Suicide And Rebirth At Tales Of The Cocktail

The suicide of Anthony Bourdain in June sent shock waves through the world, but especially the industry he loved. Since then, the conversation about mental health in the hospitality community has come into sharp focus. On this week's show, we speak with individuals close to the issue who gathered in New Orleans in July as part of Tales of the Cocktail's new Beyond The Bar initiative. Intended to help the hospitality industry take care of its own, Beyond the Bar offered compelling seminars on wellness and recovery. 

We begin with bartender and former brand ambassador Tim Etherington-Judge, who was inspired to create Healthy Hospo following a mental breakdown and subsequent recovery. The not-for-profit wellness platform is designed to help bring a new healthy atmosphere to the industry he loves.

We'll also sit down with Kat Kinsman, author of Hi, Anxiety: Life With A Bad Case Of Nerves, for a frank and honest conversation about anxiety and depression. Kat has created an online forum for the industry, Chefs With Issues, that today is both a website and an active closed group on Facebook. Since Anthony Bourdain's tragic death, Kat has been traveling the country, creating safe spaces for open, raw, and thoughtful conversations about the industry's mental health and substance abuse issues.

Then, we'll hear from Charlotte Voisey of William Grant & Sons about Tales of the Cocktail's first ever non-alcoholic party at the annual spirits convention. And Don Lee tells us about the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation's first-ever grants program, which allocates funding to organizations that strive to better the global spirits community.

We're taking a hard look at the industry we all love and the people who are in the trenches fighting for a better way – on this week's Louisiana Eats.

There is help, 24 hours a day, no matter where you are. Call 1-800-273-TALK. When talking isn't possible, text the Crisis Text Line at #741741 to reach out.