2018 TOCC Seminars

The seminars that took place at Toronto Cocktail Conference 2018.


BARTENDER AT LARGE LIVE AT TOCC presented by Erick Castro

 

We are kicking off the educational portion of TOCC with a live taping of the hit YouTube series Bartender at Large! Bartender at Large host Erick Castro with chat with special guest Dave Mitton. They will talk all things Canadian Whisky and cocktail culture in Toronto: from where it began to where it is now and where it is going.

Sponsored by Lot No. 40


SEASONING YOUR COCKTAILS – UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF BITTERS present by Avery Glasser

When you look at the average cocktail menu, you’ll see a description of a cocktail’s flavors, a listing of which spirits and juices were used, and then a single word to describe the sole bit of final seasoning in the cocktail – “bitters”. By just saying bitters, customers aren’t given a clue to what the final drink will taste like – and for those who aren’t familiar with craft cocktails, the word bitter may be a turn off.

Where a decade ago there were only a few kinds of bitters available, now there are as many different types of bitters as there are herbs and spices available in a grocery store. They’re the final accent to your signature beverages and the difference between a mixed drink and a cocktail.

In this session, Avery Glasser, founder of Bittermens, will start to teach you the basics of bitters, ranging from their historical use as folk medicine to modern methods of manufacture. You’ll leave this class armed with the knowledge of how to safely make bitters at home or at your bar, how to properly do a bitters tasting, and how you should approach using bitters for cocktails and in general cuisine.

Sponsored by Sovereign Canada.


IS IT A POP UP? IS IT A TREND? NO, ITS A GLOBAL MOVEMENT!! presented by Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths

Trash Tiki kick off the inaugural TOCC with an indepth look at their growth from a late night, whisky fueled idea into a global touring pop up and now at current day, as part of a global movement that see’s bartender working and drinking with a greater consciousness.

As well as sharing a huge amount of insights on the global bar scene that the pair have experienced first hand, they’ll be sharing new recipes, insights into how to activate your own pop ups with our brand assistance, and how to design and grow your brand in an authentic manner.

Please join Kelsey & Iain for a brand new talk they’ve designed just for TOCC that will see them give a very personal introspective on how they’ve handled the runaway success of Trash Tiki, and what all bartenders can learn from it and take back to their own bars.

Sponsored by Absolut.


THE “M” WORD (IT’S MONEY) presented by Christina Veira, Nick Kennedy and Robin Goodfellow

For this panel, we will be openly discussing our views on ethical pay practices regarding wage, competitions, consulting, charity, and brand partnerships. All the cards on the table, a little truth goes a long way.

Sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey.


RUM AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC presented by Shane Beehan

Since 1493 and Christopher Columbus’ second trip to the new world where he introduced sugarcane to the receptive Caribbean climate, the history of high sea adventure, international rum trade and the cultural and economical growth of the North Atlantic have been directly intertwined. By tracing the growth of the rum trade, specifically on the North Atlantic, it is in essence a historical, cultural and geographical investigation into Nation Building and cocktail evolution. This proposed seminar will trace the growth of rum production, from a happy accident in the Caribbean, through the centuries of British Naval tradition and New England influence, to the bottle fishing and rum running adventures off the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. This seminar will also be a rum/cocktail tasting, connecting cocktails with moments in history. The influence of Naval Tradition on cocktail history is immense, and by sipping through history from the Grog to the Daiquiri and beyond, there is an understanding of how Rum essentially shaped the North Atlantic. Specifically during American Prohibition, when Bill McCoy set up a racket so large off the coast of the Atlantic Provinces that the Rum Running trade would come to define one of the most significant economic booms in Nova Scotia history. Rum quite literally built Nova Scotia, and shaped the history of the North Atlantic, and it is a fine story to tell, one sip at a time.

Sponsored by Havana Club.


HOW TO USE AND ABUSE ITALIAN BITTERS AND VERMOUTH presented by Shawn Soole

In this “Cart before the Horse” Seminar, we delve into the famous bitters and vermouth from Italy and how they are the true building blocks of classic cocktails. Spirit brands can be changed but a Negroni isn’t a classic Negroni without Campari, a Toronto isn’t a TO without Fernet. Understanding the use of these ingredients will give you a better understanding of the “Negroni Family” and many, many more classics along with the simplicity of Italian drinking culture.

Sponsored by Campari.


