Saddle up, partner! Join us for a rootin' tootin' good time on the first night of RCR. Dust off your cowboy boots and grab your best western attire for a night of arcade games, great cocktails and country fun. Show off your gaming skills on our vintage arcade machines and challenge your friends to some friendly competition. Don't miss out on this unforgettable night of high scores and hoedown fun at Playhouse//Swillburger!

Playhouse

High Score Hoedown

Who doesn’t love a good dive bar? From the jukebox to the “selection” of spirits, each dive has its own unique charm. Join us Monday, June 3 for our take on elevated dive bar food paired with Heaven Hill brands. Watch us create one-of-a-kind dive bar cocktail classics reimagined as only we know how! 

Redd

Redd Goes Dive!

Step back in time to the era of Prohibition with our immersive Speakeasy-themed class. Explore the fascinating history behind this transformative period in American culture as we delve into the rise of clandestine bars and the enforcement of temperance laws. Whether you’re a history buff, a cocktail enthusiast, or simply curious about the secrets of the speakeasy, join us for an unforgettable journey through the prohibition era. During our cocktail hour, you’ll enjoy two meticulously crafted cocktails inspired by the clandestine concoctions of the 1920s. Sip on expertly mixed libations that pay homage to the creativity and resourcefulness of speakeasy bartenders. Accompanying these delectable drinks will be a selection of hors d’oeuvres designed to complement the flavors and ambiance of the evening. 

Black Button Distilling 

Speakeasy Prohibition Class & Cocktail Hour

Kick off RCR 2024 with a party dedicated to spirits making their Rochester debut. Nine booze brands — Nàdar Gin, Fosforo Mezcal, Tierra de Ensueño Tequila, Widow Jane Baby Jane, Hendrick’s Cabaret, Albany Distilling, Hard Truth, Lake Hour and Barry’s Irish Cream — are teaming up with RCR bartenders for a live showcase of cocktails created with their brand new spirits. Rock to the sounds of the Honey Smugglers, and be ready to vote for your favorite new hooch! Snacks from the El Kapitan food truck will be available; nine tastings included with each ticket. Must be 21+ and show ID for entry. The sixth and final Ziggy’s daiquiri competition will follow this event at Essex beginning at 10p.

Essex

RCR Launchpad Party

Come one, come all! There have been (8) daiquiri contests leading up to this moment throughout the year. Dozens of bartenders have tried their might to make the best daiquiri in all of Rochester — and in one evening, all (8) previous winners will compete once again for a chance to be the Upstate New York Daiquiri Contest Champion. Speed, taste, technique and cleanliness: who has what it takes to win it all? [Event immediately follows the RCR Launchpad Party, no ticket required for Daiq Contest only.]

Ten to One Daiquiri Contest: Upstate Finale

A late-night industry party to kick off the week! Limited wristbands and (very) limited run Martine x RCR tees for the first arrivals. Music by Discolobos.

Martine

INDUSTRY KNIGHT

6/3/24 - Monday

To help bridge communication gaps in the bar and restaurant industry, this lively workshop for FOH and BOH staff will teach basic ASL bar vocabulary — along with some dos-and-don'ts of interacting with the Rochester area Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Profoundly Deaf since birth, Marissa Woodruff (MBA, BS Hospitality and Tourism Management) is a dedicated advocate for the Deaf community and is highly proficient in American Sign Language and Deaf culture. Marissa holds a BS in Hospitality and Tourism Management and an MBA from the Saunders College of Business at the Rochester Institute of Technology where she serves as the Assistant Director of RIT/NTID Alumni Relations. Marissa is active in the Rochester community, presenting on Deaf language and culture, playing volleyball, and finding new adventures. Jackrabbit Club will provide a complimentary lunch buffet for attendees on Tues-Thurs-Fri.; RCR seminars are sponsored by Haus Alpenz.

