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Tales of The Cocktails 2013 Preview

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fa-tales-of-cocktailTales of the Cocktail 2013 is right around the corner, and if you aren’t familiar with the worlds premier cocktail festival yet, we’ll bring you up to speed with a preview. Tales of the Cocktail brings together some of the most respected members of the mixology family, from brand reps to bar-tending elite, and combines that with drinkers (both novice and expert) looking to learn and taste more. For 5 days (July 17th-21th) you’ll be granted access to some of the best crafted cocktails ranging from classic to exotic. Combine that with food pairings that not only will blow your mind, but will keep you sober in a time where it’s EASY to become overwhelmed by drink offerings everywhere you turn. Literally from 8:30 am each day (appropriately starting with an Absolut sponsored Blood Mary Bar) until after midnight there are seminars, cocktail tastings, pool parties, award ceremonies, and spirited dinners all in the name of mixology. For a first timer, it can be pretty overwhelming. Oh hell, for a veteran who let’s his guard down it can be overwhelming.

Ann Tuennerman is the founder of Tales of the Cocktail, and after launching it in 2003, it’s now grown to the globally accepted and respected event that we see today. Since it’s inception, it’s become the premier destination for the top liquor brands, spirit magazines, mixology minds, and even little bloggers like us here at 101. With so much growth in 11 years, it’s become hard to keep up with all the awesome events and seminars so we’ve decided highlight a few “big deals” and do a quick run down for you.

New Brands: If you’re a new brand and you’re looking to make a big splash, Tales is the place to do it. Each year, someone makes a mark and this years can’t miss brand is Louisiana’s own, Bayou Rum.

Seminars: Every year new seminars are brought in based on what YOU the drinker or bartender want to learn about. This year there are OVER 50, yes 50, seminars to give you new knowledge and perspective on cocktail culture. Highlights include

  • Part 1: How to Run a Successful Bar Business: This one is HUGE considering the rate of growth start up bars. Every bartenders dream is to own where he pours, but coincidentally almost every Joe Shmoe’s dream is to own where he drinks. This 3 part seminar will take you from A-Z on how to run a successful bar business. Led by bar owner Philip Duff (owner of renowned Amsterdam speakeasy door 74) and acclaimed spirits consultant Andy Seymour, with panelists that  include Sean Muldoon (The Dead Rabbit, New York), Cedd Moses (founder of 213 Nightlife which owns 11 award-winning bars in Los Angeles and San Diego), Dale DeGroff (former partner in Blackbird restaurant and cocktail royalty), Tad Carducci (owner of Tippling Bros and partner in Mercadito Hospitality, owning bars in six US cities), Alba Huerta (owner of the almost-open Julep craft cocktail bar in Houston), Erick Castro (owner of Polite Provisions in San Diego), plus many, many more – all  bar owners.
  • Rise of the Zombie: Tiki’s Deadly Drink: We’re going to this one and we can’t wait. I’m a huge fan of tiki drinks. They’re strong, flavorful, and good on any occasion, not just when at the beach. Here, while sipping samples of vintage Zombie recipes, you’ll learn why this legendary drink was the toast of the Hollywood movie crowd, and hear the true-life detective story behind how the original recipe was lost, and found over a 10 year period by the legend, Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry.
  • Airport Bars: We travel A LOT, both for business and pleasure. Maybe we’re just showing our age here, but weren’t the airport bars in all the movies you watched as a kid cool and hip? Did they all die with Pan Am and those hot little stewardess outfits? Luckily they do still exist, and here you’ll learn the 10 best airport bars still in existence, stories about some of the worst airport bar experiences, AND you’ll receive an in-flight cocktail making kit. Fasten your seat belts and stay seated!

For a complete list of seminars visit www.Talesofthecocktail.com

Tasting Rooms: Anything you can imagine will be on display to taste and they’ll be sampled every hour on the hour so here are a few to look out for. Tasting rooms are complimentary with the purchase of any single seminar ticket. You receive a wrist band, and from there the choices (and regrets) are yours.

