How to enjoy Tales of the Cocktail even if you're not in the industry
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Tales of the Cocktail 2024 runs July 21 through July 26. Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for Tales of the Cocktail
Bartenders, liquor company brand reps, spirits distributors and influencers will move into New Orleans next week for the 2024 edition of Tales of the Cocktail.
Why it matters: The massive cocktail industry conference gives an annual, multimillion-dollar shot in the arm to New Orleans hospitality during the long, slow stretch of summer.
The big picture: In 2023, TOTC generated an estimated $24 million economic impact, according to the event's numbers, a nearly 9% increase over the previous year.
- Founded here, the conference stretches over a week every July, filling its home at the Ritz-Carlton and beyond with tastings, panels, presentations and lots and lots of parties.
- It's frankly hard to find a downtown New Orleans venue that doesn't have at least one official TOTC event or one of the associated 240 brand-specific ones during the conference.
Between the lines: TOTC caters to industry insiders, but there is still plenty of fun for the average, 21+ consumer to check out.
- Here are our picks for how anyone can enjoy Tales of the Cocktail, which runs July 21 through July 26.
🍸 Have a taste: Spirits brands take over meeting space at the Ritz all week for tasting events, where brand reps pour samples of their products and share details about how they're made, what they pair well with and other insights.
- The vibe is pretty lively, as you can imagine, because the brand reps want you to love the product, and attendees are constantly flowing in and out to sample the wares.
- You don't need a full conference pass to attend them. You can buy a Tasting Pass for a single day ($45) or the whole week ($175), both of which include Wellness Workshops and are a pretty great deal for the experience you get.
🧘 Try the Wellness Pass: Not into the booze? Not a problem.
- For the last several years, TOTC has prioritized wellness content as a way to balance out its usual fare.
- A Wellness Week Pass ($10) grants access to 20 workshops, networking sessions and fitness classes all week. Proceeds benefit Tales' Beyond the Bar programming.
🥃 Find a brand event: Have a favorite liquor already? The company is probably having a brand event during Tales.
- While not part of the official schedule, you can scan a brand's website or this list from The Best Drink Ever to see if you can find one that piques your interest.
- It's also common to see guest bartenders pop-up at bars around town, so check with your favorite watering hole to see if they've got special events this week.
Go deeper:
- See other events and cocktail tours from Tales, many of which are ticketed separately from the conference.
- Purchase all tickets here.