Alain Royer Cognac and Armagnac authority explores the history and production of Frances oldest grape barndy. Find out why although Cognac is Frances biggest export brandy Armagnac is its most beloved by at home.

Restaurants and bars are discovering the beauty of aperitif wines along with spirits and cocktails designed to spark the appetite. This session will examine the world of aperitifs, from traditional starters such as vermouths and quinquinas to bitter liqueurs and aperitif cocktails.

Few drinkers have done more than dip their toe into the bitter black world of amaros and bitters, but there is an extraordinary world of variety for those than can learn to love their sometimes difficult charms.

How did we arrive at 80 proof? Why were bottlings of historic spirits used in mixed drinks often at higher proof? What made "navy strength" so famous? This seminar explores the history of proof and the drinks made famous using higher proof spirits.

Ever wonder exactly how start up brands grow and become popular? Ever thought about why the little brands seem to be able to beat the big brands at their own game? Would you like to kick ass but could use a little help in separating the over-hyped marketing trends from those tasks that will make you more money? If you answered "yes" to any or all of these questions then run, do not walk, to this seminar.

Award-winning French mixologist Charles Vexenat joins historians Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown to share the secrets of French cocktails as seen through the eyes of Louis Fouquet.

Tales of the Cocktail's Barroom Brawl is a slightly more civilized version of the old-fashioned, knock-down-drag-out slugfest.

The curmudgeon loungasaurus, Brian Rea, will tell Tales about working behind the stick in New York and Los Angeles during those educational (for him) years.

The award winning duo behind Asia's No. 1 Venue, Tippling Club – touted as the most progressive bar concept to hit the global scene – is presenting in the US for the first time.

This session will help aspiring writers, in the highly competitive beverage category, develop their ideas and bring them to market via self-publishing.

Berries, seeds, flowers, grains, roots, fruits and bark. Botanicals come in many forms from every corner of the earth, each bringing their own charm, flavor and function which come together at the point of distillation making the most aromatic, delicate, sophisticated and mysterious spirit of all: gin.

Do you really know it all? Enhance your knowledge towards one of man's best kept secret: The Fascinating World of Brandy de Jerez! Experience the magical duende, the heart and soul of Brandy de Jerez.

William Faulkner was more right than perhaps even he knew. At so many critical moments in human history, the production and consumption of our favourite spirits has played a major part.

A highly interactive seminar. A short introduction to the creative process - examples of creative thinking.

Join David Spanton, founder of Australian Bartender magazine, and Simon McGoram editor of Australian Bartender magazine as they take attendees ‘down under’ without having to leave their seats. Expect a quick profile of Australian bars past and present, practical cocktail demonstrations and sampling; showcasing exciting spirits and botanicals unique to Australian shores.

A journey through Gin Cocktailism- this seminar will rediscover lost and forgotten clasic gin cocktails and then take a look at modern day, contemporary gin cocktails.

Come join this movie buff event lead by four film & drink experts; Ted Haigh, William T. Garver, Cheryl Charming, and the author of, New Orleans Goes to the Movies, Alan Leonhard.

Discover chronologically which French products joined the repertoire of American drinks, and gave birth to some of the greatest classic cocktails.

Whether it's talking at a bar show, training bartenders, talking to brand managers or running sessions for consumers, everyone will enjoy this lively, fun guide to giving great presentations from two of the most in-demand trainers and speakers in the business, Philip Duff & Angus Winchester.

How to improve your bartending techniques - your style behind the bar - to know what does the RITUAL - PROCES mean/count at the bar from the staindpont of the guest.

A lively debate on one of todays most contentious spirit categories. The debate will be comprised of two speakers for the case of Vodka and two against.

This seminar will focus on what is a hot topic amongst creative people of all disciplines;" who has a right to my creative work?" .

This seminar reveals the untold story of the trained chemist who spoke eight languages, drank with Winston Churchill, and survived two revolutions, imprisonment, and exile to create such infamous exotic drinks as the Suffering Bastard and Tropical Itch.

A follow-up session on 2009's "Using Blogs and Online Tools to Promote Your Bar, Brand and Career", this session will focus on the continuing evolution of blogs and social media platforms and what they mean for brand managers, bar owners, bartenders and bloggers.

Join Tony Abou-Ganim, the Modern Mixologist, as he shows you what you need to stock your home bar, tools of the trade and how to use them, and all the secrets behind mixing great drinks.

La Verdad meaning "the Truth" in Spanish. This seminar will focus on the misunderstood spirit of Mezcal.

Join a free-thinking group of veteran bartenders who will share their views on the more esoteric job of a bartender to work the room much like a DJ.

This session will discuss the causes of that resistance and explore some of the strategies that have proved successful in countering them.

Spirits critic/author/journalist/educator F. Paul Pacult guides attendees who want to hone their sensory skills as spirits tasters to higher levels.

This is a hands on seminar that features guest Chef Peter Smith from PS 7's restaurant, and Gina Chersevani, mixologist. Attendees will gain a rich knowledge of how to grasp the concept of balance and harmony between the plate and the glass, and how to translate that into a menu that patrons will not only understand, but will LOVE!

