Tales of the Cocktail, a culinary and cocktail festival, allows the connoisseur or amateur to fully experience (taste, see and learn about) cocktail culture in New Orleans and around the world. The event’s annual components are Spirited Dinners, a Seminar Series, Cocktail Hour, Cocktail Luncheons, walking tours of the French Quarter, and classic and contemporary cocktail parties -- all presented by the country’s hottest chefs, authors, bartenders and cocktail experts. Tales of the Cocktail has “shaken and stirred” the New Orleans French Quarter since 2003 and celebrates its 5th anniversary in July 2007.

It’s the most spirited event of the summer – and it takes place in the birthplace of the cocktail. Tales of the Cocktail, a dining and drinking extravaganza that explores the “spirit” and “spirits” of New Orleans, is a balanced mix of food, drink, history and fun, shaken with sophistication and creativity, and served up to educate locals and visitors to the city with perfection.

FOUNDED: August 2003
Ann Rogers is the founder of Tales of the Cocktail. She has planned, implemented and promoted the event since its inception in 2003. Tales of the Cocktail was created as the first anniversary celebration of the Southern Comfort Cocktail Tour. Rogers is also the founder of the Cocktail Tour, which started in 2002, and is currently operated by Gray Line New Orleans.

LOCATION: The Hotel Monteleone and New Orleans French Quarter
Through the years, the Hotel Monteleone has played host to some of the world’s most famous and colorful characters. Movie stars, dignitaries, royalty and political kingpins are part of our colorful past and present. Here, guests find the perfect blend of southern hospitality, old world grandeur and casual elegance. The Hotel Monteleone has celebrated the history of the cocktail as the host hotel for Tales of the Cocktail for the past five years.

Additional events are held at historic bars and restaurants in New Orleans.

THE NEW ORLEANS CULINARY AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY:
The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to benefit hospitality industry members, produces Tales of the Cocktail annually. Its mission is to preserve the rich history of the restaurants and bars of New Orleans and the unique culture of dining and drinking famous to the city, while educating locals, visitors, and the hospitality industry about this culinary heritage.

The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society has developed a program for 2007, to educate the hospitality industry, the greater community and its visitors about New Orleans’ culinary history.  Save Our Cemeteries will present a course on the history of prominent restaurant proprietors in New Orleans buried in historic Metairie Cemetery. Upon completion of the course, tour guides will develop a tour script on the topic and will provide guided “culinary history tours” of Metairie Cemetery. The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society will underwrite and promote these complimentary tours during the 2007 event, a collaborative effort by the two 501(c)3 non-profit organizations.

TICKET SALES:
Tickets are required for Tales of the Cocktail and can be purchased online beginning March 1, 2007 or by calling 1-888-299-0404. Ticket packages are available as well as special rates at the Hotel Monteleone.
                                               
NOTABLE: 
“The single best cocktail event we have ever attended, Tales of the Cocktail is a must for professionals and enthusiasts alike,” said Andrew Dorenburg and Karen Page, authors of the Becoming a Chef Series and presenters at Tales of the Cocktail 2007