Have you ever asked yourself how to get the most flavor out of any particular ingredient? Yes? Cool, this seminar is for you. Join Eamon Rockey, founder of Rockey's, Liqueur, in a demonstration of three applications with entirely different bases, and taste drinks made with them all. Eamon Rockey is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Management. For over a decade, he has been a part of some of New York City’s most highly regarded restaurants — including Eleven Madison Park, Atera, Aska and Betony — where he held service, management and beverage-centric positions. 

Jackrabbit Club

Solubility Solutions with Eamon Rockey

Join Dave Arnold, founder of NYC bars Booker & Dax and Existing Conditions + Donny Clutterbuck, caretaker of Rochester bar Cure, for a seminar detailing scientific cocktail methods developed at Booker & Dax such as clarification, nitro muddling, and carbonation. 

BDX Cocktail Methods with Dave Arnold + Donny Clutterbuck

Journey with the Daily team & St. George Spirits to medieval times! Grab a turkey leg, drink some mead, and play period-appropriate games. Feel free to dress up, put on an accent, and be someone else for the evening... But beware: witches will be burned on sight.

Daily Refresher

Renaissance Festival

If the Negroni was an animal, it'd be a chameleon. Yep, truly, the Negroni ratio is easily the most adaptable and versatile of them all. Come experience this phenomenon with a flight of 5 variations on the classic Negroni, with offerings from Old Line Spirits, Catoctin Rye, Conniption Gin, Dos Hombres Mezcal, and Casa Noble Reposado. Additionally, our chefs will be pairing food specials to complement these tasteful takes on the chameleon of cocktails: The Negroni.

Vern's

Negroni: Chameleon

Dick Bradsell created the espresso martini in London in the early '80's, and it's now one of the most popular (and reviled) drinks in the world. In honor of his creation, we will be offering our take on his most popular drinks and riffs along with a kitchen menu of spicy offerings.

Ox & Stone

Uppers & Downers

Hop aboard a special RCR x Rochester Pedal Tours collab, hosted by John Henry and Noble Oak! Meet at Owl House on Friday, June 10 at 5 p.m., pedaling to stops along Park and Alexander (Vern’s, Swan Dive and Branca). Noble Oak Bourbon Lemonades will be served along the way, and National Arbor Society Tree Plantings will be made in honor of each rider! This event is FREE, but limited to the first 14 folks who RSVP! Sponsored by Noble Oak Bourbon and Rye Whiskies. (Share your favorite pedal-to-the-metal song requests with host John Henry in your RSVP!)

The Owl House

Sustainability Happy Hour Pedal Tour with John Henry + Noble Oak

Get sauced and let the moon hit your eye in the Radio Social backyard! Enjoy themed amaro cocktails featuring Nardini, Poli and Zardetto; and a $25 pass gets you a plate of classic Italian eats from Chef Josh Prahler and crew. Editrix, Chores, and Pomelo provide the beats at 8p.

Radio Social

Bocce, Baccio

The category of cane spirits (~rum) is an often unregulated moving target, but a rare few make products equal in quality and diversity to the finest brandies. A curated selection of these rums - Worthy Park, St. Lucia Distillers, Rhum JM and Giffard - will be shown in cocktail form for courses pairing Cure cuisine and cocktails.

Cure

Back to the Bar

Join Recreo + co. for a cocktail menu featuring the official RCR Backbar spirits and live music from Random Accents.

Recreo

RCR Backbar at Recreo

Savory small plates, lively cocktails, and classical guitar will transform Owl House into a summer evening in Spain as we spearhead the American growth of a fantastic and internationally famous Spanish brandy: Torres.

Iberian Noche

Stylin, profilin', growling and smiling while in the sun -- join us for a throwback party with Shawn + Jane from Mixed Drink Mixtape, featuring surf rock jams on vinyl from the 50s, 60s and 70s and transitioning to 80s and 90s hip hop beats into the night. Stay 'til late and enjoy specialty cocktails featuring Gray Whale Gin and Redemption Bourbon + Rye. It's (LL) cool (J).