This seminar will explore gin and gin cocktails during some of the golden years of the cocktail (1890's – 1919), the Bath Tub Gin and Gin Cocktails that came during the dark days of Prohibition and Prohibitions effect on the Gin industry in US after that noble experiment.

Experienced media trainer Lisa Ekus-Saffer and culinary television producer and author Virginia Willis offer a cocktail-specific version of their nationally renowned media training seminar, HONING YOUR EDGE, providing the skills cocktail and beverage industry professionals need to work effectively with the media.

Predating cocktail culture by centuries, the monastic orders of Europe were and continue to be a key link in the intersection of brewing and distillation.

This session will focus on techniques that experienced bar professionals can use to communicate good cocktail techniques and ingredients to rookie home bartenders.

Rum running in history – Why ‘rum’ gets the bad rap for smuggling.

The sequel to our enormously popular and challenging seminar last year on the Science of Shaking, this follows that lecture up with further research in the field of basic cocktail science.

Topics will be Scotch horizons for the next five years; experimentation in distillation and maturation; Scotch in cocktails and more.

This seminar will take you on an interactive food and drink journey through textures and flavor elements of sensory analysis. You will taste, smell and see spirits like never before.

Bars, bartenders, spirit makers, and cocktail enthusiasts are using the unique opportunities social media provides to leverage their business.

Cocktails are one of America's contributions to the culinary world, but carbonated beverages are another truly American drink. Before the bottle and can, soda-pop was served from soda fountains made from the finest marble and were gilded with gold.

Noah Glass, Founder and Chief Executive of GoMobo, brings a unique perspective of what it takes to pursue one’s passion with outside Investors.

Join Tad Carducci from Tippling Brothers, and Willy Shine from Contemporary Cocktails to hear about the realities of consulting, not only what should be expected today, but how the the field will be evolving over time.

Take a peak behind the curtain of some of the most profitable bars/restaurants and you see that they have an awful lot in common with sports teams. The back of house is decorated with graphic scoreboards on display for everything that matters

How to influence your guests experience through body language, aromas, colours and sound.

A Presentation that hopes to clear up all the confusion, myths, and abuse of the world's most feared cocktail ingredient: the egg.

You are invited to 90 minutes of entertainment, interaction, and information led by three of the world's top entertaining bartenders with reputations of over-exceeding guests expectations with charm, magic, and flair.

Audrey Saunders and J. Riley Lagesen, Attorney at Davis, Wright and Tremaine LLP, will walk you through ABC's of how to properly negotiate potential opportunities, discussion of how to protect your IP (Intellectual Property), and things to look for when offered consulting or ownership opportunities.

Excite your taste buds and confuse your senses as Hendrick's Gin lifts you upon the wings of the mystic miracle berry for a flavor trip sure to leave you shocked with utter delight.

Join a panel of highly-experienced bartenders who have had success in multiple styles of bartending over the years, as they touch on one of the more taboo concepts in the mixology world: Flair bartending.

This seminar will be held at the Museum of the American Cocktail, which is part of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum just off the food court at the famous Riverwalk Marketplace. Come view some of the most interesting specimens at this symposium on Shakers & Barware hosted by author and collector Jim Walker at the Museum of the American Cocktail along with noted collector Mark Biggler & Michael Silvers of Uber Bar Tools.

This session will address the science behind the creation of essential oils and extracts and how they can be used in the art of making drinks.

This seminar will chronicle the cocktail history and folklore attached to the great New Orleans hotels that have gone by the names Grunewald, Roosevelt, Fairmont, and once again, the Roosevelt.

World-renowned food science writer Harold McGee, along with Audrey Saunders and Tony Conigliaro will explore various day-to-day challenges that bartenders experience, and offer solutions for each.

Most historians will tell you the Mint Julep was born in the American south in the early 1800s.

This seminar and tasting may change the way you feel about Canadian spirits.

Ever wonder how some nights when you worked so hard - you were at the end of the night physically tired but in good spirits and appeared not to have lost a lot of energy? Remember also the nights when at the end you weren't only physically tired and exhausted but also emotionally drained and "heavy"?

Cocktails by Salvatore Calabrese and Dale DeGroff A conversation with Olivier Paultes, distiller and cellar master of Frapin Cognac and Salvatore Calabrese owner of London's fashionable Fifty at Fifty St. James and the author of "Cognac, A Liquid History".

This seminar will explore the various social and economic groups within Asian society and how to navigate and respect the rich culture of Asia.

The ancient history of gin, from the Moors settling France as far as Bordeaux until 732 AD, to 1269 in Holland, England's Gin Craze in the 1700s, the birth of Mahon gin in the 1700s, the rise and rise and fall of gin, and the re-birth of the gin category in the late 1980s.

In this fun-filled seminar, you'll discover one of the great eccentrics of San Francisco, take a sexy look back at a cultural phenomenon, and feel its continued impact. We'll study the drinks of the era- so prepare to drink cocktails that will challenge your concept of "good".

How to read your guests mind and tongue with a help of COCKTAIL PSYCHOLOGY. Remember the bartender is also a salesman. You are in a business where you are selling not only drinks, but also YOURSELF.

An investigation and analysis from the death of the Tiki Bar to the resurgence to the new trends emerging.

This session will focus on how to incorporate umami into cocktails.