Jackrabbit Club

Hands-On Hospitality: Sign Language in the Service Industry

Entrepreneurs Naama Tamir of Lighthouse Brooklyn and Eamon Rockey of Rockey’s Botanical Liqueur give you the advice and insights they wish they had before starting their respective businesses. Eamon Rockey is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (BPS ‘06). He has worked in service, management, or partnership at some of NYC’s most highly regarded restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park, Atera, Aska, and Betony. He has spearheaded numerous critically acclaimed beverage programs, often creating his own spirits from scratch in order to craft his own unique cocktails. With the desire to create the ultimate accompaniment to any spirit or drink, he spent nearly a year developing a very unique recipe; finally in 2018, he launched Rockey’s Liqueur, a natural, versatile, New York spirit made from green apple, pineapple, green & black tea, and citrus. Rockey regularly speaks around the world on hospitality, management, and bartending. He is also the Director of Beverage Studies at The Institute of Culinary Education, having launched his program in early 2020. Rockey’s work behind the bar has been featured in multiple books as well as The New York Times, Edible Manhattan, Eater, The New York Daily News, Cooks Science, and The New Yorker. Naama Tamir was born and raised in Rehovot, Israel, home of the Wiseman Institute and the Faculty of Agriculture. She moved to NYC in 2000 after her mandatory IDF service at the age of 20. Naama studied Philosophy and Psychology at Hunter college while moonlighting in the hospitality industry. A few places to note: Employees Only, Macao Trading Co., Craft Steak, Mainland, Smith and Mills. Upon graduation, it became clear that her passion lay in restaurants, sustainability and education. In 2010, along with her brother-partner Assaf Tamir, they opened Lighthouse in South Williamsburg, a sustainable, socially responsible and forward-thinking restaurant. In August 2016, they opened a second location named Lighthouse Outpost in Soho (now closed). Other commitments and honors include Slow food USA Snail-Blazer Award 2019; Executive Producer, Umami Food and Art Festival; Chair of sustainability practices and green initiative, Babar (bar & restaurant alliance); Co-founder NFL (No Free Lunch) sustainability platform, in partnership with The Institute of Public Knowledge; collaborator in the reusable to-go container project. Guest speaker / contributor: NYU, New School, NYC Food Policy Center, Institute Food Tank, James Beard Foundation, Menus OF Change, ICE, CIA, UN. Fair Kitchen co-founder and partner / We Chef - Women Empowered leadership project. Rally For Tomorrow, sustainability-focused education and community building for hospitality in collaboration with Another Round, Another Rally. Jackrabbit Club will provide a complimentary lunch buffet for attendees on Tues-Thurs-Fri.; RCR seminars are sponsored by Haus Alpenz.

Launching Your Own Project: Building Bars & Brands from the Ground Up

Celebrate cornhole, corny spirits and a cornucopia of crazy cocktails featuring Tequila Ocho, Mezcal Vago and Widow Jane featuring their latest heirloom corn whiskey release: Baby Jane! 

Bitter Honey

Cream of the Crop: A Bitter Bar Takeover

Hang at Ziggy's for a special event featuring Marc Farrell, the CEO of RCR back bar spirit Ten To One Rum. Get your bottles signed and savor delicious Ten To One cocktails in a fun, lively atmosphere filled with good vibes and a chance to meet the man behind Ten To One Rum. 

Ziggy's

Meet Your Maker: Ten To One Rum's Marc Farrell

Summer night patio vibes with Continental-inspired small plates, traditional punch from Lisbon, rich wines and fortified elixirs.

The Owl House

Duende at Haus Owl

Break out the bucket hats and high socks and kick off summer at Camp Tiny Fish! Sip tasty canned craft cocktails – care of FLX buds Lake Hour – and bond with friends old and new under the guidance of Camp Director Jake Cornfield of Game Night Rochester. Games, prizes, Petit Poutinerie, a s’mores bar, friendship bracelets, and a camp movie screening are just the start of what you’ll write home about (postcards and stamps provided)!

Tiny Fish Printing

Camp Tiny Fish

Four whiskeys and one rum from independent Indiana-based distillery Hard Truth, with tasting notes and an instruction seminar led by their brand ambassador. Cocktail recipes included and happy hour to follow!

Daily Refresher

The Truth About Hard Truth

Join us for a six-course pairing dinner featuring cocktail pairings from Iron Smoke Distillery and Fee Bros. Bitters.

Velvet Belly

Velvet Belly x Iron Smoke x Fee Brothers Pairing Dinner

Join Jack's Extra Fancy as Chef Kelly McDonald and Bartender Dan Herzog take you on an adventure through four Tiki climates highlighting different styles of Tiki cocktails paired with tropical eats. The four-course event will focus on classic 1950s American Tiki, Polynesian Tiki, Yaki Tiki, and French Creole movements while featuring Rhum JM and Chairman's Reserve portfolios. Tickets are $140.00, tax and gratuity included.

Jack’s Extra Fancy

Tastes of Tiki Pairing Dinner

Perhaps the spirits most fundamental to cocktail history — bourbon and gin — will be the focal points of this meal. Join us for a cocktail dinner with Yellowstone whiskeys and Bowling and Burch Gin, alongside five courses from the Good Luck kitchen.

