Events & Seminars

Prior to the invention of the pop can and efficient refrigeration, soda was served at drugstore fountains that were the alter ego of the saloon. During the heyday of the soda fountains in the 1800s, New Orleans was a center of creativity for soda recipes much like cocktails. The obvious soda examples were drinks like the Roffignac and Ramos Gin Fizz, but other soda drinks evolved from the shakers of soda jerks. For example, root beer was known as New Orleans Mead prior to its more generic designation and the popular Nectar soda were created in New Orleans, plus many more. The Big Easy Soda session will take a look at the techniques and recipes of some of New Orleans soda  drinks and how they influence cocktails today. 

Did you know that the Martini started as a variant of the Manhattan?

Join us at The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill, NC on Wednesday, April 7th, when Dale DeGroff, founding president of the Museum of the American Cocktail and author of "The Essentail Cocktail" presents  The Evolution of the Martini. History comes alive in the glass in the form of the Martinez,  the Knickerbocker, the cold war extra dry martini and a spectacular Flame of Love. Learn about the rich lore behind these wonderful libations while enjoying these variations from the King of Cocktails.

For tickets, contact Gary Crunkleton at 919-969-1125 or email Gary@TheCrunkleton.com.

10% of proceeds will be donated to the Museum of the American Cocktail

From 2500 B.C. to 2010, a look at the importance of spices and herbs; as medicine, as currency, as foodstuffs, and, most notably, as flavoring agents for spirits, liqueurs and cocktails.  Join us on a whirlwind journey back in time and around the globe to shed light onto an exotic and illuminating topic that most of us take very much for granted, while, of course, we “spice it up” with cocktails.

The Museum of the American Cocktail® will celebrate World Cocktail Week™ 2010 from May 6 – 13.  Celebrations will be held in cities around the world. This year’s museum celebration will be held on Thursday, May 13th from 5 to 8 pm. Fabulous food, cocktails, music, and Chris McMillian and Dale DeGroff will again make the largest Fire & Ice Mint Julep in history! Proceeds will go towards supporting the Museum and its mixology program.

Washington DC, Cairo, Havana, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, New York -- from the 1930s through the 1960s, legendary mixologist “Joe The Bartender” was everywhere and nowhere, always one step ahead of governments who suspected him of espionage because he served so many heads of state, generals, and journalists.  This seminar reveals the untold story of the trained chemist who spoke eight languages and survived two revolutions, imprisonment, and exile to create such infamous exotic drinks as the Suffering Bastard.  Presented by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who spent two years tracking down his elusive subject.