Blakeview: Tales of the Cocktail turns 20 this week | Blake Pontchartrain | Gambit Weekly

This week marks the 20th anniversary of Tales of the Cocktail, the annual conference and festival that brings representatives of the cocktail, liquor and hospitality industries to New Orleans for a spirited celebration in the city some call the birthplace of the cocktail.

The Sazerac is one of our most famous cocktails, created and popularized in New Orleans nearly 175 years ago. Do you remember in 2008 when the Louisiana Legislature debated whether to make it the state’s official cocktail? Then-state Sen. Edwin Murray, D-New Orleans, ran into unexpected opposition from conservatives when he introduced a bill to honor the Sazerac as the state’s official drink.

Some state senators balked at the idea, saying the idea did not send the right message to the nation. “This should not be one of the things we hold up as a poster for our state,” said Sen. John Smith, D-Leesville, according to The Times-Picayune. “This is a bill that affects our image,” added Sen. Gerald Long, D-Winnfield, who also opposed the bill.

Murray tried to revive the bill later but met with the same results. He then introduced a bill naming the Sazerac the official cocktail of the city of New Orleans. That bill passed overwhelmingly — but Gov. Bobby Jindal refused to sign it. Instead, he allowed the Sazerac bill and about 150 others to become law without his signature.

---