Mixology Monday

We’ve recently marked the second anniversary of Mixology Monday, and this month’s event had almost 40 participants, possibly the most ever. It’s time to bring it up one more level.

For July, Mixology Monday will take place on Monday, July 21, and this round will feature New Orleans. There are two ways to participate:

1. Mix up a cocktail that either originated in or is inspired by New Orleans, and post about it by Monday, July 21. By “originated,” I mean classics such as the Sazerac or the Milk Punch, as well as more recent creations such as the Obituary Cocktail or the Hurricane; really, there are tons of them out there, and with a little web research (my site has its own fair share of them) you’ll come up with a number of choices. And by “inspired,” I mean don’t be limited by what’s already out there; follow the New Orleans style and knock some Peychaud’s bitters or Herbsaint into the glass for a little NO touch. Hell, even tiki drinks qualify — Don the Beachcomber was created by Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, who hailed from…that’s right.
2. Or, get your booze-bloggin’ butt down to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail from July 16 to 20, and post one of your favorites out of the flood of drinks you’ll encounter. (And it doesn’t have to be a typical New Orleans cocktail; the fact that you’re drinking it while in town is good enough.)

Top get option #2 started, on Wednesday, July 16, there’s a reception for cocktail bloggers at the Hotel Monteleone from 4:30 to 6:00. This thing is all ours, folks, and it’s even being billed (somewhere down in the fine print) as “Mixology Monday Live.” This reception comes just as the event is kicking off, and we’ll have food and cocktails for every blogger who can make it.

Right now there are more than 30 cocktail bloggers who are coming to New Orleans and participating in Blogging Tales of the Cocktail, and — with a little help from the gods of airline transport — we’ll finally have the opportunity to say “I thought you’d be taller / thinner / drunker” to all these folks we’ve only known online for so long. We’ve got bloggers coming from as far away as New Zealand and the UK for this; if you’re still on the fence about it, better jump in now. (And if you’re a cocktail blogger coming to Tales and you aren’t on the Tales Blog contributors list but want to get in on the game, let me know and we’ll get you lined up. )

Even if you can’t make it to New Orleans to be with the rest of us, you can join in the fun with Mixology Monday. The Cocktail Chronicles will host this round; to participate, just have your post up on or before July 21, and pop a note in the comments section to the announcement post. And if there’s any way you can make it, we’d love to have you join us at Tales of the Cocktail. Hope to see you there.