Your guide to the best parties and pours of Arizona Cocktail Weekend 2024

Ross Simon and his fellow event founders set out to put the Valley on the mixology map with the launch of Arizona Cocktail Weekend in 2011. Looking through this year’s three-day schedule, the bar owner says he feels like the scene has arrived.

“We want to be taken as a cocktail destination as well, working as one of these forefront markets of cutting-edge cocktails, and I think that’s where we are right now,” says Simon, owner of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour and co-owner of Little Rituals.

Arizona Cocktail Weekend returns for a 12th year on Friday, pouring on a long weekend’s worth of parties, sampling events, education and, naturally, recovery. With three signature events – and a new one added this year – along with dozens of pop-ups hosted by bars and restaurants around the Valley, there’s a lot to see and taste.

“We said this is going to be one of our biggest years yet, and we weren’t lying,” Simon says. “Having this many activations is really showing what Arizona is all about in their cocktail scene.”

Simon encourages people to pace themselves to make the most of a chock-full weekend of imbibing.

“Rule number one, it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he says. “You never ever, ever have to finish a complete cocktail… drink lots of water and make sure you eat.”

Here’s your guide to make the most of the weekend.

Where is Arizona Cocktail Weekend?

Events are happening across the city. The four ticketed, signature events of the weekend – the Cocktail Carnival, Top Bars, Boutique Brand Bonanza and Last Slinger Standing – are happening at spaces in and around downtown Phoenix.

There are also about 70 partner events, each hosted at a local bar in partnership with a cocktail weekend sponsor. These will also be largely in downtown Phoenix, “creating a very walkable kind of festival,” Simon says. These events are mostly free but often require an RSVP because space is limited. Simon recommends bookmarking this page on your smartphone for the weekend, which offers links to the schedule, tickets and more.

What’s new this year?

Planners have added the Boutique Brand Bonanza, a free event showcasing small-batch spirits brands before Top Bars kicks off in Warehouse 215. The event is already sold out, but people can also access the bonanza with a Top Bars or VIP wristband.

Simon describes the tasting experience as one “where people can sample things they may not necessarily get access to.”

“It’s a great way for people who want to discover something new,” he says.

What else is on the schedule?

The cocktail weekend’s three signature events are back. These are the large-scale events that bring the “wow factor,” to the weekend, Simon says. The Cocktail Carnival kicks things off on Saturday at Walter Where?House. This whimsical party includes more than 30 cocktails crafted by spirits brands from around the world, along with light displays, DJ sets, art and circus performances. VIP entry begins at 8 p.m., followed by general admission entry at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $75 and may be purchased online.

On Sunday, the Boutique Brand Bonanza runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at Warehouse 215, followed by Top Bars, which brings mixologists from craft bars from across the country and the globe.

“Seeing that many bars – without even needing your passport or leaving the state – of that caliber coming to town a… is probably going to be the most spectacular because (it’s) all under one roof,” Simon says.

Bars making the trek to what Simon calls a “celebration of the cocktail” include Washington D.C.’s Allegory, as well as New York’s fine dining restaurant Eleven Madison Park and Double Chicken Please, which is second on the list of the World’s 50 Best Bars. International bars include Barcelona’s Foco, Grand Caymen’s Library by the Sea and London’s Sexy Fish. Tickets start at $75 and may be purchased online.

The weekend ends with Last Slinger Standing, a head-to-head shake-off between some of the state’s top mixologists, hosted at Republic National Distributing Co. In each round, two bartenders are given a secret ingredient to incorporate into a cocktail. A winner is selected to advance by a panel of judges until only one slinger remains to take home the trophy and bragging rights. Tickets are free and may be reserved online.

Is every event ticketed?

While some events during the weekend require a paid ticket to attend, almost all events require an RSVP. Simon urges people only to bite off what they can chew because spaces will have limited capacity, and free RSVPs will sell out.

Where should I go?

While the signature events pack a punch, there’s a wide variety of pop-ups and parties being hosted a local watering holes, featuring specific spirits makers, guest bartenders, featured cocktails and more. Here are a few we can’t wait to check out.

