"TalesOfTheCocktail" news and stories

Irish coffee. Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Whiskey and wine consume me as well as I them, but coffee must have captured my heart. Unfortunately, my household move from New York City to Mexico has been held up by the restoration of my antique Faema "Urania" espresso machine. Thank the java gods who inspire rare folks such as the Italian gents at Omnipak Imports in New York to work their magic and lovingly bring back to life such old monster machines. How can I ever serve guests at Casa Cóctel with my dignity intact without a proper machine to make lovely coffee drinks? Coffee is just yet another ingredient in the cocktail pantry.

Sean Muldoon is the mastermind behind the award-winning bar menu of the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. When I say award-winning, I mean they took the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards by storm, with World's Best Drink Selection, World's Best Hotel Bar and World's Best Cocktail Menu. I had my best ever Irish Coffee in this gorgeous historic bar with the sweetheart, Mr. Muldoon, as my host.

New York City isn't about to forget its cocktail roots.

The wild popularity of New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail has prompted imbibing New Yorkers to get into the cocktail conference game. Enter the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, which held a preview session over the weekend in anticipation of a full-blown, five-day cocktail conference next May 14-18. Lucky attendees to the preview seminars were taught cocktail lessons from behind the bar at swank locales throughout the city.

The cap to the weekend was a wild party at the main branch of the New York Public Library on Oct. 4, complete with a Prohibition-style "Free Lunch," cocktails from more than two dozen bartenders and a live band that made the place jump in "Great Gatsby"-like fashion. Check out Slashfood's photos after the jump.

Well another Tales of the Cocktail has come and gone, and Slashfood made it through relatively unscathed. New Orleans was filled with the world's best bartenders who met to tipple together and share a bit of their mixology wisdom for throngs of (slightly tipsy) fans during the five-day bacchanal.

James Meehan of New York's PDT was named American Bartender of the Year on July 11, while "Imbibe!" author David Wondrich got a nod for his cocktail writing and Dale DeGroff for his latest book offering, "The Essential Cocktail."

Get our favorite moments and more photos after the jump.

The Randolph's Jason Littrell at Tales of the Cocktail. Photo: Sara Bonisteel

We're moving a little slower today -- in part because it's sweltering in New Orleans. We'd hate to blame the 40 different libations created by mixologists amid a Mardi Gras exhibition at the Presbytere for a spirited happy hour at Tales of the Cocktail, but that might be at play too.

Yesterday saw seminars on the hows of alcohol -- how to taste, how to pair, how to make vegan clover clubs (substitute soy lecithin for the egg whites). It also saw some of the world's most famous mixologists shaking their stuff -- Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Junior Merino. Keep following us on Twitter. And click on for a gallery of on-the-scene photos.

About $45,000 worth of cocktail shakers. Photo: Sara Bonisteel

This year's Tales kicked off with a toast on Wednesday, and then mixologists and cocktail aficionados got down to the business of drink with seminars on everything from starting a bar to using fresh ingredients. Slashfood dropped by a talk on the history of truly classic -- and highly collectible -- cocktail shakers.

There we eyed these four beauties: a lighthouse, two Zeppelin shakers and Norman Bel Geddes' (real-life dad of Miss Ellie from TV's "Dallas") skyscraper design -- which the jovial Jim Walker told us in his most serious voice are worth more than an average year of college.

We're heading out to catch a streetcar to learn more about the molecular DNA of classic cocktails. Check back later for more photos and keep following us as we Tweet from the scene!

Get the official Tales cocktail after the jump.