TALES OF THE COCKTAIL FOUNDATION SUPPORTS RELIEF EFFORTS AND RETURNS TO PUERTO RICO IN 2020
Tales on Tour to be Held in San Juan April 19-22 to Encourage Economic Rebuilding NEW ORLEANS, LA - February 24, 2020 - Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s annual Tales on Tour will return to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico from April 19-22, 2020 in efforts to stimulate economic rebuilding following the devastating earthquakes throughout the southwestern region of the island. The Foundation first brought Tales on Tour to Puerto Rico in 2019 to directly help the community rebuild after Hurricane Maria and support the region’s spirits and hospitality industry.
Tales on Tour is committed to returning to encourage Puerto Rican tourism and support the affected residents. Working alongside Discover Puerto Rico, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is making efforts to ensure programming provides aid to the community, including Beyond the Bar sessions with a focus on mental health and wellness in the wake of disaster. The Tales on Tour team is also working with local partners BACARDÍ Rums, Rincón chapter of Surfrider Foundation, Don Q Rum and SBP to assess and support relief efforts on the ground. "Life has normalized again in San Juan and the rest of the island that was not affected by the earthquakes, with one major exception: the hospitality industry,” said Giovanna Castro, volunteer manager of SBP. “Right now, Puerto Rico and your hospitality peers need your support more than ever. Know that it's safe in San Juan, and SBP and the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation are partnering to find ways to make a difference in those disaster-impacted communities." As it did in 2019, Tales on Tour 2020 will feature an expanded Day of Service that is centered on visiting the affected regions of the island, safety permitting, as well as other activities to continue to support ongoing recovery from Hurricane Maria, including rebuilding homes and cleaning coastlines.
In partnership with lauded hospitality coach Sean Finter, Tales on Tour will also grant 20 complimentary spots to the world-renowned workshop "From Survive to Thrive: 5 Game Changing Techniques by Sean Finter" on April 20th exclusively to local Puerto Rican bar owners and operators. All industry professionals in Puerto Rico are invited to learn more information and apply here by the April 1st deadline. Additional seats will be available for purchase at tickets.talesofthecocktail.org. Based in New Orleans, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation understands that hospitality and tourism are crucial to the rebuilding of a community and economy. “It’s so important to support Puerto Rico through the current devastation the island is facing,” said Caroline Rosen, president of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. “We’re working closely with our partners to ensure Tales on Tour is as impactful and helpful to the community as possible.”
Other programming includes business and culture seminars, evening events hosted by partners BACARDÍ Rums and Don Q Rum, and a Foundation takeover of La Factoría. The Foundation’s Grants Committee will also meet on the first day of Tales of Tour to evaluate and select its next round of grantees. Tales on Tour is an annual initiative that partners Tales of the Cocktail Foundation with a domestic or international host city outside of New Orleans to further the Foundation’s mission to educate, advance and support the industry on a global scale. Official partners of this year’s event include TABASCO®, Q Mixers and Aardvark Paper Straws. More details will be announced in the weeks to come as relief efforts and programming are announced.
About Tales of the Cocktail
Founded in 2002, Tales of the Cocktail has grown from a small gathering of cocktail lovers into the world’s premier cocktail festival. Each year the international spirits industry is welcomed to New Orleans for a week of seminars, tastings, networking events and much more. With 200+ annual events developed specifically for bartenders, distillers and other spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail is the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas, products and techniques.
About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates, advances and supports the global hospitality industry and creates lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make lasting impact in communities that host our events.