Drinking The World

Every year during Tales of the Cocktail there are "Spirited Dinners." These are special events at dozens of restaurants around New Orleans, held on the Thursday night of Tales, from 8-11pm. Each restaurant prepares a special multi-course, pre-fix dinner and one or more guest mixologists create cocktails paired with each course. The menus are fantastic, and the cocktails even more so. Last year I had a wonderful time at the dinner. My friend Jonathan Pogash, The Cocktail Guru, created the drinks. He asked me to arrive early and I sat at the bar chatting while he finished the prep work. Brian Rea was also there and I had a chance to chat with him for a half hour as well. Then I was invited to join Jonathan's family at their table, which was very nice.

This year I am going to be going to Bayona Restaurant where my friend Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef, will be making some of his fantastic, Latin influenced, cocktail creations. Not only that, but he will be joined by David Suro-Pinera, restaurateur, tequila aficionado, and owner of Siembra Azul - a small batch, artisinally crafted super-premium tequila and Ron Cooper founder of Del Maguey, Single Village Mezcal. I am sure that means that mezcal and tequila will be featured in the cocktails. I can hardly wait!

This year the restaurants participating in the spirited dinners has grown to 25. Click to see all the restaurants involved.

Follow up:

2009 Spirited Dinners

Antoine's
Bacco
Bayona
Bombay Club
Bourbon House
Broussard's
Café Adelaide
Calcasieu
CURE
Emeril's Delmonico
GW Fins
Iris
La Cote Brasserie
Maximo's
MILA
Morton's
Muriel's
Palace Café
Pelican Club
Redfish Grill
Restaurant August
Rio Mar
Wolfe's in the Warehouse
Wolfe's of New Orleans
Zoë