The city of New Orleans always has great events going on that are interesting, fun, and educational. This city celebrates its heritage and its culture like no other city on Earth. Take “Tales of the Cocktail” for example; A five day event from July 17th to July 21, which will feature seminars, mixing competitions, and even luncheons and dinners. This festival is the world’s premier cocktail event, culminating the most esteemed experts in mixology for five days of cocktails, great food, and culture.
These five days are a celebration of the craft behind mixing drinks and bringing them together with amazing cuisine. “Tales of the Cocktail” creates a spotlight on a core facet of New Orleans and what it means to be embraced by hospitality. This festival grants awards including “American Bartender of the Year”, “Best American Cocktail Bar,” and “World’s Best Cocktail Menu”. It’s worth a look to see all the events and get a taste for where it all started. The Sazerac, considered the first cocktail, was mixed in New Orleans in the early 19th century by a pharmacist named Antoine Amadee Peychaud. When he created the mixture they were served in coquetiers which when pronounced by slurred imbibers sounded like “cocktail”.
However, cocktails and spirits aren’t the only things to be enjoyed in the city of New Orleans. Swamp land and wildlife is just as much a part of southern Louisiana heritage as anything. In the swamp land, living life by the cypress swamp waters living off alligators and living each day in the food chain fighting for the top spot is normal.
This is an exciting way of life that involves a whole legacy of people that want to share it. Just thirty minutes from the French Quarter is Airboat Adventures, a swamp tour company that gives you an up close and personal peek into the wild by taking you riding on boats, coasting through the water and wandering your way through an entire ecosystem that people live off of.
Airboat Adventures‘ Captains are certified and well trained in safety but have a lot to offer in stories and history that will have you learning something new with every bend of the swamp.
New Orleans is in itself a place of wonder and worth investigating. But Airboat Adventures pulls back the veil and lets you see the gory wildlife that is our swamp land. A rich culture of not only animals in a constant prey v. predator environment, but the story of the hardworking people that live on that land and prosper. Call or go online and schedule a tour, you won’t regret it.