Photo Courtesy of Christine Liu via Bostonist.com

Christine Liu (on-air PRK contributor and Boston CitySearch Editor and National Community Manager) is spending the weekend in New Orleans at a Cocktail CONFERENCE sassily named ‘Tales of the Cocktail.’  She’s been updating us daily via Bostonist on her daily discoveries, delights, and ahem, drinks. Check out some of her highlights and take-aways from a “Spirits Critics Workshop” with 21-year veteran taster F. Paul Pacult:

•”I prefer to taste in the morning because I believe that is the best time to taste.” (With nothing yet to eat or drink for the day.) “It wakes me up pretty quickly.”

•”Taste blind whenever possible … think about what they are not.” (ergo, process of elimination)

•There are 350 sensors per olfactory pad (on each side of the nose), which are the only organs that are connected to the brain. “The sense of smell is so primal, it’s the only sense that can stimulate deja vu.”

•Tasting protocol: smell with your lips parted (no suction, no headaches), and take 2 tastes (one as a mouthwash-esque spit, two is for real-reals). However, the conundrum of the day: To swirl, or not to swirl?

•”Gin is such a lovely invention. There’s the wheel. Then there’s gin.”

•”My technical term is … yummy.”

•Don’t use soap on your tasting glassware! Pacult recommends a 6 to 7-ounce Spanish copita or port glass; stemmed crystal.

•”There are no wrong answers.”

Read more about Christine’s exciting cocktail journey HERE.