Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans With Preiss Imports Open House

Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) returned to New Orleans from July 23-28, 2023, marking its momentous 21st year. The event draws spirit industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts from around the globe.

The festivities were brimming with tailored activities designed for industry experts, including bartenders and distillers. This year’s event features a delightful blend of in-person education, tastings, networking, and prestigious awards programming.

While primarily catering to industry insiders, some events are also accessible to the public. Attendee revel in the pleasure of savoring exquisite cocktails crafted by some of the world’s finest bartenders.

Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

My Tales of the Cocktail adventure began on Sunday at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans during the check-in process. Armed with the Whova app, I tried my best to create and expertly curated personalized schedule, eagerly RSVPing to partake in as many enriching activities as possible over the span of six action-packed days.

Preiss House

After check-in, I popped over to the Marigny neighborhood to an Open House event with Preiss Imports of San Diego. Preiss is an importer of spirits that sells directly to distributers across the US. The open house showcased many of their brands that are participating in Tales 2023.

Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Henry Preiss and his team were on hand to introduce guests to many of the brands with tasting samples and cocktail choices to highlight the spirits featured at the event.

Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

I love a sweet drink so the bartender made me a special banana daiquiri with Red Colon Red Banana Rum.

Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Tales of The Cocktail 2023 Kicks Off in New Orleans
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

I love finding new brands and fun cocktails and Tales of The Cocktail never disappoints. Check out Preiss Imports’ products and take a journey around the world with spirits that may take you out of your comfort zone to find a new favorite drink.

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Amy Harris
Amy Harris is a writer and photographer who has been traveling for 20 years and flown over 2 million miles to visit over 80 countries on 6 continents. She is a freelance photographer for Invision by Associated Press, AP Images and Rex/Shutterstock. Her work can be seen in various publications and websites including: Rolling Stone, AP Images, National Geographic Books, Fodor’s Travel Guides, Forbes.com, Lonely Planet Travel Guides, JetStar magazine, and Delta Sky Magazine.

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