I live a lot of my life out loud on social media to big up some of my favorite drinks and drink makers. Actually, this was supposed to be a Facebook post but I decided that I had too much to say. And so much of FB has been negative lately, it didn’t feel right, because I am inspired and reminded why I LOVE the industry and why we started thirsty.
Tales of the Cocktail 2016 just wrapped up and leading up to the festival, more than a few people asked me: “Do you think that it is still worth going?” The answer for me is always, yes! I get to catch up with some of my favorite humans in the world, who happen to be some of the very best bar folks in the world. For nearly a week, I get to have these talents make me, and about 23,000 other industry folks, their amazing drinks. Keeping it real, there are always some moments that people may want to forget (or remember, if things got blurry) but I have made so many lifelong friends at Tales and when I see them in New Orleans, it is so freaking cool to see how far the cocktail world has come. So I want to celebrate and continue to toast my drinks family!
Chefs and food typically get most of the media attention. I have food friends who have Instagram accounts with MASSIVELY more followers than thirsty because, let’s be honest, cocktails don’t always translate visually like #FoodPorn does. But just as there are “foodies,” there has been a huge growth in people becoming “thirstys” and they truly interested in learning about drinks, drink makers and drinking destinations.
In my farmaciavillamarco.es, a good bartender should get just as much media attention as a good chef. In a way, they are way cooler because a bartender is your guide at a bar (they are also your therapist, your teacher, your matchmaker, your life coach and your entertainment, depending on the bar.) You get a face-to-face live performance from them while chefs are doing their important work mostly behind the scenes. Next time you are at a bar, ask about your drink and a good bartender will teach you something awesome.
This year, Tales was so special because I am humbled how the thirsty community has truly become a thing and people care what we have to say and share and, most importantly, they want to learn. I am so proud that people dig what we are doing and that we have been able to build up a platform to talk about so many incredible people from bars and brands across the world and a beverage media outlet can fun and approachable. I mean, it SHOULD BE FUN – it is drinking! I am certainly not a bartender, so my passion is to learn from talented people who way smarter than I, and Tales is all about that. We get to discover what is up next and revisit the rich history of cocktail culture.
Exploring a city through drinks is my favorite thing in the world and I get to do that as work … so thank you to everyone who has touched my heart, taken the time to teach me and make sure I am always quenched over the years and most importantly, thank you to everyone who reads and follows Thirsty. Get ready for some exciting stuff from us from now until next Tales! I am inspired and headed to the bar #ThirstyOut
Sidebar – thank you so much to all of the incredible brands, publicists, event planners & partners that made this Tales extra special.
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