The World Class Cocktail Festival has announced another luscious raft of bespoke cocktail experiences, collaborations, and one-off parties.

The festival aims to celebrate Australia’s vibrant bar culture in Sydney from April 28 to May 2, 2021, and has been designed to reignite our love affair with quality dining and award-winning cocktails after the events of the last 12 months.

Seven of the World’s 100 Best Bars are in Australia – Cantina OK! (pictured main), Bulletin Place, Maybe Sammy, Above Board, Black Pearl, Byrdi and The Everleigh – and they’re all taking part in the festival.

Among the new announcements are that Flex Mami will now curate entertainment for the Paramount House Recreation Club rooftop series on May 1-2. The Don Julio Flex Mami & Friends Sessions from 2 – 8pm will ignite the dancefloor as the sun sets over Surry Hills, the World Class Cocktail Festival precinct. 

Sammy Junior has teamed up with Ketel One and Mr Black coffee liqueur to serve up personalised espresso martinis and Irish coffees on Friday night. You can get creative and customise your design in the foam, opting for personalised pictures, messages, or both.

A Disco Night will be held at Double Deuce, with 70s soul and funk tunes being served up alongside 70s-inspired Ketel One cocktails. More music will be rocking the Ramblin Rascal with Copper Dog whisky creations available at the bar, as well as Earl’s Juke Joint teaming up with Ketel One to put on a nostalgic 90s night and Big Poppa’s featuring a DJ and Tanqueray N° TEN negronis whilst you get down on the dance floor.

Take a walk down memory lane and sip your way through the history of the cocktail, discovering the ‘Golden Age of the Cocktail’ at Door Knock, with previous World Class Australian Bartender of the Year winner Alex Boon serving specially curated retro cocktail options.

And for those after a cocktail and bite to eat, PS40 will be hosting a pop-up with ‘Big’ Sam Young and Tanqueray. At Old Mate’s Place, they will be serving up a delicious Japanese taco lunch to feast on alongside Johnnie Walker.  Kittyhawk will be hosting a bougie night with Ketel One martinis, oysters and snacks, and Dead Ringer will be hosting a Sunday brunch with a range of Ketel One spritzes on offer.

Across Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, more than 80 venues have put their hand up to join the festivities by offering locals a bespoke $15 cocktail option over the five days.

Participating venues include: 

SYDNEY

Apollo, Barber Shop, Bancho, Bitter Phew, Bistecca, Burrow Bar, Cho Cho San, Dead Ringer, Fortunate Son, Grandma’s, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Jacoby’s, Kittyhawk, RE, Rosenbaum & Fuller, Shady Pines, Tio’s, Tokyo Bird, Wild Rover, Riley St Garage, The Gidley, Big Po ppa’s

BRISBANE

Alba, Canvas, Cielo, Death & Taxes, Electric Avenue, Savile Row, The Scottish Prince

MELBOURNE

1806, Black Pearl, Bad Frankie, Bar Liberty, Beneath Driver Lane, Boilermaker, Bomba, Capitano, Eau de Vie, Elysian, Glass House, Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, Lover, Nick & Nora’s, Vue de Monde, Woods of Windsor 

HOBART 

MACq 01, Society, The Glass House

ADELAIDE 

Alfred’s Bar, Bar Torino, Maybe Mae

PERTH 

399, Alfred’s Pizzeria, Caballitos, Ezra Pound, The Flour Factory, Foxtrot Unicorn, Hadiqa, Long Chim, Lot Twenty, Mechanics Institute, Palace Arcade, QT Perth, Varnish on King, Tiki As FK

The World Class Cocktail Festival program can be found at www.worldclasscocktailfestival.com with all booking links and further information.

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