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Vandell Is on a Roll as Ode to the Bowl Opens Tales of the Cocktail

At Marc Rose and Med Abrous’ annual New Orleans bowling party, Vay Su and the Vandell crew skipped the drinks long enough to bring L.A. its first Ode to the Bowl win.

The Tales of the Cocktail conference, which started on Sunday and concludes on Friday in New Orleans, is the bender of benders. It’s the biggest annual gathering for the bar industry. The world’s most prominent bartenders and operators show up to see old friends, accept awards, try new products, find inspiration, negotiate deals, consider trends, discuss the future of hospitality, recruit talent and work with liquor brands to pour at events all day and all night. 

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Tales of the Cocktail is also, with the possible exception of the World Series of Poker, the ultimate summer camp for degenerates. It’s a week where some responsible bartenders carry tags with their names, contact info, place of employment and hotel they’re occupying, just in case they need some help finding their way back. 

Tales of the Cocktail is a celebration of hospitality professionals who usually spend their nights taking care of people and watching other people rage. The conference is an important week of work and networking for many, but it’s also a week when adults can party nonstop with childlike glee, in a city that was built for this kind of revelry.

Marc Rose and Med Abrous, who run Los Angeles-based hospitality company Call Mom and have a portfolio that includes The Spare........

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