GATEKEEPERS: THE NECESSITY OF BARTENDERS AS CHANGE AGENTS presented by Ashtin Berry

Join us as Ashtin Berry leads a discussion on why every bartender and hospitality member has the capacity to transform spaces. And the necessity of bars and restaurants to look at inclusivity as the first step to making spaces safe. This seminar will focus on introducing terms, concepts and models of engagement including bystander awareness, communication patterns, and looking at networks as equity pools. This Seminar will be a foundational to the workshop happening the next day. If you want to attend the workshop, we recommend you be present for this seminar.

Sponsored by Bacardi.


COMMUNITY: WHAT IT MEANS, WHY WE WANT IT, AND HOW TO HAVE IT presented by Kevin Demers, Shane Beehan, Shawn Soole, Tess Anne Sawyer

This will be an open discussion between the panelist and attendees addressing what a bar community is, what it can be, and ways to help build that community. The bar community is unlike any other with amazing benefits if we can tap into them. Being able to travel almost anywhere in the world and have some sort of friend or connection before you even get there is incredible, but are we offering the same hospitality to our fellow bar comrades locally? Are we coming together for the greater good of our cities? Are we building each other up so we can reach new heights? Let’s discuss!

Sponsored by Bartender Atlas.


DEVELOPING A TEAM APPROACH THROUGH MENTORSHIP presented by Ezra Star

In this seminar we will discuss methods and approaches towards developing a winning leadership strategy at whose heart is based upon mentoring the next generation.

Sponsored by Bruichladdich.


IS THIS JOB KILLING ME? presented by Jordan Stacey and Michael Fortier

Bartenders, Servers, and Brand Ambassadors have the best jobs in the world!  We’re surrounded by a nonstop party filled with late nights and fuelled by lots of booze but is that going to kill us in the long run?  Are you doing the right things to take care of your mental and physical self? Maybe it’s time to take a look at your lifestyle and see where you can make some small adjustments that you’ll thank yourself for later.

Sponsored by Ungava Gin


KEEPING YOUR SH*T TOGETHER – THE MARRIED OVERSEAS BARTENDER EDITION presented by CHRIS LOWDER and MICAELA PICCOLO

A career in the Cocktail World can be tricky – Late nights, poor diet, unclear career path, low security. Even more challenging can be bartending through a significant life transition – A serious relationship? A marriage? An international move? A career transition? Where do you even begin? And how can you maintain balance (and sanity!) along the way?

Join international bartending duo Micaela Piccolo (Maison Ferrand Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador) and Chris Lowder (Proof & Company, China) as they discuss their lessons learned, strategies mastered, and wisdom gained handling life’s trickiest transitions while making drinks far away from home. From New York to Seoul to Shanghai, Sichuan, Vietnam, Thailand and beyond, Chris and Micaela have found balance as a married couple trotting the globe and mentoring bartenders all over the planet. For them, life is never easy, but it’s always worth it. Come find out why!

Sponsored by Maison Ferrand.


ON THE ORIGINS OF FLAVOUR IN GRAIN SPIRITS presented by Dr Don Livermore

What are the flavours found in grain spirits and how do we isolate them?  An in-depth exploration of the inherent flavour found in different grains, the development of flavour through fermentation, and the evolution of flavour during maturation in wood casks. Seminar will include a tasting of various Canadian whiskies to demonstrate different taste profiles.

Sponsored by Lot 40


VOCAL HEALTH & VOCAL HYGIENE: TIPS AND TRICKS TO KEEPING YOUR VOICE READY FOR SERVICE! presented by Megan McCarthy

As bartenders and hospitality professionals we use our voices, A LOT. Improper speech techniques and over usage can lead to chronic vocal fatigue and issues over time. This seminar will focus on how the voice works, proper phonation, diction, and “placement” of the voice. We will discuss what vocal hygiene is, what types of issues you can develop, and go over preventative measures you can incorporate at home and at work.

Sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka.


THE TRAVEL MENU: HOW A CULTURE OF CURIOSITY CAN AFFECT BOTH COCKTAILS & COMMUNITY presented by Chris Elford and Anu Apte

Never in the history of the cocktail has the culture around drinks changed so very quickly as in the last twenty years. With the explosion of craft cocktail books, magazines, festivals, awards, and lists, we have created a culture that places great value in the execution of a quality tipple in a beautiful space. But as a new generation rises, through the murky waters of influencers and impressions, how do we ensure we are truly setting the table for the world of cocktails to be better than we found it?