  • Absolut Bloody Mary / 42 Below Coffee Bar: These will be your lifelines at Tales. Early starts and late finishes is the theme of Tales and there is a lot of drinking in between so make the best of it with these breakfast drinking stations offered first thing each morning.
  • Historic and Modern Milk Punches: Milk Punch is one of the most underrated drinks in the industry in my opinion, but i’m pretty bias. Milk cocktails are my favorite. Here you’ll taste Milk punch recipes from the colonial days all the way up till present time lead by an awesome panel including Tiki Goddess Suzanne Long, Accomplished Barman Christopher James, and the eloquent and prolific Spirits Writer Warren Bobrow.
  • Pisco Pavilion: Pisco curiosity is increasing by the day, here you’ll have a chance to taste several different peruvian piscos all in one area.
  • Rare and Exotic Fruit from around the World: Everyone is looking for the next big thing in mixology, and here you’ll be a step ahead of the game with opportunities to taste some exotic and rare fruits from places like India, Thailand, Italy etc. Remember the passion fruit obsession a few years back? How about the Blood Orange? You get my drift?
  • Four Roses Bourbon 125th Anniversary Celebration: Learn and sample all 10 bourbons from the Four Roses brand with a few surprises in store.
  • Jacob’s Ghost™ Midnight “Ghost Bar”: Jim Beams newest addition, poured at midnight by the ghost of Jacob Beam himself. Yes the hologram movement continues.
  • VeeV Fresh Market Bar: If you’re a fan of the Acai movement, VeeV is the tasting you can’t miss. Join VeeV, the World’s First Acai Spirit and taste “farm to glass” hand-crafted, cold-pressed cocktails.
  • Licor 43 After Dark Midnight Drinks and Tapas: Licor 43, the versatile vanilla-citrus liqueur from Spain made from a secret formula of 43 ingredients, will offer a selection of tasty tapas and sweet bites after midnight for a little after dark excitement.
  • Tales of the Cocktail Farewell with a Shot of Jägermeister: While most of us started our pre-drinking with Jager during college nights out, Tales ends it with a Farewell Shot of Jager.

For a complete list of Tastings, visit www. TalesoftheCocktail.com

Special Events: As much fun as Tastings and Seminars are, there are several events used to highlight other aspects of the industry. From meet and greets with distillers, bartending competitions, and charity functions, to tours of the city and award ceremonies. Tales has you covered with tons of special events to choose from.

For a complete list of special events, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com

Spirited Dinners: The spirited dinner series has become a Thursday night tradition at Tales and will take place Thursday the 18th. Restaurants all over NOLA will challenge you to try exclusive dinner pairings of cocktails and cuisines. Each restaurant offers one of the worlds best mixologists paired with some of the city’s most renowned chefs to create a one of a king cuisine. Highlights include:

For a complete list of spirited dinners, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com

Invite Only: Got the right credentials, these events are invite only and come with some great perks.

For a complete list of invite only events, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com

Keep On Schedule!: If you find it hard to keep up with all the events and drink recipes floating around at tales, we HIGHLY recommend downloading the Tales of the Cocktail drink app. It’s a rookies best friend, and a life line even for us. Every (sanctioned) event is listed and can be easily selected and added to its built in schedule for you to keep handy.

These highlights are just a sample of all the awesome Tales has to offer. The best thing about Tales is the ability to taste so many things you’ve wanted to try but didn’t feel like forking out the money for, or didn’t want an entire bottle in case you hated it. Or maybe your favorite bar only carries the “big” brands. From liqueurs/cordials/apertifs like Drambuie, Becherovka, Lillet, Chartreuse, and Absinthe to the usual suspects like Grey Goose, Absolut, Bacardi, and Disaronno, there’s something for EVERYONE. Step on the ledge and don’t be afraid to jump at Tales, because you might just discover you like something crazy.

If you’re still finding yourself wondering what the hell this Tales of the Cocktail event is all about, I’ve provided a link to their FAQ section here, to help break it all down for you. Unfortunately ticket sales through their online system have ended, but tickets for several events are still available and if you find yourself in NOLA this week, it’s worth a stop.

Cheers!

For more updates on the latest brand launches, cocktail recipes, and industry news, make sure to Like Us On Facebook, or Follow us On Twitter.

 

 

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Shellback Silver Rum Review

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Lost in all the chaos of Christmas and New Years fun and foolery was a new rum we received called Shellback Rum. We hadn’t heard of the brand previously, but that’s because it’s relatively new to the scene. They’ve recently introduced themselves into the market offering an aged white rum and a complex spiced rum. For years, brand have tried to penetrate the market with a superior white rum that rivals Bacardi’s popularity, and equally to compete with a spice rum that rivals the loyalty of Captain Morgan fans. The funny thing is many have accomplished the goal of creating tastier, more complex rums in both categories, but outdoing their sales, that’s a whole other story.

Shellback Silver Rum is a crisp, clean-tasting rum for the sophisticated palate. Its floral overtones are layered with the suggestion of vanilla and tropical fruit to provide a sweet, smooth taste that’s just right for sipping or mixing in one of our signature cocktails.

One of the first things we did when receiving out package was go to their website to learn a bit about Shellback. First and foremost, awesome interactive website to get you interested in both their rums, and the story behind it. There you can take the “Journey of a Shellback”, explore the “History of Rum” itself, or take a dive into the rum making process . For those of you wondering, a Shellback is an old or experienced sailor, especially one who has crossed the equator. So the name, and the history fits in well with what we already often align rum and rum companies with, the Caribbean and sailing/pirate adventures. Oh and did we mention there is actually an online certificate you can fill out and present to yourself to become an honorary Shellback? You sure can, and ours is laminated and hanging on our wall with the rest of our mixology certifications. But I guess all of this really means nothing if the rum tastes like crap, am I right? So let’s see how the silver stacks up. We’ll save the spicy stuff for our next adventure.

