TOTC sets 2024 agenda

Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) has revealed the programme for this year’s festival in New Orleans, taking place from 21-26 July.

Described as a ‘celebration of global cocktail traditions – both new and timeless’, the week-long conference will feature educational seminars, brand-hosted events, opportunities to meet distillers, cocktail tours, wellness initiatives and the annual Spirited Awards.

Eileen Wayner, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) CEO, said “Our dedicated team, along with the invaluable TOTCF committees, board of directors, and partners have meticulously cultivated a conference agenda that’s brimming with educational programming, wellness and networking opportunities, tastings, awards celebrations, brand showcases, and more.

“The 2024 agenda guarantees an unparalleled week of discovery, connection, and above all, Inspiration, as we explore this year’s annual theme.”

At the festival, guests can attend more than 65 educational seminars, presented by 175 industry leaders.

Among these, there will be 101 presentations on aquavit and water in cocktails, as well as talks on expanding your bar concept and on financial planning. A panel will also address mixing motherhood with the challenges in the drink industry, and another will tackle ‘flavours of immigration’. Sessions will be divided into three areas: business, culture and beyond the bar.

In addition, the ‘Futures Lab’ series will take place on Tuesday 23 July. These short-format discussions will run through various drinks industry topics such as artificial intelligence, ingredients and sustainability, and discuss their future implications.

For the marquee lineup, the festival as usual promises an overwhelming amount of action. There will be more than 240 brand-hosted events – from tastings to happy hours, guest shifts, day events and night events – showcasing local and guest bartenders in venues throughout the city and the festival’s host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton.

Furthermore, TOTC’s signature trade show, Meet the Distillers, is making a return. Here, makers from more than 20 distilleries from around the globe will be making appearances where visitors will have the chance to meet the faces behind some of their favourite brands.

Cocktail tours too, will be back – hosted by Wayne Curtis. They will include: Absinthe Tour Bourbon St & How it Got that Way; Hunting Down the Sazerac; and The Big Gay Bar Tour.

Other highlights from the programme will see this year’s 18th annual Spirited Awards, hosted from the Fillmore Theater in New Orleans on Thursday 25 July and the 13th annual Pig & Punch charity party, which will close out the festival.

Tickets to this year’s festival can be purchased as daily and weekly passes, as well as individual event tickets, from the TOTC ticketing platform.