This year’s Tales of the Cocktail has begun! The conference spans from July 21 – 26 in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The event is put on by non-profit organization, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation that strives to support, educate, and advance the communities it’s involved with. On Monday July 22, we were excited to experience Jack Daniel’s: A Journey Through Sound, a night of music and spirits put on by the Tennessee whiskey brand, Jack Daniel’s.
The event began at 6:30 p.m. at Generations Hall, a leading event venue in Downtown New Orleans. Since the late 1800’s when Jack Daniel’s was created, musicians around the world have brandished bottles on stage and shared their love for the carefully crafted beverage. Joining both music and whiskey, the event hosted singers Shaboozey and Big Boi and celebrated the connection that the Jack Daniel’s brand has always had with music.
The night kicked off with a DJ set with Prince Nasir Dean who played hits to get the crowd dancing and warmed up for the main acts of the evening.
In April of this year, country artist Shaboozey released “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” a boozy-country play on artist J-Kwon’s 2004 single “Tipsy.” The song immediately blew up and became arguably the song of the summer. Shaboozey announced to the crowd at the start of his performance that the song had just hit number one on the Billboard charts and wanted to celebrate with the crowd.
When Jack Daniel’s heard the lyrics “Someone pour me up a double shot of whiskey / They know me and Jack Daniels got a history,” they knew they could count on Shaboozey for a brand partnership. Celebrating his chart-topping song, Shaboozey took to the stage in a black Jack Daniel’s shirt and light blue jeans while thrilling the crowd with his catchy songs.
One half of popular hip-hop band Outkast, Big Boi performed for this journey through sound as well. In camo shorts, camo Nike’s, and a black denim jacket, Big Boi sang out some tunes while colored lights danced around him and music video clips played on the large LED screen backdrop.
New Orleans native, record producer, DJ, and rapper Mannie Fresh made an appearance for the special performances, supporting his fellow musicians and joining in on some of the fun planned for the night.
Drink stations where bartenders made specially crafted Jack Daniel’s cocktails were set up around the venue. Light bites of traditional New Orleans food were setup for party goers with muffalettas, red beans and rice, and arranchini among other treats like Jack Daniels infused ice creams. You could even partake in a sensory tasting experience in the dark, where your sense of taste is enhanced to experience the full flavors of Jack Daniel’s whiskey.
At a separate booth, guests were invited to an interactive display where they could decorate and paint their own vinyl records.
A musical photo booth was set up so attendees could take a snapshot of the fun they were having throughout the night.Jack Daniel’s has done it once again, creating a night to remember with some amazing cocktails to go along with it. We can’t wait to see what else this week of Tales of the Cocktail has in store.
Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan and Amy Harris @thetraveladdictig