Thirsty in NOLA: Tales of the Cocktail 2011

The last time I was in New Orleans, it was many years before Katrina, when my girlfriend and I stayed at her best friend’s house in the Garden District and we spent two weeks eating and drinking our way through the Big Easy. Now, after far too long a gap between visits, I’m heading back to New Orleans to join thousands of other attendees at the 2011 Tales of the Cocktail!

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2011 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Nominees Announced

Employees Only bar

The nominees for the 2011 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards have been announced, and once again the Los Angeles cocktail banner is being carried by The Varnish (nominated for Best American Cocktail Bar) and its co-owner, Eric Alperin (American Bartender of the Year). New York’s Employees Only leads the field this year with nominations for Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Drink Selection, and World’s Best Cocktail Bar.

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Winners of the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Announced

The winners have been announced for the second annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge, a four-day competition that took place at New York’s Astor Center on March 1-4, 2011. Nearly 600 entries from around the world were submitted for the multi-stage blind tasting, with 27 Chairman’s Trophy honors awarded to the highest scoring spirits in their category.

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Oliver Jones Named Winner of the 2010 Jimmy Barela Award

Oliver Jones has been named the winner of the 2010 Jimmy Barela Award, which honors the legendary bartender who held court at Cole’s Red Car Bar for 65 years. Jones, who can be found behind the stick at Las Perlas and Tengu (Westwood), bested eleven other competitors in a cocktail showdown that took place at The Varnish on Repeal Day.

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