Swan Dive

Going Back to Cali

We'll make the margaritas, you come party in your PJs. Tequila Espolon, Montelobos Mezcal and Grand Marnier bring their friends to a pillow party featuring a photo booth, DJ Delano and prizes for best sleepwear outfit. Come dressed to snooze and ready to marg.

Good Luck

Margarita Slumber Party

Dance Jam! Popular 1990s drinks get a 2020s revamp featuring Brooklyn's own Rockey's Botanical Liqueur (think: Cosmos, French Martinis, test tubes, and Jello shots). Crush the dance floor with 'fly' DJ-ET! An all-out party with throwback games, outfits and decor. We're reviving the '90s, RCR-style! $10 At The Door

Tapas 177

Oh Snap! It's the 90s!

6/10/22 - Friday

Presented by BayTowne Wine & Spirits. Taste through more than 30 spirit brands, including national and New York State distillers. Sample an expansive variety of craft spirits – the toolkit of the RCR bartenders – along with non-spirit vendors and hands-on activities like candle pouring and printmaking. Entry includes samples of up to 16 spirits and an educational seminar from NYC-based industry expert Maxwell Britten, former bar director at the James Beard Award-winning Maison Premiere. Find all the great spirits served at the Spirit Tasting Spectacular at BayTowne Wine & Spirits. **$20 at the door. 21+ only.**

The Metropolitan

Spirit Tasting Spectacular

Join Donny Clutterbuck of Cure for a fireside discussion about conventional paths and obscure interest with Maxwell Britten, an NYC-based industry leader with 15+ years of experience. Maxwell may best be known for his role as Bar Director of Brooklyn’s James Beard Award-winning Maison Premiere, but he also spent years as an advisor and consultant to premium spirits companies; Chief Brand Officer for The Liquor Cabinet; and opened a jazz club as Managing Partner at The Roxy Hotel in NYC. Currently, Maxwell works as an advisor to multiple global resort brands and is solidifying his soon-to-be-released NFT collection with Crypto.com, which is based on his seminal cocktail book, “Can I Mix You A Drink?” written with celebrity recording artist T-Pain. 

Bar Bantam

T-Pain, Data, .jpegs & You

Summer's-a-comin' and Lucky's wants to celebrate with you. Stop down for DJ Jazzy Nice, outdoor games and craft cocktails at a nice price. The day's playlist includes Lucky's bar snacks and drinks featuring Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon, Olmeca Altos Tequila, and more!

Lucky's

Lucky's Block Party

It's everything you're thinking, plus Loganberry cocktails. GO BILLS. *Tables to smash will not be provided.*

Buffalo Tailgate Party

Join Bantam 'til late to enjoy the delicious, seductive complexity of Fernet-Branca! We'll be dishing everything from classics to riffs, with Fernet specials all night. Celebrate Fernet and meet the Bantam team-cheers!

Bartender's Handshake!

Get a taste of Dublin Ink Irish Whiskey while experiencing an evening of live ink art at Tiny Fish Printing’s showroom. View selected works curated by the crew at UUU Art Collective, and enjoy treats from a local food truck. Then, make your own screen printed takeaway poster!

Tiny Fish Printing

Drinks & Inks

Start your Saturday night buzzing at Roux with tropical music and cocktails featuring Ron Colón Salvadoreño Coffee-Infused Rum.


Roux

Infusion Happy Hour

Ilegal Mezcal throws one hell of a party, and this time they're teaming up with Bitter Honey for "Yo No Se" -- see some live music, drink mezcal and maybe even get TATTOOED (yes, you read that right) by one of our guest tattoo artists!

Bitter Honey

Yo No Se

Remember doing Punnett Squares in biology? We made them fun, because good whiskey makes everything better! Craft your perfect Manhattan, featuring Hartman's Rye and Hartman's Cask Strength Rye (just released this year). Snacks will be provided.

