Drinks: San Antonio To Host Inaugural Cocktail Conference This Month

San Antonio Cocktail Conference
Thursday, January 26 - Sunday, January 29
Sheraton Gunter San Antonio (205 East Houston Street)
$15 - $275
[info] | [tickets]

Texas in general, and Austin specifically, has attracted lots of national attention on the food front as of late -- thank you, Top Chef: Texas, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and The New York Times, to name a few. But now the Lone Star State is beginning to create a little buzz on the cocktail scene as well. We're no longer just margaritas and micheladas, which is why Sasha Petraske, one of the fellows at the forefront of the current cocktail renaissance, has teamed up with Bohanan's Restaurant and Bar to create the first-ever San Antonio Cocktail Conference. The organizers liken the event to such industry heavy-hitters as the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail.

From January 26 through the 29th, top-tier mixologists from beverage meccas in New York, LA and Miami will swap knowledge with some of our own local legends (Tito Beveridge, founder of Tito's Vodka; Bill Norris, Beverage Director at the Alamo Drafthouse; Nate Wales and Cesar Aguilar of La Condesa; David Alan, Tipsy Texan).

As with any industry conference, many of the events are geared toward barfolk -- for instance, "How to Grow Your Bar Business" and even "Yoga for Bartenders, Waitresses and Drinkers." But there's also plenty of content for the amateur enthusiast, including sessions on how to mix world-class drinks at home or how to create your own preserves and syrups.

Of course, everyone knows the best part of any conference is the parties... and if the several dozen liquor and bar sponsors are any indication, this should be a doozy. Each night features a different soiree where guests will have the opportunity to sample craft cocktails, meet distillers, and toast with some of the leaders of the national cocktail scene. (Happily, several SA hotels are offering discounted accommodations, so you can easily make a weekend of it.)

Ticket prices range from free (to attend the Original Cocktail Competition at Bohanan's Bar on Saturday night) to $50 for the various soirees, but all proceeds from the conference will benefit HeartGift, an organization that provides life-saving heart surgery to disadvantaged children living in developing countries.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.