Michael Collins’ Irish Whiskey Revolution Party

After having been teased with an initial taste one morning at the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail, we were recently able to enjoy the new Michael Collins 10 Year Old Single Malt, as well as the newly (and now reasonably) packaged Michael Collins Blended Whiskey on their own, and in several very fine cocktails.

Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver

Tales of the Cocktail is carefully packing up the martini glasses and heading north to Canada for a tasty mini-cocktail festival in Vancouver, March 13-15, 2011. Organizers said that they plan to make their Canadian trek an annual event.

Great American Distillers Festival

The Great American Distillers Festival features more than 35 craft distilleries from across the nation who gather in Portland, Oregon, each year.

Diageo’s ‘Cocktails Through the Decades’ Party

The Cabildo overflowed with mixologists and cocktail connoisseurs alike during Diageo’s “Cocktails Through the Decades” party in New Orleans.

Tales of the Cocktail Small Batch Roundup

While big names like Diageo, Bacardi and Pernod seem to dominate Tales of the Cocktail, there are some small batch producers in the mix, too. Some nice stand-out spirits we tasted included the following.

Sensory Analysis With an Absolut Scientist

One of the most fascinating seminars we attended at Tales of the Cocktail was Per Harmansson’s Sensory Analysis seminar. Harmansson is a leading sensory analyst from Sweden and Director of Sensory Analysis for Absolut vodka. He led attendees through an examination of sensory experience as well as an in-depth vodka tasting.

A Shot of the Black Stuff

The Tales of the Cocktail seminar A Shot of the Black Stuff: Amazing Amaros and Brilliant Bitters, was well worth being part of the standing-room-only overflow.

Top 10 Tips for Tasting Spirits Like a Professional

As spirits critic Paul Pacult so eloquently phrased it during the hands-on Spirit’s Critic seminar we attended at Tales of the Cocktail: “Gin is such a lovely invention. First, there was the wheel; then there was gin.” Pacult guided attendees not only through his favorite gin, Plymouth, but through a whole array of other classic spirits as well. Here are our critical takeaways from the hands-on event.

Bar Tonique

Bar Tonique in New Orleans is a nice find during our trip for Tales of the Cocktail. They make their own tonics and other concoctions, taking a page, with a nod, from Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Bartenders Shaking it up at Gulf Coast Benefit

The Oregon Bartender’s Guild and Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) are announcing a benefit event to support Gulf relief efforts on Sunday, Aug. 1 in Portland, Oregon.

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