Taking place this December, the inaugural Venice Cocktail Week invites visitors to discover the Italian city’s vibrant bar and cocktail scene.
Famously the birthplace of the Bellini and now home to a flourishing bar scene bringing the traditional and cutting edge together, Venice is showcasing its mixology status with the creation of the first-ever Venice Cocktail Week. Following on from the success of Florence Cocktail Week, which took place for the sixth time in September, this event will shine a light on venues across Venice the week of December 13-19, 2021.
This festival of mixology has been set up by the founder of the first Florence Cocktail Week, Paola Mencarelli, with the support of Aman Venice. This week celebrating the creative use of spirits will see hotel bars, cocktail bars and historic cafés unite to showcase their cocktail creations promoting responsible drinking culture. Themed nights and masterclasses will take place alongside other activities celebrating Venetian culture, enabling visitors to see Venice in a new light.
“In this extraordinary year, we have not given up, and we have decided to double up by bringing our Cocktail Week format to Venice,” said the event’s founder and creative director, Mencarelli, revealing details of the event. “It will be an unusual edition for this event, our first ever event in winter, but we will warm up this splendid city of art and culture at the sound of shakers and cocktails.”
Highlights of the mixology week include an opening and closing party, masterclasses giving insight into bartending techniques and themed evenings with prominent bartenders from the global bartending scene. Each participating bar will create a bespoke cocktail list highlighting key products with signature creations, winter cocktails, a twist on a spritz and a drink dedicated to MADE IN ITALY making up the list’s four categories.
As many as 26 participating venues have been announced for the event, from the bars of legendary sites such as Caffè Florian to experimental cocktail venues like Blue Drop and the renowned drinking spots of the city’s most revered hotels.
Seek out the Arts Bar of The St. Regis Venice and venture to Bar Gabbiano of Cipriano, A Belmond Hotel, Venice. Head to the Alchemia Bar in the renovated historic building of Ca’ di Dio hotel, which made its official debut in October 2021. Try the signature creations of Bar Longhi at The Gritti Palace, sip a cocktail or two at Caffè Baglioni of Baglioni Hotel Luna and take in the views of the Skyline Rooftop Bar on top of Hilton Molino Stucky Venice on Giudecca island.
Aman Venice, a property that played a significant part in the event’s creation, will present its exclusive to Venice Cocktail Week drink creations at The Bar. Inspired by one of the city’s most famous residents, Lord Byron, the inviting Bar is designed to represent the Lord’s eccentric character through its inventive cocktail list imagined by head mixologist Antonio Ferrara.
A full list of venues is provided on the event’s online platform, along with a rundown of the participating bartenders and featured cocktails.
