If you are headed to New Orleans and don't have all of your tickets you should act quick (via the website). Many of the events are selling out quickly and quite a few are already unavailable. Beyond the days being filled with seminars of all kinds, from 21st Century Gin to Mixologists and there Toys, there are Spirited Dinners and Lunches, the Spirit Awards and parties every night of the week.
One of the events I'm most looking forward to is the On the Fly Competition. This should be great fun because the stars of modern mixology will go up against each other to create the best cocktails using only what Jeffrey Morgenthaler has in a "swag bag." What will they come up with? Who knows but it is sure to prove what is possible with just a few mini bottles and who knows what else.
If you want to keep up on the happenings of the week there are many venues to do so. Of course, I will be reporting all week long and pass on the findings of our adventures. You can also keep up on the collaborative Tales of the Cocktail Blog. On that site many of the best cocktail bloggers are uniting to cover the event in its entirety from every perspective possible. They have already begun this to lead up to TOTC and one of the most helpful blogs came out not long ago. If you are in New Orleans next week you will want to read through the post "How to Drink All Day at Tales without Getting (Too) Drunk." Personally, I'll be taking it much easier than that (moderation is key to happiness), but it's helpful advice from the experienced attendees. For immediate updates you can also follow #TOTC09 on Twitter.
As we come up on the biggest week for the bartending and spirits industry, I wish all safe travels and happy cocktails. I'm sure that we will all have a lot to say and many new cocktails to share when it's all over.
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