Sourced from some of the finest Caribbean sugarcane, and blended with twelve spices and other natural flavors, Shellback is a modern rum for discerning palates.

First Impression: Typical bottle shape with a custom label that is just impressive enough for you to grab it off the 423367_314611701972392_810320237_nshelf and see what it is. We opened this one up at room temperature to best release it’s flavor and aromas. Wow, lots of vanilla in this one. Imagine opening a bottle of Madagascar bourbon Vanilla and you would be where we are right now. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as the flavor isn’t as overwhelming as the aroma, then things are fine. Lost in the vanilla we actually found notes of pineapple.

Taste: We were wondering if  the taste captured the vanilla flavor featured in its aroma, but not so overwhelmingly. In this case it was both smooth and blended well. In fact, the flavor left you feeling like this one was made for making rum & cokes. Nice notes of vanilla, with the addition of a few fruity notes such as pineapple make this one fun to try. That might be a bit of a turn off for some though considering its flavors won’t make it the best choice for some classics, (think daiquiri) like other “neutral” white rums. In fact it makes it more likely to be sipped neat or on ice because it has both the flavor and the quality to stand alone. You can always experiment with it in some island cocktails and see how it adds a different element to a drink you may already love. Overall, we loved it’s flavor.

Price: $16-$19 (750/ML)

Grade: B-

Final Word: Shellback silver has some potential  It’s definitely a more modern style rum that features flavors that make it more for sipping on its own, but also offers the ability to mix and re-imagine a few classic cocktails. We loved it in a rum punch recipe we use, and at the same time enjoyed it on ice all by itself.  Though it might scare some away, we would recommend this to anyone looking to try something both good and different and in the value price range.  For around the same price as many other well known brands, it can’t hurt to give it a shot. Is it the best in its category? No. Is it the worst? Absolutely not. Is it better than many out there? Yes.

 

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Shellback Silver Rum sample was provided courtesy of representatives of the brand. Photos were provuded courtesty of Shellback Rum. For more information including recipes, or where to purchase, visit their website at www.shellbackrum.com

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Rum | Rhum | Cachaca

8th Annual Rumfest Orlando

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…..It’s that time again for Orlando’s 8th annual Rumfest celebration in downtown Orlando. Located at Wall St. Plaza, Rumfest 8 invites mixologist from around the world to come share unlimited samples of some of the best rums and cocktails you’ve ever had. What type of rum do you prefer? Don’t worry because there will be a bit of everything available including light, dark, spiced, aged and flavored rums. For 3 hours (5pm-8pm) you’ll have unlimited samples so that you can try them all! In addition to several  favorites/classic, they’ll also be featuring several new brands including Captain Morgan Black, Ron de Jeremy, and the new Bacardi Wolfberry. As always there will be live music (reggae-rock by the Super Villains), and finger foods (for an added price) but if that wasn’t enough this year the folks at Rumfest have decided to give away a trip for two to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The package includes flight, hotel stay, and a VIP tour of the Don Q rum distillery for two lucky winners but you have to purchase a ticket to win. How’s that for a Summer vacay? If you’re in town this week it’s definately something you wont want to miss. Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door), and if you’re looking for a little more, for $10 extra you get access to the Red Stripe VIP terrace which includes unlimited Red Stripe, unlimited Caribbean appetizers, and a special rum punch all of which you can enjoy in the A/C overlooking Wall St. and the rest of the party. Oh and don’t think the fun ends at 8pm, because that’s when Wall St. opens up for its weekly Saturday night block party featuring 9 bars in one. Trust me when I say you can’t go wrong here so come out and enjoy Rumfest 2012.

For more information, or to purchase tickets visit WallStPlaza.net

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*Like this article? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or StumbleUpon to get our latest cocktailrecipes, spirit reviews, and drink related news. For any questions, comments or concerns please email us at [email protected]*

 

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Rum | Rhum | Cachaca

Wall Street Plaza Presents: Rum Fest 7

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For those in the Central Florida area, tomorrow is the 7th annual celebration of RumFest in downtown Orlando. What is RumFest? Only an amazing block party 3 hours long complete with live music, unlimited samples of some of the finest rums you can find and plenty of friendly people to interact with. With more rum than ever before, you can expect punches, daiquiris, concoctions, libations and more! Rums from around the world will be showcased, including: Don Q Silver, Appleton Estates Jamaican Rum, Bacardi Superior, Bacardi OakHeart, Mount Gay Eclipse,Ron Abuelo, Jack Flavored Rums, Sailor Jerry, Brugal, Margaritaville Spiced, 10 Cane, Malibu, and Kraken Black Spiced Rum, just to name a few!

Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door. For $10 extra you can gain access to the exclusive Red Stripe Terrace where you’ll have access to unlimited bottle of Red Stripe lager, an exclusive special rum punch and an assortment of snacks and munchies all while overlooking the crowd down below at rumfest.

For more information, or to purchase your tickets, check out WallStPlaza.net

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