Manhattan Matrix

Booze, fire and boar join forces for an outdoor feast rooted in the tradition of Roussillon and beyond. As a nod to the long-standing ritual of Mediterranean pig roasts, Good Luck Chef David Gilberg and team will prepare a whole, slow-roasted boar to be accompanied with sides for an all-you-can-eat feast. This al fresco meal will be paired with summery Byrhh and Mettei Cap Corse cocktails, as well as special wine selections from the haus-alpenz portfolio, perfectly complimenting smoke and sun.

Grand Boar Roast & Cocktail Feast

The champion musical event of RCR... RCR Super Sound will feature Extra Life Music with Matt + Chris O'Brian & Friends - the brothers behind popular locally grown acts Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Thunder Body, Lightning Skeleton and more - for a night of vibesational sonic collaboration. Matt and Chris O'Brian have been playing music together for more than two decades. Hear new original material, old favorites, and maybe some fun covers as a slew of friends and family joins them on stage. Brought to you by Rochester Cocktail Revival + presented by Reyka, Hendricks Gin, Sailor Jerry, Fistful of Bourbon, Monkey Shoulder and Tullamore Dew. Dance, revive and imbibe!

Water Street

Super Sound: Extra Life Music with Matt + Chris O'Brian & Friends

"MOM, THE MEATLOAF!" Crashing a wedding is, normally, a huge no-no. But not this time! Join us at Ox to crash a real wedding! (Seriously, they don't mind.) While the wedding is going on inside, party outside with them. We will have food going on late, and plenty of Ilegal Mezcal flowing! Dress in your wedding guest best!

Wedding Crashers

Get down! at the Good Luck Country Club. A night for birdies and bogies, we're bringing proper club etiquette to a bugger of a bar party. Sip classic cocktails from Ten to One Rum and vibe to music from Muerto Motora. Golf attire encouraged (no clubs, please).

Good Luck Country Club

6/11/22 - Saturday

Do you like good food, tequila, and hip hop!? The Revelry will be brunchin, movin, and grooving for the annual hip hop brunch sponsored by Patron. So sit back, relax, and let yourself go (to brunch).

The Revelry

Hip Hop Brunch

Owl House brunch has been a staple in Rochester for years, so have some hair of the dog! Join us as we team up with Buffalo-based Tommyrotter Distilling for a twist on classic brunch cocktails.

Brunch is Back, Baby!

A bar takeover that reimagines classic cocktails with Ten to One's versatile, award-winning rum. 

Ten to One Rum is one of the first Black-owned rums and the most awarded rum in the U.S., leading the charge of moving rum away from a past full of pirate ships and colonialism toward a brighter future. Enjoy curated classic cocktails and a tasting of special limited edition releases of Ten To One Rum.

Cheshire

Rum Revival

RCR bartenders from around the city go shaker-to-shaker in the annual Bar Room Battle Royale, but only one will claim mixological supremacy. Ticket price includes admission to the Bar Ninja competition, spirit tasting tables, and samples. Cash bar with drink specials and bar snacks will also be available, all set to a live DJ soundtrack. Judges for the Bar Room Battle TBA! **$20 at the door | 21+ only** Sponsored by CAMPARI AMERICA. Find all the great spirits served at the Bar Room Battle Royale at BayTowne Wine & Spirits.

Bar Room Battle Royale

6/12/22 - Sunday

In the shadows of the bright lights of Las Vegas, it’s last call for a beloved dive bar known as the Roaring 20s. That’s the premise, at least; the reality is as unreal as the world the regulars are escaping from. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a mosaic of disparate lives, teetering between dignity and debauchery, reckoning with the past as they face an uncertain future, and singing as their ship goes down. Presented with The Little Theatre x One Take Doc Series. ** Doors at 6:15p, film at 7:15p **

The Little Theatre

Film Screening: Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets

6/5/22 - Sunday

Join the Redd team for spritz variations featuring Nonino products, and sample additional spirits at a tasting station. 

