I met New Orleansā very own cocktail historian Elizabeth, her husband Lee and their dog Sophie for a picnic at Beaver Lake. Iād been introduced to them by Kat, who knew Iād be interested in meeting Montreal Impact fans from far away.
Whatās her project all about?
Drink and Learn is a walking tour of New Orleans where visitors learn about the cityās history through delicious cocktails and fascinating storytelling. Elizabeth is also working on a podcast that will enable her to share stories with people outside the Big Easy, and is the co-author of The French Quarter Drinking Companion, a guidebook to the many bars of the French Quarter.
Where did the inspiration come from?
āI worked as a high school and college English teacher, and wrote a food column called Homecookinā for a local paper, in which locals would share a recipe and a personal story about the dish. Liz Williams, a local attorney who was on the board of many museums, wanted to open a Southern food museum. She reached out to me to see if I was interested in curating an exhibit that would showcase the potential for such a place. I didnāt know much, or anything, about operating a museum back then, so I said yes! I didnāt realise how much work that would entail, but, in retrospect, that may have been a blessing, or I might have said no! [laughs]
The exhibit was a success, and we launched the food museum shortly after. I made it my fulltime job, but the whole project came to an end with the Great Recession, when our investors pulled the plug. Without a regular job, I took the knowledge and research I had done and turned it into a presentation Iād give to attendees at the numerous conventions in town. From there, it came together as a history tour through liquor, and thatās where weāre at now! And, bonus!, the museum actually managed to stay open thanks to volunteers – Iām actually their drinks director!ā
Whatās been difficult?
āWell, the tour is a bit unusual, and that means my convention business hasnāt really grown, because meeting planners have a difficult time pitching it. Thatās been a struggle, actually, for people to get this idea of drinking and history.
But the biggest difficulty has been scaling the operation. Itās difficult to offload the work, as everyone wants me as the guide! [laughs] On top of that, the tours naturally take place in New Orleans, which limits my potential audience. Itās one of the reasons Iām working on the podcast, so I can reach new people, as well as past customers who want to learn more.ā
What are some lessons youāve learned?
āPeople love to learn! We live in an environment where so much seems to be dumbed down, or reduced to a soundbite, where people are scared of putting out complex opinions and content. But Iāve found that thereās a real thirst [hey-oh!] for in-depth learning – no need to dumb it down unless youāre confusing people. I guess it helps that I was a teacher; if kids can learn complex subjects, so can anyone!
Also, always keep an eye on what works and what doesnāt. Keep the good stuff, and tweak the rest to make the experience the best it can be.
Finally, branding makes a huge difference! Iām lucky because my husband works in the field, but itās almost crazy how a little bit of polish really helps. It makes you look like a pro, and projects to the world the value that you bring to the table.ā
Cheers, thanks for the inspiration! Iāll see you down in New Orleans for a drink or ten!
āYouāre very welcome! Come on down in February and weāll do Carnival together!ā
If youāre ever in New Orleans, go take a Drink and Learn tour and tell āem Daniel sent you (hello discount)! Keep an eye on Elizabethās Twitter account for news about the podcast.
If you do end up going, remember this one thing: the city name rhymes with āpinsā, not āmeansā.