Tales of the Cocktail Deadlines

I know; I know. I hate deadlines just as much as the next guy, but every once in a while, meeting a deadline can be an intoxifying experience. So there; don’t be scared about the approaching deadlines; drink them in. Tales of the Cocktail’s Official Cocktail Competition is currently underway, and recipes are due by March 17th! This leaves you just under three weeks to develop a magical libation that could be a centerpiece of the annual event. This year’s topic is punch, and Tales is asking bartenders everywhere to reintroduce classic punch methods and recipes to remind us why this mixture of “five ingredients: liquor, sugar or sweetening agent, citrus juice, tea (or other spice) and water” once dominated social consumption. Five ingredients, endless possibilities, and only three weeks to narrow down your preference. Time to stock up on this year’s required spirits, New Orleans Old Amber Rum and Martell VSOP, Jack in the Box tacos, and reserve some hangover time with my bed. Visit TalesoftheCocktail.com for more information.

Additionally, the Tales of the Cocktail’s Cocktail Apprentice Program deadline is also not too far off. The deadline for submitting an application to work with the likes of Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, Tony Abou-Ganim, David Wondrich and others is March 31st. This program sounds really exciting and should certainly be something that any professional bartender should consider. More information on this program is also available at TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Finally, even if you don’t plan to participate in any of these programs, you should start thinking about hotel reservations and buying tickets. Tickets go on sale April 1st, but special hotel rates are already available via the Tales website and won’t last long. Ok, there, I’m done stressing you out about how having fun with cocktails can occasionally require some degree of responsibility and planning. Now go relax and have yourself a punch.