king cocktail

Photo by Chris Kridler for The Times-Picayune

You never know who you might be talking to when you make an off-handed remark. On the first night of Tales of the Cocktail, there were two kick-off parties. The first one was Absolut-ly surreal with an indoor winter village. Under blue lighting, there was an artificial “snow” machine blowing white stuff around with huge fans, creating a chilly yet inviting reception. While catching up with old friends from Barsmarts and The Hukilau, I caught a woman out of the corner of my eye who was taking photos. So, I turned around and posed for her. She asked my name and I said jokingly, “Are you trying to interview me?” Turns out, she said she would.

Since the theme of the evening was Absolut, her topic of inquiry was about vodka in general. It was interesting to be on the other side of the microphone. I’m usually the one asking the questions. So, lesson number two is: be careful what comes out of your mouth. You never know who you might be talking to. Turns out she was a reporter for the Times-Picayune and my words ended up alongside those of Dale “King Cocktail” DeGroff. It just may be the only time both of our names will ever appear in print together.

You can read the article here. And thanks, Chris for teaching me another lesson at Tales. 🙂