Larry Donovan

New Orleans will once again be home to Tales of the Cocktail, a dining and drinking experience that explores the history and spirit of the cocktail, on July 19-23, 2006, at various locations in the New Orleans French Quarter. The 2006 event will be the fourth consecutive year of Tales of the Cocktail, which has attracted and entertained thousands of locals, tourists, best-selling authors, award-winning chefs, celebrity bartenders and mixologists to the city famed for the creation of the cocktail.

The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, a non-profit (501C3) organization dedicated to raising funds to benefit hospitality industry members, produces Tales of the Cocktail annually. Its mission is to preserve the rich history of the restaurants and bars of New Orleans and the unique culture of dining and drinking famous to the city, while educating locals, visitors, and the hospitality industry about this culinary heritage.

After the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, the Society is more committed than ever to rebuilding the spirit of the people of New Orleans by hosting Tales of the Cocktail and encouraging locals and visitors to take part in this culinary extravaganza that celebrates the food, drink, history, and culture of New Orleans.

Show your New Orleans spirit with the three t-shirt designs that aim to preserve and celebrate New Orleans’ great dining and drinking culture. The designs include:

Sip for City - Support New Orleans bars and restaurants by recognizing the contributions New Orleans has made to cocktails and cuisine.
Save the Sazerac – The Sazerac is reported to be the first true cocktail, created by a New Orleans pharmacist. Antoine Amedee Peychaud of France first invented Peychaud Bitters in Santo Dmoingo and brought the recipe to New Orleans where he opened a drugstore on Royal Street in the 1830s. Friends would gather to sample his drinks served in coquetiers, which is the French word for “eggcup” and the mispronunciation of coquetire, resulted in the term “cocktail.” The drink later became known as the Sazerac Cocktail.
Drink In History – There is enormous amounts of history found in New Orleans. Through Tales of the Cocktail, guests can learn about the countless drinks and dishes created in New Orleans, as well as the many bars and restaurants in the French Quarter known around the world and the stories that have made them famous.

The t-shirts are available at Savvy Gourmet (504-895-2665) in New Orleans on Magazine Street or at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com. They are $20.00 each, not including shipping and handling and all proceeds go to The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society. All three t-shirt designs are by local graphic designer David Caruso.