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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/51774
BEVERAGE INDUSTRY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR LESLEY TOWNSEND, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, MANHATTAN COCKTAIL CLASSIC Mover with a Shaker Take 5,500 attendees, 74 festival events, 192 sponsors, 77 events, and 47 venues, plenty of fabulous food, music and a couple of high-fl ying trapeze artists, shake it and give it a twist and what do you have? Th e Manhattan Cocktail Classic. For her work founding and directing this high-profi le happening, ringmaster Lesley Townsend deserves the Cheers' Beverage Innovator of the Year Award. "New York is the hungriest and thirstiest city on the planet," proclaims Townsend—and she ought to know. In just three years, Townsend has developed the Manhattan Cocktail Classic into one of the biggest and most prominent events of its kind, encompassing music, fashion, food, fi lm, history, art, architecture, burlesque—and of course, cocktails. Attracting industry professionals and cocktail lovers from around the country and the globe, she has concocted an annual festival that spans three New York boroughs, hosting over 100 events in the city's hottest bars and restaurants. Th e week-long fête in May opens with a glittering gala that takes over the historic New York Public Library for a bacchanalian night when more than 100 top mixologists shake up some 40,000 cocktails for more than 3,000 elegantly attire d guests. Th e Manhattan Cocktail Classic has become a must-attend conference for industry sponsors, from global giants to small artisan producers. Th e publicly ticketed seminars and invitation-only programming are ideal forums to expose their products to the best bartenders in the business as well as well as spirits-savvy consumers. Th e stage manager of this extravaganza, since its inception in 2009, is Townsend. But, she says, "I'm not some mastermind programming every single seminar." Th e director contracts with diff erent agencies for their various expertise: in public relations, marketing, design, catering and logistics. Additionally Townsend has taken a crowd-sourcing approach to the festival. Most of the actual content is developed by the participating presenters, educators, sponsors, bars and restaurants. In many cases, they also work with their own teams to execute those ideas. Townsend and her one full-timer and associate director Georgia Tan oversee and manage the overall direction but don't actively produce every single detail. "It's too huge," says Townsend. "Plus, allowing people to have a stake and creative control in their part of this is an empowering thing; it yields a stronger, richer more diverse product." "I was just in the right spot, at the right time with the right connections," says Townsend modestly about the inception of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. She had been working at Astor Wines & Spirits in various positions, before being hired to open www.cheersonline.com Lesley Townsend raises a glass (left) and the 2011 MCC Gala in New York was packed. Astor Center, the store's educational and events space. It was there the idea formed for the festival. Surprisingly she doesn't have a long history in the drinks business, beyond her time at Astor. "I take no credit as the originator of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic," insists Townsend, "Ideas are cheap; it's all in the execution." And she has executed it well, just after noticing that there was not any single cocktail festival taking place in New York at that time. So in 2009, she quit her job at Astor, started a company and kicked off the fi rst Classic, which has been growing in size, complexity and popularity ever since. She's also had some help from her famous bartending friends; the list of founding advisors reads like a Who's Who of Mixology. Townsend's plans for the 2012 festival are even more ambitious. In addition to the Friday night gala, Saturday will inaugurate the Classic Night Out, a massive block party, or rather six blocks, in Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Th e event will hook up with area restaurants and shops and feature a dozen or more pop-up cocktail bars and installations. Additionally this year, partner Andaz Hotel will be the home base for trade-oriented programming, hosting professional presentations, sampling stations and VIP events. Th e popular and usually sold-out "Stories from Behind the Bar" events will be expanded as well. "Th ere are so many more things I want to do with this festival," asserts Townsend. "I'm a perfectionist; I want to make it 10 times better." —By Th omas Henry Strenk JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 | 31 BETHALEE PHOTOGRAPHY