Venice Cocktail Week returns for 2023

The third edition of Venice Cocktail Week will take place this October to give consumers the chance to discover the Italian city’s ‘vibrant’ cocktail culture.

Venice Cocktail Week will return on 23-29 October.

Venice Cocktail Week founder, Paola Mencarelli, commented: “Once again, this year Venice Cocktail Week is turning the spotlight on the excellence of the lagoon’s cocktail culture.

“We started the event to give cocktail enthusiasts and professionals a place to meet and discuss current and future trends in the world of mixology and spread the culture of conscious and responsible drinking. It’s a really unique project, where we hope a different idea of drinking can be developed.”

The city-wide celebration will give drinkers the chance to discover the ‘vibrant’ cocktail culture of 31 of the city’s best bars, with one-off drinks, special menus, and events, all of which is designed to demonstrate the talent and inventiveness of the participating bartenders.

As in previous years, Venice Cocktail Week will combine daytime educational events, tastings and activations at the city’s leading bars and hotels, which will be open to the public and are designed for both enthusiasts and professionals, while special apéritif menus will also be available from midday at many of the initiative’s participating venues.

During the evening, attention will turn to bespoke menus at the bars across the city, as well as guest shifts from acclaimed bartenders.

Each menu will include a signature cocktail that has been created to be representative of each respective cocktail bar by its bartending team; a drink dedicated to Italian provenance, with products from exclusively Italian companies participating in the initiative; and a ‘fresh, light’ drink designed for the midday apéritif, which is described as a Venetian tradition.

Participating bars include: Ai Do Leoni, Amo, Fondaco dei Tedeschi, Ancòra, Alchemia, Ca’ di Dio, and Arts Bar, The St. Regis Venice.

The third annual Venice Cocktail Week also marks the return of the Dining with the Spirits initiative.

Originally conceived by Mencarelli for Florence Cocktail Week, the initiative – which will run throughout Venice Cocktail Week – aims to shine a light on the synergy between the worlds of mixology and cuisine, and sees some of the city’s best restaurants take inspiration from different participating spirits.

The restaurants will use them as ingredients in single dishes or in an entire menu, alongside pairing options including both cocktails and neat spirits.

Select Aperitivo opened its brand home in Venice earlier this summer.