Inconsiderate Cocktail Week

Following yesterday's New York Times announcement of New York's own cocktail week, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, many people out in San Francisco have said "WTF?" as it appears to be scheduled at the same time as (the fourth annual) San Francisco Cocktail Week, the week preceding World Cocktail Day.

Note: I love how many holidays we've invented as excuses to throw more parties.

I emailed Lesley Townsend, organizer of the NY event, to ask about the overlap. She wrote back:

We have indeed scheduled it for May 7 - 11, meaning there will be some overlap with SF Cocktail Week.  I spoke with H Joseph Ehrmann about it at length, and we both felt that it would be more positive overall to have both events land during World Cocktail Week (and thus elevate the global profile of the occasion) even though it will mean some people having to choose which one they attend.  Additionally, I, in my naivete, truly thought that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was only going to draw a local audience...the fall-out from yesterday's New York Times article has since proven me wrong...!  Anyway - so yes, overlap, but in the most supportive of ways.  Hopefully in future years we'll be able to arrange some cool stuff like bartender exchange programs and whatnot between the two events.

I should hope so! We already had bartender exchange programs in the past and a lot of interest from New York bartenders in attending this year. Oh well, nevermind!

I think this is a really bad decision and another example of the New York myopia that has plagued the press, industry sponsorships, and this year at Tales. I'm just glad it no longer seems to plague the bartenders- over the past year tons of New York bartenders have been spending time on the West Coast and vice versa, and it's been terrific, I think, for all involved. The last thing anyone needs now is an event that makes people pick sides. Thanks for that inconsiderate and unnecessary decision, Manhattan Cocktail Classic!

Rant finished. Can we hug now?