Redd

Elevate Your Spritz

Ten years strong! Come celebrate a decade of Cure while we reminisce with the stories that let us dare to put ourselves here, and the craziness that kept us going. Party in the public-market with bar snacks and Cure cocktail classics. We'll cheers to the next decade with our own bespoke bourbon from our friends at Black Button Distilling.

Dix Ans: Cure 10 Year Anniversary Party

How chill is your vibe? How rogue can we go? Swing thru for food and bev inspired by Chinese-Mexican cuisine of Mexicali, and get ready to lay all the way back and catch some GD rays.

Mexicali: Laid All the Way Back

Celebrate the beginning of RCR 9 with us, partying like it's '19. Enjoy classic cocktails as we forget about these past two years and welcome the coming week of fun!

Welcome Back to RCR

6/6/22 - Monday

Greece is known for many things – beautiful beaches, dancing in circles, and eating lamb. But many people don't realize that Greece has a tremendous, in-depth history and culture around its traditional spirits. (It's not just Ouzo!) Join Johnny Livanos -- a third generation Greek-American restaurateur, Greek wine expert and founder of Stray Dog Gin -- to taste and discuss the main traditional spirits of Greece, as well as some of the more modern products coming out of the country. We will also discuss how these can be used in your cocktail programs. Traditional spirits include Ouzo, Tsipouro, Matiha, Tentura, Greek Brandy, and some of the modern spirits include vodka and gin.

An Introduction to Greek Spirits

The Nefarious Brothers, aka Ralph Dandrea and Sean Flaherty of ITX, will be hosting a gathering during the Rochester Cocktail Revival week! For thIS special occasion, the Nefarious Brothers have concocted a new cocktail to try – only the fearless and foolhardy will indulge, but we hope it’s enticing enough that you can tailor a name for the drink! All Nefarians in attendance will receive two drink tickets and a recipe card for the new cocktail. Grab tickets at the link to attend, and come on down for food, drinks, and fun with the Nefarious Brothers! 

The Nefarious Brothers Pop-Up Speakeasy

It's taco insanity at Ox! Sample EIGHT different tacos and Milagro tequila cocktails from our amazing mixologists and start your RCR week off right! It's Taco Tuesday, bruh.

Tacos 'n' Tequila

Lucky's popular trivia night gets the RCR treatment thanks to the fine whiskeys of Whistlepig! The rye will flow and the cocktails will shake as a backdrop to a Game Night Roc trivia night themed on whistling, pigs and whiskey (get it)? Bar and dinner menues available, giveaways galore, prizes for first, second and third place! Trivia begins at 8:30p.

A Whistlin' Pig of a Trivia Night

Join Howe & Rusling for a casual Happy Hour (on them!) at Ox & Stone to discuss all things finance that trip you up, stress you out, or that you simply want to understand better... so we're starting there: by asking what questions are top of mind for YOU and making sure we answer them. This event will be tailored to young service industry professionals! FREE; but registration is requested.

Bar$marts with Howe & Rusling

The George Eastman Museum's West Garden provides a lush setting for guests to sip Italian-inspired cocktail creations, enjoy hors d'oeuvres, listen to live music by The Rita Collective, commission a custom poem from J.R. Taylor, pose for the photo booth, and play lawn games. White, black, and tropical-themed attire is encouraged. Sponsored by haus-alpenz. 21+ only. Find all the great spirits served at the RCR Garden Party at BayTowne Wine & Spirits.

George Eastman Museum

La Dolce Vita: An Italian Garden Party

Join the Cub Room and BayTowne Wine & Spirits for a comprehensive food pairing featuring the rums of Foursquare Distilling. Gayle Seale, with the assistance of Meredith Callinan Olszewski, will guide the pairing menu and provide an in-depth look at not only the featured rums, but also the history and distillation processes of Foursquare. 