Good Luck

Kentucky Straight: A Cocktail Pairing Dinner with Yellowstone Bourbon

A Brazilian carnival-themed night to showcase Novo Fogo in partnership with Sazerac and 375 Park Ave Spirits. Craft cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a free tasting of the Novo Fogo Cachaça will kick off RCR with a lively night of Samba, dancing, and Brazilian-style barbecue. Costumes not required, but encouraged! 

Nosh

Carnival de Samba 

MF DOOM NIGHT! Kocktails featuring Pinhook Whiskey and a supervillian listening party.

Rhinestone Kowboy Kocktails

Aloha! Take a vacation at Lucky's with tropical cocktails featuring Rockey's Liqueur, beach vibes and island-themed trivia from Game Night Roc. Reservations guarantee a table in the dining room for you and your team to enjoy bar snacks, drinks, and trivia. 

Lucky's

Life's a Beach

6/4/24 - Tuesday

Conjure an escape to the Italian islands with summer sips and bites at your favorite Italian-American spot on Park Ave…We’re taking inspiration from the beautiful Italy coast and welcoming you to a casual RCR Aperitivo (lunch!) hour with bright, sunny offerings from Palm Bay and the Vern's kitchen. No passport necessary, and there may even be a Sardinian sonata on guitar… Reservations recommended!

Vern's

Paradiso on the Patio

Join Leonore’s and Yola Mezcal as we celebrate amazingly talented local female chefs, bartenders, artists, horticulturists and musicians. A free art show and accompanying outdoor market will highlight numerous creatives and makers.Weather permitting, this will be held in the Alley, with food pairings from Lee's and cocktails by woman-owned and operated Yola Mezcal. 

Leonore's

Lee's x Yola: Women at the Head Seat

Roll through for a happy hour featuring Yellowstone Bourbon cocktails, a silent auction featuring the work of the late renowned artist Roslyn C. Bliss and plenty of gaming options from Game Night Roc. A portion of proceeds will benefit a local community garden in honor of Bliss. Make a dinner resi and spend the evening being (Radio) social!

Radio Social

Bourbon & Brushstrokes

Bonnie & Clyde... peanut butter & jelly... Drake & Kendrick... BOURBON & FRIED CHICKEN! No better a pairing, no more delicious a meal — join us for a four-part dinner pairing Starlight Bourbon cocktails with a Lucky's fried chicken feast.

Winner Winner, Bourbon Dinner

Brother's Bond Bourbon and Brandon the Bartender, c'est beau! Five courses of Cure cuisine will highlight the emerging produce of spring and pair with bourbon cocktails crafted from Brother's Bond Bourbon. Ticket includes a five-course dinner, cocktail and spirit pairings.

Cure

Bourbon et Frères: Cocktail Dinner

A one night-only peek inside Grace & Disgrace presented by and through the lovely lens of renowned Sasmon & Surrey spirits. Enjoy a casual cocktail party with friends and familiars as we sip fancy cocktails and celebrate the Revival!

Grace & Disgrace

Grace & Disgrace presents: The Samson & Surrey Sessions

A comparative tasting of Sazerac brands from across the world. Enjoy tastes from each hemisphere and classic cocktail staples paired with food.

A Sampling of Sazerac

Join us for a unique opportunity to delve into the art of clarified cocktails. Participants will discover the fascinating process behind creating these refined libations and watch our master bartender craft two clarified cocktails for you to indulge in. Throughout the session, you’ll learn the techniques, ingredients, and equipment needed to achieve clarity in cocktails, transforming them into elegant concoctions. What is clarification: Cocktail clarification is a technique used in mixology to remove solids and impurities from cocktail ingredients, resulting in a clear and visually appealing beverage. This process not only improves the aesthetic appeal of a drink but can also enhance its texture and flavor profile. Clarified cocktails are often smoother and more refined than their unclarified counterparts, offering a unique experience both in terms of flavor and presentation. They are particularly popular in high-end bars and among cocktail enthusiasts seeking to elevate their drink-making craft.

Clarified Cocktail Class

Rum: a spirit so central to a fantastic diaspora of cultures and culinary traditions. Cuisine at this dinner will fold into myriad showings of cocktails featuring Ten to One Rum.

Perfect Ten: A Cocktail Dinner with Ten To One Rum

Carnival-themed bar party featuring Fernet Branca and Caffe Borghetti! Games, prizes, raffles, live performances, outdoor bar (weather permitting), food and cocktail specials. 

Branca Midtown

Cirque du Branca

Snow bunnies rejoice! Skip the slopes and head straight for the bar for an epic night of ice cold debauchery with our friends from Jägermeister. Giant Jäger shotskis. A Jäger hydrant. Jäger Sno-Cones. $5 Jägeritas. Did we mention this was a Jägermeister party? Sexy slope attire is happily encouraged. Bring your ride-or-die. We'll be sliding down a mountain of Jäger in no time.

