Aoc Restaurant Blog Bartenders Unite: Tales of the Cocktail Festival Recap, part 1

Posted By: GroveHi, I'm Nate Cohn-one of the bartenders at Grove. Making great cocktails is a passion of mine. This passion began in my hometown of Muskegon, where I began working in the restaurant industry while studying music and business at Western Michigan University. When I graduated in 2005, I moved to Grand Rapids and found myself working at The Green Well a couple years later, shortly after they had opened. I then made my way behind the bar at Grove in 2013, where you will still find me today.When I'm not shaking up a cocktail or running around a restaurant, I'm playing drums all over the world as a touring musician in a couple bands, including the ska punk band Mustard Plug.A Bartender's Trip of a Lifetime.This past July I attended one of the world's biggest cocktail festivals held in New Orleans, called Tales of the Cocktail (TOC). Attending this festival has been on my bucket list since I started working at Grove. Around that same time, I came across a documentary called Hey Bartender, which discusses the evolution of modern-day cocktail culture and the lives of some of the industry's mavens. The documentary references Tales of the Cocktail, and really inspired me to check out the event for myself. Tales of the Cocktail is the leading international spirits industry conference in the world. Over 20,000 bartenders, distillers, educators, authors, and cocktail aficionados descend upon New Orleans for one week every July to teach the art, history, and craft behind the bar. A Week of Drinks, Eats & Friends.I attended 13 seminars, classes, and exceptional tastings, including the rare Dermerra Guyanese rum and French Chartreuse, seminars on artisan distilling, and a how-to class on making homemade Vermouth. I even saw a very inspiring Q&A with the hospitality great, Danny Meyer, and so much more. With 20,000 bartenders and spirits-industry professionals in one of America's most unique, authentic, and service-driven cities for an entire week, there was alot of fun to be had. And the fun was had, indeed!Sit back, pour a drink, and keep your eyes open for the remainder of this mini-series. In the meantime, make this cocktail now at home: The Vieux Carre.