AJABU Cocktail & Spirits Festival has been one of the most exciting additions to the annual global Bar Industry calendar and this year, they are bringing Africa Rising to Tales of the Cocktail 2025. With a full day of vibrant programming on Wednesday, July 23rd, in the French Quarter Balcony Suites at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans—featuring Africa Rising, a powerful seminar spotlighting African industry leaders, followed by a series of high-energy bar mash-ups and guest shifts with the most exciting bars across Africa and around the world.
RSVP HERE
Africa Rising will bring together some of the most influential voices in African hospitality and cocktail culture, including Amma Mensah (Reign Rum), Richie Barrow (Hero), Kojo Aidoo (Front/Back), Julian Short (Sin+Tax), and Lara Rawa (Lagos Cocktail Week), in a conversation moderated by industry leader John Gakuru (Tales of the Cocktail).
Following the seminar, there will be a dynamic afternoon of Bar Mash-Ups—a reunion of sorts for bars that have previously come together at AJABU’s festival. Over the past year, world-class bars like Handshake Speakeasy, True Laurel, Library by the Sea, and Jigger & Pony have popped up with bars from Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. Now, these African bars will share the stage with their international counterparts once again at Tales.
What: Africa Rising Seminar + Bar Mash-Ups & Guest Shifts
Where: French Quarter Balcony Suites in The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
When: Wednesday, July 23rd | 11 AM - 4 PM
- 11-12:30 PM | Africa Rising Seminar
- 1-2 PM | Bar Mash-Ups Round 1
- 2-3 PM | Guest Shifts (Only African Bars)
- 3-4 PM | Bar Mash-Ups Round 2
