A Neuroscientist, a Flavor Chemist, a Chef, and a Distiller Walk Into a Room: Science and Techniques Behind Unforgettable Flavor Combinations ($5,300)

To sponsor this seminar, choose one of our Annual Education Underwriting levels and add it to your cart. For more information about the different Annual Education Underwriting levels, click the link or continue to the bottom of the page.

Our purpose is to illuminate how chemistry and culinary technique come together to express flavor memory—and how that translation becomes boundary-pushing experiences through the presenters’ work across leading F&B programs—including Sip & Guzzle, Alinea, Eleven Madison Park, Death & Co., and Noma—as well as in the James Beard–nominated book Flavorama. The discussion brings together perspectives from neuroscience and flavor chemistry—led by PhD scientists—alongside culinary practice to explore how the brain processes taste, perception, and the emotional resonance of eating and drinking.

We address the industry’s need to connect emotional resonance with practical, repeatable methods behind the world’s most transportive plates and beverages. We don’t engineer nostalgia in a lab; we shape it through a personal lens—using sourcing, sensory analysis, and technique, guided by flavor affinity and seasonality—to unlock shared human memory.

We’ll move through the full arc of this process—starting with the emotive ingredients we choose, the techniques that unlock their magic and flavor potential, the chemistry that governs their expression, and the neuroscience that explains why certain choices resonate so deeply—giving attendees tools they can immediately apply in their own programs.

Attendees will leave with a rich framework for building evocative beverages and the confidence to pursue unique, ingredient-led flavor development that resonates emotionally with their guests.

Speakers:
Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski
Dr. Arielle Johnson
Mike Bagale
Alfredo Fontanini MD, PhD

Logistics & Details

Seminars will be hosted at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans and will range from 60-90 minutes. Brands will receive logo placement on the TOTC2025 agenda and signage and have the opportunity to have their product served during their sponsored seminar.

Seminar sponsorships are responsible for the underwriting of the spirits served and will be ordered through the Foundation.

Following May 18th, 2026, all confirmed partnerships will incur a 5% late fee (included in total at checkout) and payment is required in full by credit card.

Seminar Sponsorships - Annual Education Underwriting

The new Annual Education Underwriting model invites brands to support the TOTCF Education program year-round through a holistic lens, opening up opportunities beyond sponsoring seminars during the week of Tales of the Cocktail.

To sponsor this seminar, choose one of our Annual Education Underwriting levels and add it to your cart. To sponsor just 1 seminar, we recommend the Builder Level. To sponsor 2+ seminars and receive even more benefits, you can take advantage of our Mentor Level, Innovator Level, or Leader Level opportunities.