Lecce Cocktail Week readies for round three
Returning for its third consecutive year, Lecce Cocktail Week (LCW) will bring the Italian city’s best bars together for several days of celebration in June.
Running from 9-15 June, Lecce’s best bars will partner with world-class international and Italian drinks brands to celebrate the city’s mixology scene.
As with previous years, the week-long celebration will feature a limited edition LCW menu in each participating bar, as well as food pairing events in 20 top local restaurants, daily immersive masterclasses, international guest shifts, and a packed calendar of one-of-a-kind events.
LCW founder Francesca Cullen shared: “After our successful first two years, we can’t wait to do it all again for a third edition, and this year is even bigger and better.
“I’m constantly blown away by the incredible talent and creativity in Lecce’s bar scene, and it’s truly an honour to help bring this to a wider global audience. This year we’re excited to be including more restaurants as we believe the pairing between food and drink are a huge part of the cocktail scene, we’re very excited to see the response.”
The week will launch with an opening party at the Torre del Parco, featuring pop-up bars from eight leading Salento venues: Quanto Basta, CUBI, AlVentuno, Filotto, Tonico, Small & Smiling, Fràn Cocktail Bar and Juniper.
Each bar will create drinks in collaboration with sponsors including Compagnia dei Caraibi, MG Gin, Planteray Rum, Vecindad Tequila, Saigon Bagur, Vecchio Magazzino Doganale, Linciano Liquors, BiancaVigna, PuroGhiaccio, and Orsini Soda.
Leccese DJ Mike Favale followed by Milanese DJs Miro and GoldenTrash will be providing music for the night, and party-goers will be able to enjoy catering from local food trucks.
The celebrations will continue throughout the week, with highlights including bar takeovers from the likes of London’s Donovan Bar, and guest shifts from teams at Barcelona’s Paradiso, Moonshiner in Paris, El Kocktail in Wardaw, Naples’ L’Antiquario, and Bar Lupo in Zurich.
A piazza party will be hosted by Alibi Cocktail Bar in collaboration with Brockmans’s Gin on 11 June, while on 13 June, La Fiermontina will present a ‘Sips & Sax’ aperitivo event with Rinaldi 1957’s rum, followed by the ‘You’re the Gin to My Tonic’ rooftop party at Palazzo BN with Beefeater Gin.
Education is at the core of Lecce Cocktail Week, and each afternoon, trade professionals can attend industry-leading masterclasses hosted by brands such as Moët Hennessy and Brown-Forman.
Evening sessions open to the public include interactive workshops such as ‘Build Your Margarita’, ‘Sips and Paint’, and ‘How to Recycle Your Empty Spirit Bottle’.
In addition and with support of local sponsors, Lecce’s streets will come alive with late-night retail activations, featuring music, ready-to-drink creations by Cocktails in Lattina, and special shopping experiences across the city.
The week will conclude on Sunday 15 June with the LCW Street Fest – a city-wide celebration transforming Lecce’s historic streets into a festival of music and cocktails. Sponsored by Diageo, Venturo, Casamigos, and Tanqueray, the finale will see all participating bars and restaurants set up pop-up bars in the street outside their venues, with bands, DJs, and live performances entertaining every corner.
Lecce Cocktail Week was awarded the title of Best Event of 2023 at The Spirits Business Awards.
Entries for this year’s competition are now open, and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 13 November at The Underglobe Theatre in London, hosted by comedian Rob Beckett.
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