Lesley Townsend, Founder of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic

The “Preview Weekend” of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic took place in New York on October 3 & 4.  Of course, The Liquid Muse was there to bring you snippets of the action; film a podcast for my upcoming new show with Small Screen Network; and interview some of the key players.

Our first chat was with Lesley Townsend, herself, who is the Founder and Director of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic:

1)  Lesley, in your own words, what is the Manhattan Cocktail Classic?

The MCC is New York City's first ever multi-day festival [to take place in May 2010] celebrating the history, contemporary culture, and artful craft of the cocktail.  Part festival, part fête, part conference, part cocktail party, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic will bring together the unparalleled talents and opportunities of the bars, bartenders, and restaurants of our great city for 5 days of activities, both educational and celebratory in nature, championing the common ideals of authenticity, equality, sustainability, service, and pleasure.  (There will be some drinking involved, too.)


2) Why is it important to have an event such as the MCC in New York?

Without getting too smug with NYC pride - it's pretty hard to argue that NYC is not one of the epicenters of this great revival of cocktail culture that's currently exploding all over the world.  We've got a positively absurd density of bartending talent in this city, as well as tremendous diversity and breadth - from the 19th century cocktail revivalists to the envelope-pushing techniques being pioneered by the likes of Eben Freeman and Dave Arnold.  It's a great place to be drinking, that's for sure.

With that, though, comes a sense of responsibility.  The cocktail industry is currently undergoing the same “revelation” surrounding the importance of freshness, sustainability, and locality that we have witnessed in the restaurant industry over the past decade.  Gone are the days of artificial mixers and sweeteners (at last!), and bar owners are now seeking out the best possible ingredients for use in their cocktails, and many are taking further actions towards cutting down on their waste and non-biodegradable products.  This shift in thinking is happening slowly, and we, as New Yorkers, have an obligation to help pave the way for other cocktail communities to (hopefully) follow.  San Francisco has obviously been leading in this regard for quite some time (and of course they already have their own terrific cocktail festival) - so I think now with SF and NYC anchoring the West and East Coasts, and New Orleans holding down the fort with Tales of the Cocktail, we're on the cusp of a real nation-wide movement!

3) How influential are NY bars / bartenders on mixology in other parts of the country?

I don't get out of town much, so I honestly can't say.  I'm heading to SF next week though, I cannot frickin' WAIT to check out the bars!

I think, speaking broadly, the cocktail community is quite fortunate in the degree of communication and collaboration that takes place between bartenders.  We have these great events bringing folks together - Tales, SF Cocktail Week, now (hopefully) the MCC - and it's just so terrific to see all these guys sharing ideas and trading techniques.  It's impossible to say who's impacting whom, but I think everyone's taking a page from everyone's book these days.  It's just such an exciting time for cocktails - everyone has something to learn.

4) What kind of support is the cocktail community showing for the MCC?

Overwhelming, absurd, bringing-your-narrator-to-tears sort of support.  The number of bartenders who came out - not just from NYC, but from the West Coast, from Florida, from Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, DC – to donate their time to this thing...it was just completely mind-boggling.  I honestly never expected this degree of support and enthusiasm, and I get all dorky and emotional just thinking about it. Next question...

I can't quite tip my hand on this yet, but I can assure you, it will be a damn good time.