Monday Recap of Tales of the Cocktail 2026
COCKTAILS IN ACTION AT SAZERAC HOUSE
Ahead of their Neon Nights Cocktail Takeover, Sazerac House hosted bartenders from Bacchus, Mina Group, Pouring with Heart, and TPC Sawgrass for the Bartenders Society National Finals in their lobby bar. The competition was sponsored by St. James Rum. Upstairs, attendees were treated to a lunch from Karibu Kitchen and cocktails. Vintage TVs and shelves lined with VHS cases filled with giveaway liquor bottles filled the upstairs room, recreating the nostalgic feel of a movie rental store at "Sazerac Home Video."
FORD'S GIN AT ST. PIZZA
In preparation for their
London Dry Radio party on Wednesday, Simon Ford and Ford's Gin held the first
day of their two-day pizza and negroni party at St. Pizza. A prelude to their
"Radio Party," the event served as both a casual aperitivo-style session and
wristband pickup for the big party. Slices of pizza and classic and white
negronis were aplenty for the crowd to enjoy.
MI CAMPO AT JACK ROSE
Mi Campo Tequila threw a banger of a happy hour party at Jack Rose in the Pontchartrain Hotel. Mi Campo global brand ambassador Natalie Villarruel hosted the event while DJ Lady B was spinning tracks for dancing. Tequila and agave cocktails were poured heavily, and guests had the option of acquiring agave-inspired line tattoos and flash designs.
SHĀNG WHISKEY AT MISS SHIRLEY'S
Shāng Whiskey debuted two expressions of their jiàngxiāng whiskey at a "dumplings and dranks" dinner at Miss Shirley's on Magazine Street. The distillers have crafted new spirits from thousands of years of Chinese baijiu tradition now refined through American whiskey craftsmanship. The Dàn Yǎ is a more complex black label at 50% ABV, and the East West Kentucky Blend is a more approachable 48% ABV. Both bottles begin with fermented red sorghum. Dinner guests were able to taste different expressions and distillates from the brand and were treated to a sumptuous Hong Kong-style Chinese dinner and taught some classic baijiu social drinking traditions. The simple yet smooth Manhattan variation made of the Shāng Dàn Yǎ, Amante aperitivo, and Laie red vermouth was unanimously well-received when served.
