Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1025306
september 2018 / the tasting panel / 7 between them and the industry's gate- keepers," explains August Sebastiani, President of the brands' parent com- pany, 3 Badge Beverage Corporation. "With an opportunity to drill down on the craft process and production techniques, the educational aspect is a valuable component that bartenders and mixologists can take home and celebrate with their customers." In a similar strategy, Writer's Tears Whiskey—a release from Irish brand Walsh Whiskey in the Disaronno International portfolio—turned the quiet back corner of a sweets shop into a private library bar, where poets tapped out prose on vintage typewrit- ers. Jack Daniel's also stayed true to its rock 'n' roll reputation as it honored brand advocates with two days of fea- tured bartender pop-ups at gritty New Orleans institution The Chart Room. It's the sheer diversity of these spirited experiences that allows Tales to really shine: It encourages brands to embrace their identities and share them with the leading bartenders of the world for a week spent joyously celebrating the industry's past, present, and future. One special moment during Tales 2.0, however, managed to bring attendees together more than any swanky party could. As Friday afternoon's activi- ties concluded, hundreds of industry professionals gathered for a second line parade in memory of Miami barman John Lermayer, who died in early June at the age of 45. At its best, Tales has always been about bartenders and brand representa- tives convening to revel in the magical moments their shared craft creates, and as the band played on and more and more people gathered to march, it was abundantly clear they form the lifeblood of Tales of the Cocktail: a collaborative force that should keep its heart beating soundly for years to come. Bartenders served drinks in copper vessels of various shapes and sizes at the ABSOLUT Elyx House. Pasote Tequila Master Distiller Felipe Camarena and 3 Badge Beverage Corporation President August Sebastiani both attended this year's Tales of the Cocktail.