my first event: a brand education event featuring Myers’s Rum. Newly acquired by Sazerac, this historic Jamaican rum brand is getting some much-needed love and I enjoyed learning about its history and versatility in the three drinks that were presented. After a quick break, I attended the Diageo-led “Raiders of the Lost Archive” seminar that discussed their archive and how it was used to help create new spirits for their portfolio. Participants also had the opportunity to sample a few products brought over, especially for this experience as well as one of the new Game of Throne branded whiskies.
Myer's Jamaican Dark Rum
The remainder of the afternoon was filled with meetings along with a visit to the Bacardi Cane Café before Wednesday’s big Rum event. The Rum Fam Happy Hour Hangout featuring representatives from La Maison Vellier offering Clairin and Probitas rum, Spiribam with Chairman’s Reserve and Rhum Clément, Foursquare, The Real McCoy, Privateer, Worthy Park, and Hampden Estate all were in attendance. The rums and conversations flowed well into the night creating the perfect ending for what was already a good first day of Tales.
Thursday morning started early with my first meeting of the day back at the Bacardi Cane Café. David Cid, Bacardi’s Maestro de Rum, led me through a private tasting of the new Bacardi Gran Reserva Especial rum that will be offered exclusively in Airport Duty Free locations in Singapore, Hawaii and Los Angeles. The rum is aged for a minimum of 16 years in American White Oak barrels and will offer consumers a uniquely complex and robust addition to the Bacardi line. At 100.00 dollars a bottle this is a steal compared to Bourbons and Whiskies of a similar age.
Next up was the “Fake Booze News” seminar that discussed how to find trustworthy sources for articles, red flags, and detailed some of the controversial stories in cocktail history such as the origins of the Manhattan and Mai Tai. Then a quick elevator ride transported me up to an intriguing opportunity: a Cocktail Class taught by the global bartending staff of the Fairmont Hotels Chain. Comprised of several rooms, each one showcased a different era. For example, an 1800’s theme room offered variants of classic drinks like Old Fashioned Amigo that used Tequila and Scotch Whisky or the 1930’s room that taught participants how to make the Nacional Royale, which blended Mount Gay Black Barrel and St. Germain. The 1980’s rift on a Cosmopolitan, called The Material Girl using Gin and St. Germain was a nostalgic hit with my group. Overall, I thought it was time well spent and am grateful they were willing to share recipe cards so we could make some of the cocktails at home. Also, and most importantly, the next time I am in a city (such as Austin) which has a Fairmont branded hotel, I will make a point of visiting. The next major event of the day was “The Meet the Distiller Happy Hour,” showcasing a large selection of Craft Distillers, small spirit companies and Private labels. The event is always a good one for reconnecting with rum brands such as Lyons Distilling Company and Old New Orleans Rum, both with exciting new offerings.
The big news of the day was Montanya Distillery of Colorado had sold a minority share to Constellation Brands. This will create new opportunities for them and it will be exciting to see how the brand evolves with this partnership. After a little time with friends at Latitude 29, I completed the night at the Old Absinthe House participating in the Don Q take over. While there they shared with me their new Sherry Cask finished product which I decided was the perfect night cap before retiring.
Friday began with the “Global Spirit Funhouse” which featured, amongst other spirits, Funk rum, a Jamaican sourced rum blend that is aged in Kentucky. They are doing some interesting things with Research and Development of their line and I am curious to see what is bottled and released in the upcoming year. After I departed the Funhouse event, I took a nice leisurely walk up to Canal Street and was honored to partake in a sneak preview of The Sazerac House. Scheduled to open in early October this interactive museum/distillery/event space, located in a beautifully refurbished building, is on track to be a key attraction for spirited travelers. I personally enjoyed the experience so much that I hope to bring my wife to visit later this year. While there we learned we can expect a few new rums from them this fall, and I am interested in learning more about them when they are ready to roll out. This location is going to be a surefire hit with visitors to New Orleans and I cannot wait to see it completed.
As Friday afternoon rolled around I took the opportunity to attend some brand experiences and have a couple of meetings. The main rum event of the afternoon was the annual National Daiquiri Day celebration. This year, Bacardi took over the event space Beach on Bourbon and offered at least eight different Daiquiris, live music, and opportunities to meet with Brand Ambassadors and Bacardi Legacy contestants. The event was open to all Tales participants and it was a pleasant break from the show.
As the sun rose Saturday morning I worked on my assignments and got ready for my last day of Tales. The first event of the day a “Taste of the Islands” a Falernum Master class hosted by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and taught by Richard Seale of the Foursquare Rum Distillery, makers of John D. Taylor Velvet Falernum; a key ingredient in the Corn N Oil cocktail. After the class I got to share some time with folks at the Beam Suntory Recharge lounge and the Barfly bar tool shop. Before I knew it, it was time for my last seminar of Tales.
“ I Love Rum As It Has No Rules: The Debate” a discussion about the importance of Geographical Indicators (GI’s) for the rum industry. The talk was moderated by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, and the panel was comprised of pro GI-Joy Spence of Appleton Rum, Richard Seale of the Foursquare Rum Distillery, Nicole Austin of George Dickel Distillery, and Bailey Pryor of the Real McCoy, with opposing views offered by Maison Ferrand owner Alexandre Gabriel. The discussion was lively and information shared, especially from the insightful Nicole Austin, helped everyone in the audience better understand what was at the core of the GI debate and why it is important for the future of the rums of those islands. For many the seminar was a continuation of the ongoing divide in the rum industry and it is clear there is a fine line between business competition and what companies see as the honest and true way forward for their brands and islands interests.
Normally the rum seminar would be my punctuation mark to my Tales experience. However, this year I had a few more things to attend. “Indie Spirits that Rock” like the “Meet the Distiller” event showcased some rum brands like Doctor Bird Rum of Two James Spirits and The Real McCoy rum line along with many other independent spirits in the industry. Across the lobby the House of Angostura held a fun pop up and finally and completely unrelated to rum, Johnnie Walker impressed everyone with their Game of Thrones Song of Ice and Song of Fire event. Finally, as the Indie Spirit event closed, I shared a brief time with my global rum family before packing up and preparing for my flight home.
As I close this recap, I have a few final thoughts about the event. Continuing the momentum from last year the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation put together a well-balanced event that went beyond the brand experiences and tastings and focused on the health and well-being of the Hospitality Industry and community. In the days that have passed since its conclusion, I have spoken with consumers to industry pros, and while everyone had incredibly different experiences they all left the event satisfied. It is no easy feat to put together a show of this magnitude in a city like New Orleans and the organizers and volunteers should be congratulated for a job well done. I hope to see the positive evolution continue in the upcoming year.
Paul Senft