Taught by Anu & Chris Elford, this seminar will tell the story of how maintaining a sense of curiosity and wonder can reinvigorate your career and sense of mental balance no matter what path you have chosen. We will share how the Navy Strength “travel menu” of cocktails, one which focuses on unusual flavors, spices, produce, and service styles of the world, opened us up to a world that begs exploration and turned upside-down many of the things we held as gospel about the world of cocktails. We will discuss what it means to transfer this sense of curiosity to your local community–encouraging diversity, listening to marginalized voices, celebrating different paths, and the power of humbling yourself enough to *gasp* try a cocktail from the new kid in town.

Sponsored by Aviation American Gin.


THE PERFECTLY POURED BEER COCKTAIL presented by Elayne Duff and Mirella Amato

On a hot summer day there’s nothing like cracking open a cold beer and chugging the heat away. Refreshingly delicious, beer is great on its own but it also has the ability to add carbonation, texture and a variety of complex flavors – ranging from citrus to coffee – to any cocktail.

In this seminar, world renowned mixologist and former Global Manager of AB-InBev’s craft beer division Elayne Duff, will team up with Mirella Amato, beer consultant, Master Cicerone, and award-winning author based in Toronto to speak about: the best spirit and beer combinations, the different beer styles and their uses within the components of the cocktail, the benefits that beer can bring to played out classics, pitfalls to avoid when embarking on cocktail development, and other artisanal uses for beer. All while tasting some traditional and not-so-traditional beer cocktails created by our experts!

Sponsored by Cocktail Emporium.


FROM SMALL TO LARGE SCALE COCKTAIL BARS & THEIR CHALLENGES presented by Brad Gubbins and Christopher McCrabb

An in-depth look at the challenges that new and young bartenders face when running a bar program at varying sized venues. We plan to highlight some of the differences and how to deal with their challenges based on said size of venue. Not all cocktails are created equally; and neither are the challenges when confronted in a small craft cocktail bar versus a high volume bar that also makes cocktails.

Sponsored by Ron Flor de Caña.


SUCCESSFUL BY DESIGN – BEST PRACTICES IN BAR CONSULTING presented by Chris Lowder

If you think launching your own brand is a challenge, what happens when you’re putting a project together for someone else? How do you maintain a creative vision while also managing multiple partners and contractors? Join Chris Lowder of Proof & Company – the world’s most-awarded bar creative consultancy group – as he shares his insights from working with dozens of partners and clients to create bar, beverage, and educational concepts in Asia Pacific. Chris will teach us how his team is able to identify the one thoughtful, meaningful core concept that informs and brings to life every aspect of a bar’s design and programming. Chris will take us through some high-profile case studies, including multiple bars in the World’s Top 100.

Sponsored by Maison Ferrand.


WORKING ABROAD: THE STRANGE, THE RAD, AND THE FRUSTRATING presented by Erin Rose, Kelsey Ramage and Micaela Piccolo

Micaela Piccolo from Maison Ferrand, Asia Pacific Region, Kelsey Ramage from Trash Tiki and Erin Rose from Grupo Takami, Bogotá will be talking about the challenges and benefits of pulling up roots and working in unfamiliar places from three distinct perspectives. Join us for an introspective look on how these panelists think it can help further your career, the local communities you land in (and return to) and an honest account of the trials and triumphs for anyone considering a sea change.

Micaela works in 14 global markets representing some of the most exciting and fastest-growing independent spirits on the planet with Maison Ferrand. Few of her markets speak the same language, and none share any one culture, strategy, or currency. Her experiences roaming around Asia, rum in hand.

Kelsey has been traveling the world for the last year and a half with her pioneering project Trash Tiki, spreading the gospel of reducing waste and making awesome cocktails. Her tips on living on the go, working in unfamiliar bars and inciting change one lime shell at a time.

Erin has overseen the bar programs of Grupo Takami’s 12 restaurants in Bogotá for the past 2 years. Her latest project and baby, Segundo, just won best bar in Bogotá. Her notes on taking on a more permanent role as an expat, from creating more opportunities for bar staff to working in a second language to learning to live without lemon juice.

Sponsored by Bartender Atlas.


COCKTAIL 101 presented by Sandy De Almeida

Join Sandy De Almeida for a session on cocktail basics. During this seminar, Sandy will walk you through bar tool basics, Using classic cocktail formulas as the building blocks to create your own cocktails. Sandy will also run through her list of cocktail pet peeves.

Sponsored by Altos.


EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT PROHIBITION IS WRONG presented by Christine Sismondo

Most of what we hear about Prohibition is drunk history. The truth is even more interesting than the fiction, though. And it continues to have an impact on how we drink in Ontario today. Find out how as we breeze through a century of drinking in North America–with a special focus on Toronto.

Sponsored by Maker’s Mark.