Tales of the Cocktail in pictures: Part two

Penny farthings, poignant awards and the legendary Pig & Punch party rounded off Tales of the Cocktail 2016 perfectly, writes Haley Forest.

Keli Rivers, ginnnoisseur at San Francisco’s Whitechapel which boasts one of the largest collections, led a three part series about the history of the spirit. With three panels including experts such as Tess Posthumus, Philip Duff, Jared Brown, Martin Cate, Desmond Payne, Christian Krogstad and many more.

Starting off the day with several different Genever’s, Keli Rivers guided people through the origins of Gin. Tasting both traditional styles, like the Rutte, as well as more maverik variations, such as the Oregon Spirit Distillers version, really showed the breadth of the category.

Naren Young brought down his Spirited Award nominated Dante from New York for an aperitivo pop-up. Filled with Spritzes, Sherry Cobblers, and their signature “Fluffy Orange” and Campari, they created a little calm oasis on Royal Street.

As more and more spirits come to market every year, how can the small companies compete with the massive conglomerates? Danny Ronen lead a panel with New York Distilling Company’s Allen Katz, Distill Ventures’ Dan Gasper, Novo Fogo’s Dragos Axinte, and hospitality attorney Ryan Malkin through the journey of David & Golith.  

While there are many bars Tales attendees frequent, The Alibi on Iberville Street is one of the favourites. Open 24 hours a day, bartenders, brand reps, enthusiasts and more gather inside and spill into the street to sing along to the juke box, drink one-and-ones, and take a break from mixology.

Always one for creativity, Hendrick’s Gin was out in full force with penny farthings and their specialty departure lounge to ease Tales guests in their transition into the real world.

Social media and marketing has become more important and complex than ever before. A panel of experts including 2014 World Class winner Charles Joly, discussed the do’s and don’ts of twitter, facebook and more while examining the line between personal and professional branding.

For the 10th anniversary edition of the Spirited Awards, long-time host Simon Ford was joined on stage by comedian Aisha Tyler to jointly congratulate and roast the entire industry. There were laughs, tears, champagne guns and flaring, a perfect finale to a perfect week.

This past year was not without its losses and this year at the Spirited Awards, they presented the late Sasha Petraske with the Lifetime Achievement award which was accepted by his widow Georgette. They also went on to acknowledge other members of the hospitality community who have passed this year. Heartbreaking, and so important, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.  

To wrap it all up was the 7th annual Pig & Punch presented by the Bon Vivants. One part party, one part BBQ and all part charity fundraiser, guests from around the world jumped in to help raise over $256,000 for local school. Above Danny Neff from Holiday Cocktail Lounge (New York) and Micah Melton from The Aviary (Chicago), help make pork tacos.