Happy Hour with Angel’s Envy
Feb. 16
1001 N. Central Ave.
Head to Rough Rider to kick off the weekend with a special happy hour, hosted from 4-6 p.m. Join Chelsea Niven and Ashley Erwin of Angel’s Envy, the award-winning Kentucky Bourbon distiller for cocktails made with their spirits. No RSVP is required.

Happy Club
Feb. 16
1514 N. Seventh Ave.
Guest bartenders from Denver’s Yacht Club and Albequeque’s Happy Accidents will take over the bar at Highball for the evening. Yacht Club is among the 50 Best Bars in North America and Happy Accidents was named the Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2022 Spirited Awards – the Oscars of mixology. The event is free to RSVP with staggered entry times for a two-hour seating.

National Margarita Day Nightcap
Feb. 17
1 W. Jefferson St.
Celebrate National Margarita Day a few days early at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour. Joseph Arakawa and Jesus Verde, mixologists and finalists in the global cocktail competition Patron Perfectionists, will be making their winning margarita from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., along with complimentary slices of Via Della Pizza. No RSVP is required but early arrival is encouraged.

Cocktails with Manor Bar
Feb. 17
341 W. Van Buren St., Suite B
Step into Quartz for a featured cocktail menu from the team at Manor Bar, a celebrated hotel bar based in Montecito, California, for a pre-Cocktail Carnival drink. Tipples from Manor Bar will be served from 6 to 9 p.m. in Quartz’s walk-in only main bar and reservation-based The Cave at Quartz. RSVPs for The Cave are available online, and a credit card is required to complete the reservation.

Hangover Latin Brunch
Feb. 18
829 N. First Ave.
Barcoa will put an Arizona Cocktail Weekend twist on its Latin brunch, which kicks off at 11 a.m. You’ll find plenty of “hair of the dog” options, including carajillo cocktails made with Licor 43, a special mezcal experience in Barcoa’s basement lounge and sangria on the patio. Local Peruvian restaurant El Chullo will host a paella pop-up on the patio, and DJs Caramelo and Son Sebas will perform. No RSVP is required for this event.

Sunny’s Day of Takeovers
Feb. 19
2701 E. Indian School Road
Sunny’s Lounge will host a day of guest bartenders from award-winning bars beginning at noon. Special cocktail slingers include Jay Pink from Miami’s Sweet Liberty, Mike Capoferri from Los Angeles’ Thunderbolt and Travis Tober from Austin’s Nickel City. No RSVP is required.

Are there any events that aren’t just about drinking?

Yes. The weekend encourages education, networking and self-care, in addition to imbibing. Among those events are:

Cocktail Entrepreneurship with H. Joseph Ehrmann
Feb. 16
401 N. First St.
Join H. Joseph Ehrmann, bar consultant, owner of San Francisco’s ELIXIR and chief mixology officer of cocktail mixer company Fresh Victor, at The Pub to discuss how he pivoted from software sales to pioneering the modern cocktail revival. An alum of Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and a former Pub bartender, Ehrmann will also lead a cocktail demo, share samples and provide a cocktail menu featuring a selection of original and international recipes. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online.

Yoga on the Lawn
Feb. 17
822 N. Sixth Ave.
Take part in a 90-minute session of movement, breath work and a sound bath with Elevate Yoga, followed by a yogurt parfait bar and zero-proof beverages provided by Ritural Zero Proof spirits and Re’al fruit ingredients on the lawn at Garden Bar. RSVPs may be made online; the breakfast bar is free but requires a reservation, and yoga is $25.

Skylight Hospitality Mentorship Mixer
Feb. 19
1 E. Washington St., Suite 124
Another Round Another Rally, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that offers financial and educational resources for the hospitality industry and the charity beneficiary of the cocktail weekend, will launch applications for its mentorship program at this mixer hosted at Coabana. Meet Skylight alumni and the Another Round Another Rally team to learn more about this six-week program for Phoenix-area women and non-binary bartenders. This event is free to attend; RSVP online.

Relax Any Damn Way You Please
Feb. 19
903 N Second St.
Jim Beam Distilling Co. will host an afternoon of relaxation at Palma, offering chair massages, light bites and cocktails from 1-3 p.m. This event is free to attend; RSVPs may be made online.