Apres Shot Ski

The George Eastman Museum's Terrace Garden provides a lush setting for guests to sip botanical cocktail creations and escape to a charming bygone era. Enjoy Southern-inspired appetizers by Root Catering, listen to the folksy tunes of A Girl Named Genny, commission a custom poem from J.R. Taylor, pose for a Hypebooth photo, make a zoetrope with the Eastman Museum staff, and play croquet on the east lawn. Break out your finest seersucker, gingham, floral + linen attire and top with a hat that would make the Kentucky Derby proud! Limited VIP tickets include a 5:30 p.m. pre-event tour of the grounds with the Museum's master gardener. Three cocktails included with each ticket. 21+ only. Sponsored by Heaven Hill.

George Eastman Museum

Kentucky Garden Party

Emo night at Dive featuring local band Cut Me Up Genny covering your old favorites and specialty libations featuring Redemption bourbon and rye. Heavy eyeliner and skinny jeans strongly encouraged. Doors at 7p, music at 8p. $10 cover.

Swan Dive

Redeem Your Youth: Emo Night with Cut Me Up Genny

An Italian disco party with DJ Delano! Enjoy cocktails featuring a selection of Winebow spirits and food from Forno Tony. Spritzer hour early; Italo disco late.

Italo Disco 

6/5/24 - Wednesday

Experience a taste of DEI Over Wine, a historically sold-out three-part series taught by New York Kitchen's Beverage Education Manager, Maiah Johnson Dunn (she/her), and Rochester-area DEI Practitioner, Syd Bell (she/her). Maiah and Syd will serve up diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts in actionable conversations paired with real-world examples. You'll dissect power and privilege and the importance of context, explore building inclusive spaces, and discuss a roadmap for active allyship. Come prepared for honest conversation and a delicious wine cocktail. Cohort 2 of the DEI Over Wine three-session series will be kicking off at New York Kitchen on June 26. Visit nykitchen.com for more information. Syd Bell is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Practitioner who grounds her work in building trust and community across the Greater Rochester region. She has had an opportunity to educate on DEI concepts and practices for students in a variety of classrooms, including universities, tasting rooms, community spaces, and nonprofits. She is a certified Antiracism Facilitation Fellow through 540WMain, Inc. and is SafeZone certified through the SafeZone Initiative. Syd is honored to do this work in a community that she cares deeply about, and with people who are committed to working toward change together. Maiah Johnson Dunn transitioned to the wine industry in 2020. Her shift began with Chasing Grapeness, an Instagram account turned wine pairing dinner series focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. After two sold-out dinners, she started writing about wine and never looked back. Her work can be found in CITY Newspaper, Decanter Magazine, and the fifth edition of Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine. She also serves as the Beverage Education Manager at New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, New York, where her focus is building a space for everyone to learn about New York’s craft agriculture–wine especially. Jackrabbit Club will provide a complimentary lunch buffet for attendees on Tues-Thurs-Fri.; RCR seminars are sponsored by Haus Alpenz.

DEI Over Cocktails

Join Alexis Belton Tinoco, Beverage Director & General Manager at Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, and Alex Smith, Events Director at Tales of the Cocktail, as they delve into the intricacies of event planning within the bar industry, with a special focus on the invaluable lessons garnered from Tales of the Cocktail’s Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP). With over 500 bartenders trained through the CAP, discover how this program has become a cornerstone in preparing professionals for the dynamic landscape of event management within bars. Alexis Belton is the opening Beverage Director and General Manager at Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, which is located inside of the Perelman Performing Arts Center in downtown Manhattan. Originally hailing from Northern California's Bay Area, Alexis has spent her life surrounded by food and drink. Alexis found herself perpetually drawn to the restaurant industry and she finally found her calling when she moved to New York City in 2011. She ran the beverage program for a well-known West Village haunt and it was there she met her now-husband, Ed Tinoco. They left New York in order to challenge themselves and hone their skills at The Alinea Group. Up until two years ago, Alexis was the bar director at the Aviary & The Office, located in the busy Fulton Market District of Chicago's West Loop. Alex Smith is the Events Director for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, working closely with industry leaders and emerging bartenders from all corners of the globe, overseeing the renowned Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP) and the prestigious Spirited Awards. With a passion for hospitality and an unwavering dedication to the craft, she has spent the past nine years leading the event logistics surrounding Tales of the Cocktail. Jackrabbit Club will provide a complimentary lunch buffet for attendees on Tues-Thurs-Fri.; RCR seminars are sponsored by Haus Alpenz.

