This years’ excursion to Tales of the Cocktail was certainly a memorable one. It was my second year in attendance and for those that saw my recap from Tales 2018 and thought “Wow- there are a lot of events!” You will find that this year had even more events, parties & seminars than the year prior. One such event was the D’Usse Re-Mixer event, which blended libations with music and helped those a part of the class find the parallels of both crafts.

The Intro

The Re-Mixer, which was led by D’Usse Cognac’s Global Brand Ambassador, Sullivan Doh, and Grammy Award-winning producer, 9th Wonder, featured stories from both about their different careers while interacting and engaging with the attendees.

The Mixology

To start, Doh shared how he came to be the Global Ambassador for D’Usse. He talked about his passion for the industry, how he got his start, and briefly about the different positions that he had that landed him where he is now. Doh expanded past his career to discuss a classic cocktail recipe, the Sidecar. He gave a brief history and listed out the ingredients that make up the cocktail, then the session broke for a little interactive create your own Sidecar exercise.

Like any good cooking show, there was a “pantry” full of ingredients that the attendees could run to and utilize to make their own rendition on the drink. Honey, figs, lemon & lime juice, berries of all kinds and simple syrups were all options to choose from in order to create the unique rendition of the favorited classic. My particular concoction was a Four Berry Sidecar made with black, rasp, blue and strawberry varieties muddled then mixed with lemon juice, triple sec, and D’Usse VSOP. After tasting briefly tasting and talking about the cocktails that came to life, the mixer moved upstairs.

The Music

Once you ascended the stairs you could see 9th Wonder stationed behind his DJ table with speakers on either side. There was a short introduction before he walked through the evolution of music, and how it has changed and evolved throughout the years, then compared it to the mixology and cocktail industry. I thought it was fascinating to think about… how music and mixology, any type of art really- have so many similarities. Bartenders are artists that same way that singers, actors, painters, dancers & producers are. Get up, go to work, try to make something, a cocktail, that is innovative, then repeat. 9th Wonder had mentioned that some his favorite beats, the ones that he is proudest of, were ones that people didn’t even want, stating “You can make a great new cocktail, but in the end, people still want a Long Island Iced Tea.”

Seminars and events like the D’Usse Re-Mixer really bring value to Tales of the Cocktail. Classes that foster conversation and thought, that leaves you thinking of the class weeks after it occurs. That is exactly what this class did for me- I sit in my car, listening to music on my way to work and think about the parallels between everyone’s industry and my own.

To attend events like this next year- follow Tales of the Cocktail on Instagram and Facebook for when 2020 tickets are released. If you want to learn more about D’Usse VSOP visit their website or purchase a bottle at the local store and let me know what Sidecar rendition you come up with.