story: CAMPER ENGLISH
photo: TALES OF THE COCKTAIL
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The annual Tales of the Cocktail conference, now in its fifteenth year, draws about 20,000 people. Whether you decide to attend or involve your brand in it, pretty much everyone in the industry must weigh the pros and cons of showing up each year.
Tales of the Cocktail is where a lot of bartenders get their first taste of the global bartending community, says Robin Goodfellow, a partner in several Toronto bars, including Bar Raval, PrettyUgly, and Harry’s. “That’s extremely valuable exposure to people from a market not frequented by all the leaders of the industry,” he says. “TOTC has basically become a bucket-list trip for anyone who takes bartending seriously. ‘Have you read Imbibe? Have you read The Savoy? Have you been to Tales?’ It’s a check on the essential list for people who wish to have a long and prosperous bartending career.”