Throw A Banger Bar Event with Tales of the Cocktail

Get pumped for Bitter Honey’s second annual Arm Wrestling Tournament! Whether you’re semi-pro or new to the game, this event is not to be missed. Join us for a night of intense matchups, killer Dos Hombres Mezcal cocktails and an all-around blast! Feel the adrenaline and cheer on your favorites – it’s going to be epic! Free admission; entry fee for tournament due at sign-ups 2 p.m., day-of.

Second Annual Arm Wrestling Tournament 

On the eve of 2007, David Kaplan opened Death & Co. on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In August 2008, Chuck Cerankosky opened Good Luck in Rochester's Neighborhood of the Arts. Death & Co. would become one of the foremost influential bars of the modern cocktail movement, spawning locations in Denver, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Good Luck would be the first in a family of six beloved Rochester cocktail bars, as well as the foundation for the Rochester Cocktail Revival. Kaplan and Cerankosky share an additional commonality: they graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology one year apart. Join these industrious RIT alumni turned hospitality professionals as they discuss their careers and the nuances of opening a bar in 2007 versus 2024. Kaplan, a 2004 fine art photo graduate, will delve into the creation and international growth of Death & Co.; while Cerankosky, a 2003 industrial design major, maps out his nontraditional path in Rochester, from starting a cocktail bar during a recession and running a decade-long cocktail festival to building brands across the city. RIT hospitality professor Lorraine Hems moderates. $25 admission includes a cocktail or mocktail. ASL interpreting services available upon request; please contact cheers@rochestercocktailrevival.com. Sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology.

Death, Luck & Tigers: A Conversation with David Kaplan & Chuck Cerankosky

For one night only, the Tiki crew from Buffalo is coming to the ROC to carry us away to a tropical escape at Ziggy's. Swizzles, grogs and potions to heal all brought to you by Pernod Ricard. Danny, Mark and Frank are ready to bring the libations and party — we'll see you in paradise!

Buffalo Tiki Takeover

Join us at Lee’s for our first-ever pairing dinner featuring High Road Spirits. There will be two ticketed seating times for this five-course menu, as well as a welcome drink hour. After dinner, stick around or stop by for some patio hangs and then get in line for our speakeasy style tattoo pop-up with artists from Pyramid Arts Tattoo. The tattoo portion of this event will be flash-based, featuring elements from cocktail culture, traditional Japanese art and Swan Family icons. 

High Road x Lee's Side Door Tattoo: A Pairing Dinner

Grab a drink, settle in and get comfortable. Tonight, we treat Lucky's like a Japanese pub, offering Izakaya small plates paired to honor Tokyo cocktail culture's reverence for Scotch. The cuisine of Chef Langlois accompanies highballs and cocktails featuring Aberfeldy Scotch.

East Meets West Pairing Dinner

This dinner will show off Italian cuisine through the French lens of Cure Chef Andreas Petsos. Cocktails will follow suit, constructed from Italian spirit staples vermouth, grappa and gin. Ticket includes a five-course dinner, cocktail and spirit pairings.

l'Italien: Cocktail Dinner

A sticky situation! Join Roux for a pollination-themed Sustainable Table with Brighton Honey’s Ward Graham, the Seneca Park Zoo and Barr Hill Spirits. Enjoy a prefixe menu designed by Chef Ashley Swan paired with Barr Hill cocktails, while exploring the importance of bees in our delicate food ecosystem. Chat with special guests from Brighton Honey and the Seneca Park Zoo to see what you can do to contribute to the health of our community pollinator efforts! All ‘ticket’ proceeds are donated to the Seneca Park Zoo. Welcome drink and pollinator seed packets included in ticket.

Roux

An Evening with the Bees

A Locals Only carnival featuring Kings County Distillery cocktails, good food and fun games!

Locals Only

King’s Carnival 

Join Crisp for a costume contest theme featuring British icons! Staff and guests will dress as their favorite famous icon — be it a hero, villain, or buffoon — and staff will stay in character all evening. Prizes will be awarded for Best Costume, (sarcastic) palm readings, a loop of hilarious British films, UK decor, British cuisine specials, and cocktails featuring Warner’s Gins.

CRISP Rochester

British Icons: Hero, Villain, or Buffoon?

Radlers, shandies, punches and pilsners: join The Richmond as we celebrate Albany Distilling Company with an exploration of the beer cocktail and get groovy to a DJ dance party on the patio.