Cub Room

Foursquare Distilling Pairing Dinner with BayTowne Wine & Spirits

Tanteo Tequila and Bitter Honey are joining forces to bring you Punk Tiki Freakout! DJ Chris Manioci on the 2s and 4s, special food and drink menu focused around Polynesian flair with a tequila twist, and special guest bartenders! Raise a tiki cocktail while you thrash to some classic punk rock and surf. 

Punk Tiki Freakout!

With Mad River Distilling libations in hand, avid readers can enjoy their favorite reads in the company of others. While fellow readers are silent, Rochester indie musician Siena Facciolo fills the room with piano music that's perfect for the occasion. Gift yourself time to read in a cozy environment and indulge with a cocktail at Nox.

Silent Reading Party

Join our in-house DJs Rekt, Motmot and Cognac the Destroyer as they make you shake to their sweet dance grooves. (We'll be sure to shake up some drinks as well.)

Silent Disco at the Speakeasy

6/7/22 - Tuesday

Join the crew at Roux on a tour through passionfruit's native lands with ice cold cocktails and breezy club vibes.

Passiflora

Showcasing Glass Revolution products, we'll be taking a diverse five-course dinner & cocktail journey through India; centered around gin, rum, and single malt whisky.

Révolution du Verre

The histories of spirits and cocktails, it turns out, are full of yawning holes, things that nobody ever investigated, or if they did, they published their research in obscure Lithuanian technical journals. Please join Dave and Noah for a lively and anecdotal look at some of the known unknowns of the drinks world and how they and their contributors tried to plug some of these vexing gaps in our collective knowledge, large and small—everything from the origin of rum to the effects of World War II on American whisky to why it doesn't matter whether you spell it “whiskey” or “whisky.” Happy hour to follow! Sponsored by Heaven Hill Distillery.

A Little Knowledge

Revive Your Day at a Redemption Rye Happy Hour! Enjoy a complimentary tasting of Redemption Rye whiskey both straight and in a classic mix up. The bar will also feature specialty cocktails using this pre-Prohibition style American whiskey.

Revive Your Day

Who doesn't remember the excitement that came with going to the Scholastic Book Fair every year!? Nox will host of a revival of the beloved fair featuring cocktails made with Mad River Distillers spirits, transforming the patio into a market featuring local book vendors and makers, along with a touch of nostalgia.

The Scholastic Book Fair Revival

Party on the patio to DJ tunes and sample a spritz and small bites centered-menu.

Branca Midtown

Free the Spritz

Newly opened spot Grace & Disgrace will offer a tasting menu of cocktails and small bites designed especially for the celebrated haus-alpenz spirits portfolio. Featuring Salers, Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum, Hayman's Old Tom Gin, and more, all cocktails prepared and served with Cristallino Premium Ice. [Two seatings; space is extremely limited.]

Grace & Disgrace

The haus-alpenz Sessions

The Lento kitchen will pair six courses, all featuring Autumn's Harvest pork, with the whiskies of Whistlepig. The menu will showcase a large variety of housemade charcuterie, roasts and smoked delicacies in many forms.

Lento

Pig Lovers Pairing Dinner

The culinary shadowboxing of Good Luck Chefs Dan Martello and Aaron Crane will bring the ruckus with 5 courses of cuisine paired to the 56 herbs and spices of Jagermeister. Ticket includes a five course dinner, with cocktail pairings showcasing the versatility and tradition of this masterfully moody German liqueur.

56 Chambers: A Cocktail Dinner

6/8/22 - Wednesday

Skurnik Wines & Spirits, along with their unparalleled agave portfolio, teams up with Bitter Honey for "What it's Not," a blind tasting mezcal and tequila seminar. Through tasting multiple selections of this beloved category, we will explore the exciting variations in character made possible by plant, terroir, hand of the maker, and qualities of production less easily defined. Get ready to test those tastebuds!

