El Dorado Returns To Tales Of The Cocktail With Big Presence Across A Number Of Varied Food And Cocktail Events

El Dorado Demerara Rum, general sponsor of this year's TOTC, officially took part in two events this year. Mixologist
Jacob Grier prepared some incredible rum and craft beer cocktails for a (sold-out) spirited dinner at Emeril's Delmonico while El Dorado was a major highlight of Saveur's Snack Stand at the Hotel Monteleone. These were just two of many events taking place over July 25th to 29th in some of New Orleans' coolest spots to enjoy a taste of great cocktails, informative seminars, competitions and award ceremonies, and of course, the spirit of the Big Easy. El Dorado's presence, however, was seen and tasted at a number of other events, as well.

El Dorado certainly has made an impression since last year's inaugural participation in TOTC. In events leading up to July in New Orleans, El Dorado has been part of two winning cocktail competitions. TOTC in partnership with Mutineer Magazine announced the winner of the 2012 Official Cocktail Competition as Dominic Venegas of NoMad Hotel, for his original creation, the "Rum Row" Old Fashioned, featuring El Dorado's flagship Special Reserve 15 Year Old. In the Mixing it Up Porto Cocktail Competition, El Dorado's 12 Year-Old Finest Demerara joined up with
Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto and Hardy VS Cognac in the "Sporting Chance" by Colin Boilini (The Rail).

Mr. Venagas's "Rum Row" served double duty as the opening night toast, kicking off the official start to events in New
Orleans. Two unique seminars focusing on the hot must-have ingredients for stellar, trendy cocktails, beer and coffee,demonstrated how versatile a high-quality rum from the El Dorado family is, and how important rum has become to trendsetting cocktails across major U.S. markets. Coffee: The Missing Ingredient highlighted the artisnal and varied methods of brewing and how brewing processes affect the final cocktail. The "Cultavort" featured the 15 with bitters, Kahlua, Demerara sugar, orange oil, cream and French-pressed coffee. Some wily gentlemen with a borderline obsessive passion for beer broke down all the subtle nuances different beers add to cocktails. The "Dark & Stoutly" at Beertails: The Most
Chemically Complex Cocktails not only reminded the audience of El Dorado's position as the true foundation of Caribbean Rum, but the flagship 15 found its true Belgian match, mixed with one of the greatest (and oldest) Belgian breweries, Brasserie DuPont: 15, Dupont's Monk's Stout (a rare offering stateside), fresh lime and a ginger-habanero syrup.

And speaking of beer, Mr. Grier, author, blogger and lead bartender at Portland, OR's Metrovino, presented two El Dorado
Rum and Beer cocktails at Brewing Up Cocktails, a four-course dinner at Emeril Lagasse's New Orlean's Steakhouse. The evening kicked off with Jacob's Mai Ta-Ipa, crafted with El Dorado's oldest white rum, the 6 Year-Old Silver, and rich, dark 8 Year Old that made an appearance last year in the Cocktail Fresh Market Event. Jacob adds a fermented and hoppy twist to the tiki-traditional Mai-Tai with a local, citrusy-hopped IPA. This opening cocktail was a refreshing start along
with Chef Spencer Minch's first course of Mint-Ginger Grilled Gulf Shrimp. The evening's event closed with a Ginger
Panna Cotta and Jacob's twist on a flip, a Chocolate Stout flip with the Special Reserve 15.

With a sweet tooth in mind, El Dorado also offered earlier in the day their own twist on Grog at Saveur's Snack Stand in the lobby at the historic French Quarter Hotel, Hotel Monteleone. El Dorado presented their Seven Seas Grog, featuring their aged Spiced Rum with Barritt's Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer, pomegranate juice, fresh lime and jalapeno. A rummy Brownie