The Richmond

Patio Panaché: A Low Brow Cocktail Party

Six spirited cocktails paired with five dinner courses featuring local, early summer sustainable foods. $95 per guest, not inclusive (settle up at end of event). Call 585-271-3470 to make reservations.

Lento

Yellowstone & Luxco Spirit Pairing Dinner

Good Luck's cocktail program has always shown reverence to – and influence from – sensational cuisine. This dinner debuts bartender Paul Diaz's 'Ninja Menu' – a secret roster of drinks featuring a bag of mixological trickery and slight of hand reflecting the genius of the kitchen. Expect a five-course menu showcased alongside a menu of many spirits, styles and inspirations. 

The Way of the Warrior: A Cocktail Pairing Dinner

Join us for the most wiener-filled event of RCR. Dance the night away with DJ Delano, enjoy cocktails from Cantera Negra Tequila, and mow down on a bangin’ hot dog menu as we search for Rochester's Glizzy King and Queen. Prom King and Queen will be handsomely rewarded with prizes that include scratch-off tickets and a box of Jack's branded condoms. Entry tickets are $5. 'All You Can Eat & Drink' tickets are available for $100. Doors open at 7:30p with our Court being crowned at 10:30p.

Glizzy Prom

Three classic eras + three unique liquors = one happy party! Step back in time to the Big Band era with Smoke Vodka; move ahead to the suburban explosion with Tiki bars and Tanduay Rums; and finally, embrace the future of tequila with Tierra De Ensueno.

Tanduay Time Machine

The champion musical event of RCR features Flying Object Band fronted by Matt + Chris O'Brian — the brothers behind two decades of popular, locally grown acts Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Thunder Body, Lightning Skeleton and more — together for a night of sonic collaboration. Stay for a house after party with DJ Chreath! 21+ only. $10 advance / $15 at the door. Sponsored by Branca USA.

Super Sounds featuring Flying Object Band + DJ Chreath

Kick off your kitten heels and loosen that necktie as you spend a sultry night sipping Hendrick’s Gin martinis after a long day at the office.

Midnight Martini Lunch: A Mad Men Party

Ten To One rum cocktails will be served up by Martine barkeeps and guest bartender Gio San Fillipo — ambassador of Ten to One and bar manager at Bitter Honey — all set to a DJ set by special guest KOPPS!

Martiki Time

6/6/24 - Thursday

Underlying the creation of the perfect cocktail involves mastering a complex chemical system — one where various chemical compounds are in ideal ratios. In this seminar, practical expertise meets fundamental scientific insight. Join pioneering food scientist and founder of Booker and Dax Dave Arnold and University of Rochester Chemistry Professor Michael Ruggiero as they unravel the mysteries behind what makes a great cocktail. They'll delve into the role of alcohol in flavor perception, explore the unique chemical compositions of various spirits and explain the thermodynamics behind mixing techniques. Discover how acids influence taste, and learn about the chemistry of sweeteners and bitters. This engaging session promises to enhance your appreciation for the art and science of mixology, blending hands-on practical knowledge with fundamental scientific concepts. Jackrabbit Club will provide a complimentary lunch buffet for attendees on Tues-Thurs-Fri.; RCR seminars are sponsored by Haus Alpenz.

A Chemist Walks Into A Bar: How Science Can Make You A Better Bartender 

A martini dinner showcasing one of the most venerable of cocktails in all of it's glory. 50/50, dirty, FRENCH and more variations of Tito's Vodka martinis will accompany a considered feast of pairings from the Cure kitchen of Chef Andreas Petsos. Ticket includes a five-course dinner, cocktail and spirit pairings.

Martini Madness: Cocktail Dinner

Join us for a stirring night at Grace & Disgrace! Stirred and clarified cocktails abound at this special presentation by and through the lovely lens of renowned T. Edward Wine & Spirits! Limited, free tickets are available in advance online.

Grace & Disgrace presents: the T. Edward Sessions

Join us for an in-depth bourbon blending workshop lead by our very own Master Distiller, Jeff Fairbrother and Distiller, Jack Scardino. Coinciding with the release of our Rochester Cocktail Revival Single Barrel Bourbon, learn about the aging process and selection of barrels that have reached the optimal flavor. Discover the art and science of bourbon blending with Black Button! You will learn about distilling, barrel aging and how to blend bourbons from different barrels to achieve the perfect pour. Every barrel of aging bourbon has a slightly different flavor profile – from sweet, to oaky to spicy. Work directly with Jeff and Jack to identify these characteristics through taste and smell and by the end of this class, you will take home a 375mL bottle of bourbon that you personally blended!

