Greetings from New Orleans. I think this might be a very bad time to get a cocktail in San Francisco. I'm here for the annual Tales of the Cocktail convention--as, it seems, is every serious mixologist type from San Francisco. I've counted the whole main staff of Beretta, several people from Alembic, three (including me) from Cantina, people from Rye, Range, Bacar, Nopa, the Slanted Door, and the list goes on. There's simply a ton of SF talent showing strong here. Everyone partied together last night until late, with some folks achieving mid-season form on what was only the first night. We were desperate, though, as a large group of us wandered around the French Quarter for an hour, looking for a suitable drinking establishment. Ironically in this cradle of the American cocktail, such places are hard to find, as much more common are establishments like the ones pictured here. But there will be plenty of delights at the seminars, which start today. I'll keep you posted.