Thursday marks the start of World Cocktail Week, held in cities around the world from New York to Sydney, May 6-13. The event promotes better understanding and appreciation of the art of the cocktail and its history, as well as responsible drinking.
Various events will celebrate the cocktail, and those sanctioned by the Museum of the American Cocktail (MOTAC) in New Orleans will donate 10 percent of proceeds to the museum to fund its operating and program costs. In Chicago on May 12, Drinks Over Dearborn will be transformed into Tiki Over Dearborn, complete with Tiki-inspired cocktails featuring ABSOLUT Vodka, Plymouth Gin and other Pernod Ricard spirits as well as a pig roast including classic Polynesian foods, a fortune-telling Witch Doctor, hermit crab races, hula lessons, live island-inspired music and limbo contests. RamScale Gallery in New York City will host The Dizzy Fizz Tastemaker’s Punch. The popular cocktail blog will be brought to life alongside a selection of punches served amid the work of various local artists. In Washington, D.C., PS7 will host “Taking it to the Streets,” a celebration of global street food and hand-crafted cocktails on May 10, while each night of World Cocktail Week, Room 11 will feature a different cocktail special. Additional events will take place at Paparazzi locations in four cities in Poland on May 6, and on May 10, the MONDO Bartenders will host a celebration in Sydney, Australia.
The finale event will be held at the Museum of the American Cocktail on May 13 from 5-8 p.m., featuring Chris McMillian and Dale DeGroff creating the world’s largest Fire & Ice Mint Julep. For more information on the event, visit museumoftheamericancocktail.org/WCD/. Happy World Cocktail Week!