NEW ORLEANS – For more than two decades, Tales of the Cocktail has served as a gathering place for the world’s leading bartenders, spirits experts, hospitality visionaries, brands, bars and restaurants. Now, for the first time in its 24-year history, Tales is introducing a dedicated platform designed to share that access with a broader, consumer audience.
Introducing Tales Passport: a new platform built to share Tales’ unparalleled access with the enthusiasts who love cocktail culture from the other side of the bar. More than a series of events, Tales Passport opens the door to the talent, places, knowledge, and experiences that have, until now, been reserved almost entirely for industry insiders – the people, techniques, and stories behind the world’s most celebrated drinks.
Debuting during Tales of the Cocktail 2026 in New Orleans, the team shares that the inaugural Tales Passport experiences represent the first chapter of a broader vision that will continue to expand in 2027 and beyond through new experiences, destinations, partnerships and opportunities beyond industry engagement.
The exclusive waitlist is now open, granting priority access to a limited number of tickets before they become available to the public.
“Tales of the Cocktail has spent more than two decades building a global community and creating unparalleled access to the best bartenders, bars, restaurants, and hospitality talent in the world,” said Charlotte Voisey, executive director of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. “Cocktail culture has grown far beyond any single industry, and Tales Passport is how we open our doors to the enthusiasts who’ve helped build it. It stays true to everything Tales has always been, we’re simply extending that access further than ever. As a former bartender myself, I know how important this connection will be, and cannot wait for the public to have the chance to step inside the craft, the stories, and the talent that have made Tales the most influential gathering in hospitality. And this is only the beginning”
A New Way to Experience Tales
Tales House: The Immersive Cocktail Journey presented by Explore Louisiana (Thursday, July 23 – Saturday, July 25)
Serving as the flagship experience of the inaugural Tales Passport platform, Tales House: The Immersive Cocktail Journey presented by Explore Louisiana invites guests into a multi-sensory exploration of how flavor is experienced. Created exclusively for Tales Passport in collaboration with one of the world’s most celebrated bars, and featuring unique brand experiences from leading brands such as Sazerac and Svedka, the experience combines immersive storytelling, hospitality and world-class cocktail talent across a series of curated environments inspired by sound, scent, sight, touch, story and community. Designed to reveal the hidden forces that shape taste, Tales House transforms the cocktail into a journey of discovery.
Additional Inaugural Tales Passport experiences include:
Spirited Dining Reserve: A Six Star Dining Experience (Wednesday, July 22)
In partnership with Tales of the Cocktail and Emeril’s, and powered by Meta, the inaugural Passport Dinner Series kicks off with an extraordinary convergence of culinary and cocktail talent coming together in New Orleans for one night only. Representing six stars across three celebrated restaurants, Chef E.J. Lagasse of Emeril’s — the youngest chef in history to lead a restaurant with two MICHELIN stars — alongside Chef Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s Pujol and Chef Val Cantu of San Francisco’s Californios, and the acclaimed team behind CDMX’s Handshake Speakeasy, one of the highest-ranked bars in the world, will collaborate on a menu of inspired dishes and cocktails created exclusively for Tales of the Cocktail Reserva de la Familia by Jose Cuervo, the Official Tequila Partner of the MICHELIN Guide U.S and Mexico. Guests routinely travel across continents to experience these restaurants and this bar individually, but Tales Passport brings them together at a single table for a one-night-only celebration of hospitality, creativity, modern cuisine, and tequila craftsmanship. With highly limited seating, the Six Star Experience will be one of most sought-after reservations of the year.
The Cocktail Studio Series with Neal Bodenheimer & Francesco Lafranconi (Friday, July 24 – Saturday, July 25)
Led by two of the beverage world’s most respected experts, these intimate sessions offer guests rare hands-on access to the techniques, stories and expertise behind exceptional cocktails. New Orleans cocktail pioneer Neal Bodenheimer will guide guests through the history and craft of classic New Orleans cocktails, while world-renowned mixologist and spirits authority Francesco Lafranconi, Vice President of Beverage & Hospitality Culture for Carver Road Hospitality, invites attendees to earn the playful title of “Certified Spritzologist” through an exploration of the personalities, traditions and flavors behind some of the world’s most iconic spritzes.
The Hidden Omakase Experience (Friday, July 24 – Saturday, July 25)
A highly limited dining and cocktail experience pairing an intimate omakase menu with cocktails from Spirited Awards®-winning talent. Designed for guests seeking discovery, craftsmanship and exclusivity, the experience offers a rare opportunity to engage with world-class hospitality in an intimate setting.
Guests who join the waitlist will receive priority access to tickets, early announcements and future Tales Passport updates as the platform continues to grow.
To join the waitlist and become part of the first chapter of Tales Passport, visit talesofthecocktail.org/tales-passport.