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The Museum of the American Cocktail
will open in a temporary space in the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum (514 Chartres St.) from Wednesday, Jan. 12, to September 2005. Established to celebrate the 200-year history of the all-American mixed drink, the museum will contain rare books, Prohibition-era literature and music, vintage barware, and drink archives. Among the founders is Dale DeGroff, author of The Craft of the Cocktail (Clarkson Potter), who will coordinate the cocktail education portion of the museum's mission. The founders' goal is to find the museum a permanent home in New Orleans. Visit www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org.

Liquid Lunch
This city is renowned for its traditional Friday cocktail lunches; Morton's (The Shops at Canal Place, 365 Canal St.) is stepping it up this Friday by adding shopping to the steakhouse's lunch menu. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., cocktails in hand, shoppers (or is it diners? drinkers?) will begin to browse hundreds of gifts from Canal Place displayed in Morton's boardrooms. Afterwards, a luncheon will include a salad, a choice of filet mignon or crabcakes, cheesecake and coffee (spiked if you wish). The cost is $38.95. Call 566-0221 for reservations.

Family Gathering
On Sunday at Cafe Adelaide (Loews Hotel, 300 Poydras Street), for the first time ever, executive chefs from all four Commander's Palace Family of Restaurants will collaborate to prepare a benefit dinner for the James Beard Foundation. Together, chefs Randy Evans from Brennan's of Houston, Tory McPhail from Commander's Palace, Kevin Vizard from Cafe Adelaide and Carlos Guia from Commander's Palace Las Vegas will prepare hors d'oeuvres for a cocktail reception to begin at 6 p.m., followed by a six-course dinner. Heritage House will supply the wines. The cost is $75 for James Beard Foundation members, $95 for non-members. Call 896-7600 for reservations.

Book Sale
Shop for your favorite foodie this weekend -- even if it's yourself -- at the cookbook sale to be held at the Nadine Vorhoff Library (Newcomb College, Caroline Richardson Hall, Tulane University). The hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Prices are negotiable. Most items cost less than $5. To donate cookbooks, or for more information, call 865-5762.

Got a tip for Food News? Email me at sara_roahen@yahoo.com

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