What It's Not: An Agave Seminar

Join us for a star-studded evening! Walk the red carpet while some of your favorite classic movies play (and you might even spot some familiar stars behind the bar). A night for film buffs or people who want to dress to impress.

Hollywood Movie Night

Join the Bitter crew for a vinyl and agave happy hour! Justin Briggs from Skurnik and Zack Mikida from BH will throw down tasty Vinyl while you sip on the delicious mezcals of Casa Cortes and Giffard. Bring your own vinyl to share, or choose from the hundreds at Bitter Honey and get ready for the hottest happy hour of RCR! 

Agave and Wax

Five food and cocktail courses waltzing through the why and the what about distilling wine and grape products into brandy, or fortifying with the same.

La Raison des Raisins

Join Brian McKenzie, owner of Finger Lakes Distilling and Tony Rouhana from The Cub Room and learn to make classic cocktails The Cub Room way! $45 ticket gets you a set of take-home bar tools, a $10 off coupon for Pinnacle Liquor to purchase spirits for your Home Bar, and one beverage to sip during the cocktail hour following the class. Brought to you by Pinnacle Liquor, Skurnik, and McKenzie.

Cocktail Class Feat. McKenzie Bourbon, Rye, + Gin

Join us for an evening featuring small batch, distilled artisan spirits made into split-based cocktails paired with unique, a la carte takes on Rochester and Buffalo's most beloved food favorites.

Locals Only

The Hometown Splits

A wise man once said nothing at all (he was likely enjoying a whiskey). For this dinner, we'll be educated by a portfolio of ryes and bourbons, including expressions of Wiseman Bourbon, Wiseman Rye, and Kentucky Owl in neat and cocktail formats. These rare and nuanced selections will be complemented by five courses of intelligent Good Luck cuisine from Chefs Dan Martello, Aaron Crane and team.

Word to The Ryes: A Whiskey Dinner

Join us for the most extravagant event of the ninth annual Rochester Cocktail Revival, Enchantment at Twilight: 2022 RCR Gala, featuring Branca USA. A phantasmagoric prom backdropped with trappings of magic, mysticism and apothecary-inspired cocktails featuring live music from The Televisionaries, DJ Daggz, and DJ Pro. Pin on a corsage and take a classic prom photo with your date, then compete for your spot on Prom Court. Sample cocktails from three unique bars, cheeseboards by Fromage & Friends, and hors d'oeuvres by Folk Catering; cut up the dance floor; enjoy a live dance performance from Kanbern; and have your fortune told. It's the after hours, boozy prom your high school self hoped for! Three cocktails included with each ticket. Dress to impress in your finest magical prom attire from any era. 21+ only. Find all the great spirits served at the RCR Gala at BayTowne Wine & Spirits.

The Historic German House

RCR Prom: The 2022 Gala

What's better than Swan Dive with your ride or die? Swan Dive with your ride or die, a dang Maryland-style crab boil, *and* our live tie-dye booth during RCR! What Bourbon is to Kentucky, Rye is to Maryland, and Sagamore Rye Whiskey is bringing back that great passion and tradition with a modern approach. Swing by Swan Dive for some delicious whiskey cocktails -- whether you like it neat, up, or with some summer flavor combined with a great vibe! [Hey, Rye not!?]

Ryed or Dye House Party

Toast to Velvet Belly's 1-year anniversary party with bubbles from the Moët, Veuve Clicquot, & Ruinart portfolios, curated cocktails by Becca Pesce featuring Woodinville Straight Bourbon, Woodinville 100% Rye, and Woodinville Port Finish Bourbon. VB's full kitchen menu will be available 'til 10p, then DJ tunes kick in from 10p to late.


Velvet Belly

Bourbon & Bubbles: Velvet Belly Turns 1!

After the RCR prom, come party at Cheshire! It's just around the corner from the Historic German House, and we'll have some after-prom specials.

Schedule of Events

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