Thousands of bar professionals and spirit reps from across the globe will descend on New Orleans next week for the world’s leading cocktail conference, Tales of the Cocktail. While the five days packed with panels, tastings and parties are geared towards the on-premise community, the rest of the industry can glean insight from the trends and issues driving the topics of discussion.
Ambassadors at bars and restaurants are still key to building brands and promoting trial: 79% of bar and restaurant staff recommend drinks every shift, and 95% say guests are likely to order that drink every or almost every time, according to CGA’s Global Bartender Report.
So how do brands take advantage of the trends boosting sales at restaurants and bars, and connect to the concerns of hospitality professionals? Here are three themes dominating the cocktail world through the lens of its hottest event, and the events to catch if you’re in attendance.
Wellness Goes Beyond Moderation
Last year’s no/low activations will continue with Lyre’s non-alc Bar Liienzo, equipped with a celebrity makeup artist, R&D station and a curated library, as well as a State of No/Low Alc Workshop from incubator Distill Ventures. But yoga, massage sessions, breath workshops, and run clubs illustrate how non-alc brands are putting their marketing dollars behind wellness activities this year. Almave, Topo Chico, and Ritual are some of the brands attaching their names to those sober activities.
But the events also take on some more cutting edge topics in physical and mental wellness, such as a Wednesday workshop sponsored by Grey Goose and Freepour on parenting in the bar industry. There’s also a Building your Dream Career Workshop with Alex Jump of Focus on Health and Aleka Ross, and workshops on embracing neurodiversity, addressing addiction, and dealing with challenges faced by mothers in the industry.
Emerging Global Spirits Get A Spotlight
Global citrus was poised to make a splash in 2024 cocktails, and some lesser-known spirits in the U.S. may also be on the rise. Baijiu, which has been aiming to make it into the mainstream stateside, will get the spotlight when Ming River Sichuan Baijiu hosts one of Tuesday night’s last stops with an all-star late night happy hour at Jolie, nominee for 2024 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar.
On Thursday, attendees can also start their afternoon with Pisco 101, an education focused panel discussion with a focus on the eight grape varietals of Pisco, the legal areas in which they grow, their flavor and aroma characteristics, and the techniques employed to produce spirits from them featuring heavy hitters from the category like Kami Kenna of Topa Spirits and the emerging brand Suyo.
The Espresso Martini Lives On
You may have thought it was trending out, but the espresso martini is still creating a buzz. Each day contains an espresso martini workshop or event, including Cold Brew 101: Solutions for Espresso Martini Serves and Beyond with the founder and brand ambassadors of Mr. Black, who will host a second evening event on Tuesday, featuring cocktail pros from Accomplice, Mister Paradise, and Barrel Proof. A Wednesday event about the evolving espresso martini sponsored by Kerry will also tackle the cocktail trend.
To catch what cocktails might take flight next, we recommend Monday morning’s Trend Forecasting: What’s Next for the Bar Industry with renowned bartender Ms. Franky Marshall; Harrison Ginsberg, bar director of SAGA Hospitality Group, and Lynnette Marrero, co-founder of Speed Rack and mixologist and partner of Delola.