New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Las Vegas Bars and Restaurants to Aid New Orleans Food &

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. October 14, 2008

NEW YORK, NY, September 6, 2005. New Orleans' bars, restaurants, and casinos are the backbone of the tourism industry -- the city's largest industry. With the devastation to home and livelihood in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of the city's hospitality workers face a pressing need in the coming months -- funds to help them rebuild their lives and their futures.

The Museum of the American Cocktail(TM), a non-profit organization, and Southern Comfort's Tales of the Cocktail have organized a "Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour" on Monday, September 12, 2005 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm to directly benefit New Orleans food & beverage industry workers who are out of work and out of funds.

"New Orleans is known for its great tradition of hospitality and service. The waitstaff, bartenders, and line cooks of the Crescent City take pride in their professions as we do here in New York. This is the time to help our sister city with the 'Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour,'" says Dale DeGroff, President of the Museum of the American Cocktail.

The Crescent City's hotels, restaurants, clubs, casinos, and bars provided 80,827 jobs in the hospitality and leisure industries, serving the 10.1 million visitors who brought $4.9 billion in revenues to the community. Many of those workers made their living off tips and wages with few additional benefits. It will take months for these businesses to become operational once again. And it will be even longer before visitors -- who are the backbone of that much-needed income -- will return to the Crescent City's numerous restaurants and bars.

Participating New York restaurants and bars will serve New Orleans classics like the Sazerac and French 75 for $10 per drink between the hours of 5:00pm and 7:00pm. Receipts from those purchases will be donated to a special tax-deductible relief fund established by the Museum of the American Cocktail. And 100% of all monies received will be distributed directly to the workers and their families who apply for aid.

"We're asking the nation's food and beverage industry to donate two hours of their time and drink receipts to help their New Orleans colleagues," says Ann Rogers, organizer of the New Orleans-based Southern Comfort's Tales of the Cocktail. "We hope other cities will answer the call in the coming weeks to help these men and women rebuild their lives."

Establishments can email [email protected] to pledge their support and receive further information on the "Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour" program.

Individuals, establishments, and companies wishing to contribute directly to this relief fund can send their checks to Museum of the American Cocktail, 459 Columbus Avenue, Suite 201, New York NY 10024. Make checks payable to the Museum of the American Cocktail and write the phrase "Katrina Relief Fund" on the bottom left-hand corner of the check. Donations can also be made via Paypal at http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/news/pr/KatrinaFund.html.