Meet the Makers: Bourbon Blending Workshop

Bourbon's influence from age and and assertiveness from craft create a perfect tableau to complement exceptional cooking. Five courses from Good Luck's culinary minds pair with cocktails and neat pours featuring the bourbons of Blue Run. 

The Butterfly Effect: A Bourbon Dinner with Blue Run Spirits

Bask in a summer sunset along the Genesee while sipping craft cocktails to a soundtrack from DJ Delano on the Riverway Promenade! Bring camera gear, mingle with local photographers + the team from CineStill, pose for a Hypebooth photo, and chat with the creative forces behind the “Photo City” issue of CITY magazine. Snacks — including hot popcorn from The Little Theatre! — and two cocktails (or mocktails) included with each ticket. Must be 21+ to attend; ID required to purchase additional drinks onsite. Sponsored by Brown-Forman, CITY Magazine + CineStill.

Genesee Riverway Promenade

Cocktails + Cameras on the Promenade with CITY Magazine

Work it out at a neon party where the DJ will be spinning late 80s-early 90s hip hop and electronic all night long. A specialty cocktail and food menu will draw inspiration from Teremana agave spirits.

Jane SWAN-DA 

Celebrate our third anniversary in style! Dress to impress and walk the red carpet into a DJ dance party with cocktail specials featuring Elijah Craig, Heaven Hill and Lunazul; a champagne toast; photobooth; and prizes for the best dressed.

Velvet Belly's Third Anniversary Red Carpet Gala

We thought the world was going to end, remember? Put on your bucket hat and grab your Furby, 'cuz it's time to party like it's 1999. Music from DJ Chrisser, and all the classic cocktails of the Y2K era. 

Get Lucky With It

Ride the neon wave at a Revelry rave. This tropical dance party will light up the town with DJs, lasers and haze. 

The Revelry

Synth Rave

The official after-party for Cocktails + Cameras on the Promenade. This lo-fi version of the party will feature red Fosforo Mezcal cocktails, tunes by DJ Chreath, guest bartender Lou Ressel and film giveaways from CineStill film!

Kameras & Kocktails

We can't hold 'em! Giddy up to the ol’ Good Luck saloon for a night of tumbleweeds and tequila wearing your cowboy best. Sounds from DJ Smallmouth.

This Ain't Texas: A Wild West Party 

For one night only, (as it will probably never be allowed to happen again)... FERNETWORKTV tests live audience participation, where what's the worst that can happen — a Bad Ending!?

Bar Bad Ending

FERNETWORKTV LIVE!

Slip on your cowboy boots and mosey on over to Tapas 177 for our first-ever Downtown Hoedown! Saddle up for a night of foot-stompin' country music, line dancing and gussied-up Southern cocktails featuring Campari brands. Wear your smartest western getup for the chance to win "best cowboy or cowgirl." Yeehaw!

Tapas 177

Downtown Hoedown

6/7/24 - Friday

Taste through more than 30 craft spirits — including national and New York State distillers — the toolkit of the RCR bartenders. Entry includes samples of up to 16 spirits. Complimentary brunch bites and a cash bar featuring drink specials will be available at Bar Bantam in the lobby of The Metropolitan. $25 at the door. 21+ only.

The Metropolitan

Spirit Tasting Spectacular

RCR’s wellness escape featuring yoga on Parcel 5 at noon, followed by snacks, coffee, NA drinks and cocktails on the patio at Branca Midtown from 1-2 p.m. The first 15 people to sign up receive a Tito’s branded yoga mat and Tito’s swag bag! Later on, happy hour from 5-6 p.m. will feature a Tito’s Martini Bar. 

RCR Recharge

The Martini is currently going through its latest golden age. This one's an echo of the 'tini era of the 1990s, when everything in a V-shaped glass was called a Martini. But with a twist! Robert Simonson leads you through modern Martini history and tells you how we got here. $25 ticket includes a cocktail. ROBERT SIMONSON is the author of six previous books about cocktails and cocktail history, including “The Old-Fashioned” (2014), which kicked off an ongoing cottage industry of single-drink cocktail books; “A Proper Drink” (2016), the first, and so far only, history of the current cocktail renaissance; “3-Ingredient Cocktails” (2017); “The Martini Cocktail” (2019); “Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails” (2021) and “Modern Classic Cocktails” (2022). Both “3-Ingredient Cocktails” and “Martini” were nominated for James Beard Awards; “Mezcal” won a 2022 IACP Award; and “Martini” won a 2020 Spirited Award. He is also the recipient of a 2019 Spirited Award for best cocktail and spirits writer; and a 2021 IACP award for narrative beverage writing. He writes about cocktails, food and travel for The New York Times, where he has been a contributor since 2000. He is a primary contributor to “The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails.” Simonson is the co-author, with Martin Doudoroff, of two apps, “Modern Classics of the Cocktail Renaissance” and “The Martini Cocktail.” He is also the author of the prominent Substack newsletter “The Mix with Robert Simonson.” He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Mary Kate, and their children, Asher and Richard. ASL interpreting services available upon request; please contact cheers@rochestercocktailrevival.com.

'Tini Time, 2.0 with Robert Simonson

Step into the electrifying atmosphere of Studio Lounge's Casino Night, where the thrill of gambling meets the elegance of upscale entertainment. Enjoy classic casino games, indulge in gourmet bites and sip expertly crafted cocktails using spirits from a range of sponsors. Prizes for the chip leaders will be announced at the end, adding an extra touch of sophistication to an unforgettable night of high-stakes fun and glamour!

Studio Lounge

Casino Night in the Studio

Black out with Mr. Black himself! Dress to match the theme and sip cocktail specials featuring Mr. Black with Don Julio Tequila, Tanqueray Gin, Kettle One Vodka, Ron Zacappa Rum and Bulleit Bourbon.

Cub Room

Black Out Party

Embrace the apocalypse... in style! Inspired by the hit video game and television series Fallout, this evening takes you from the manufactured safety of the underground vault and sweet Malibu vibes to the rough wasteland, where you can find succor with Absolut powerhouses, then upstairs to New Vegas, with all of the class of Jameson Whiskey and Jefferson's Bourbon — and none of the gambling, because like it or not, the House always wins!

Open the Vault: Party at the End of the World 

Created as an elixir blend of red wine and spices, Byrrh Grand Quinquina is classically combined with tonic and paired with roasted boar; a tradition in Roussillon, France that dates back to the 19th century. As a nod to this longstanding ritual, the Good Luck culinary team will prepare a whole boar, slow roasted on a spit over an open fire and served al fresco. This meat will be presented with sides, then paired with summery Byrhh cocktails and a special selection of choice aged, oxidized wines from the French Catalan for an all-you-can-eat feast.

Good Luck Boar Roast & Cocktail Feast

Rewind back to the 90s with Recreo! Enjoy games and drinks featuring Tanduay Rum and Tierra de Ensueno Tequila, all while jammin' to throwback tunes.

Recreo

Recreo Rewind

Whiskeys from Iron Smoke Distillery, kocktails featuring Fee Bros. bitters and a live set by DJ Samson.

An Old-Fashioned Ambush

Paris, 1919. In the salon of Gertrude Stein, a group of bohemian expats gathers nightly to smoke, drink and write. World War I has ended, and their experiences and existentialism are on the eve of greatness — immortalized forever in the pages of The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Our Town, and more. “All of you young people who served in the war. . . . You are all a lost generation.” Stein’s 1924 letter to Hemingway bestows a moniker upon the artists, and their spirits live on in many a tortured soul since. Rochester-based performance company Cat + The Coyote — whose experience includes Punchdrunk's Sleep No More — brings the Lost Generation to RCR with this immersive cocktail party in a reimagination of Stein’s salon. Wander through scenes featuring Hemingway, Stein, the Fitzgeralds and a few other (vaguely familiar...) visitors while you sip custom cocktails from the team behind pop-up bar Rumble + Stir, all set to a soundtrack by DJ Jolene. Admission includes two cocktails + performance. Black attire requested; 21+ over only. Sponsored by T. Edward Wines and Rumble + Stir.

The Lost Generation: An Immersive Cocktail Rendezvous

Spirited Awards 'Best Bar' nominee and the self-proclaimed 'best bar in the great state of Texas' is taking over the 'fanciest' joint in upstate New York. Rochester native-turned-Austin, Texan Dan Brennan and his surly band of misfits from Nickel City will be making the 23-hour car ride up to good ol' Rochacha to sling drinks with Lost Irish Whiskey and Lalo Tequila. The cocktails will be fancy. The company will be disreputable. The Bills fandemonium will be out of this world. Come dressed in your Sunday Gameday Best!

Nickel City Fancy

Tonight's the night to become the Hollywood celeb of your DREAMS. Don the attire of your favorite starlet or socialite and watch out for the paparazzi, because they will be all over this RED CARPET EVENT!

Hollywood Red Carpet Party

What better way to end the week than celebrating our favorite party god? Wear your best toga and grape leaves to cheers our boy Bacchus.

Bunny Bacchanalia 

Meet at Cure late night to celebrate the penultimate night of RCR 2024. Cocktails from El Buho Mezcal and an appearance from our very own San Juan expat.

2024 Schedule of Events

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