The 2023 Rochester Cocktail Revival, New York State's only weeklong festival celebrating craft cocktail culture, is back for its tenth year. Rochester boasts a booming scene of cocktail bars and top-tier mixology talent. Each year, 20+ cocktail bars in the downtown area take part in RCR, showcasing the spirit brands that make the exciting local craft culture possible. RCR exists to highlight this culture through education and celebration, significant contributions to the Rochester economy, and displays of camaraderie between its bars to both the trade and consumers.
This year, the Rochester Cocktail Revival is set for June 5-11, 2023 with a full schedule of events (21 and older) happening at different host bars and special event locations around Rochester. Participating bars include: Bar Bantam, Bitter Honey, Branca Midtown, The Cub Room, Cure, The Daily Refresher, Good Luck, Grace & Disgrace, Lento, Leonore’s, Locals Only, Lucky's, Native, Nosh, The Owl House, Ox & Stone, The Playhouse, Radio Social, Recreo, Redd, The Revelry, Roux, Swan Dive, Tapas 177, Velvet Belly, Vern's and Ziggy’s.
Highlights of the 2023 Rochester Cocktail Revival include:
BREAKING THE BARRIERS: CONNECTING YOU TO YOUR DEAF CONSUMERS | JUNE 5 | JACKRABBIT CLUB
Explore the importance of inclusivity within the cocktail scene and discover practical strategies to make yourself more accessible to the Deaf community. Through personal stories, insightful tips, and case studies, Joshua Mora and Blake Nitko of TRUBIZ Connections will inspire you to create more meaningful connections with the Deaf community.
XO GARDEN PARTY | JUNE 6 | GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM
The George Eastman Museum’s newly renovated terrace garden provides a lush setting for guests to sip botanical cocktail creations, enjoy hors d'oeuvres, listen to live music, commission a custom poem, pose for the photobooth, and play games on the east lawn. Floral + linen attire along with elaborate hats is encouraged. Three cocktails included with ticket. 21+ only. Sponsored by Heaven Hill.
COCKTAILS ON THE PROMENADE x CITY MAGAZINE LAUNCH | JUNE 8 | GENESEE RIVERWAY PROMENADE
Bask in a summer sunset over the Genesee River while sipping cocktails on the newly formed promenade and meeting the creative forces behind the June issue of CITY magazine. Hor d’oeuvres and two cocktails are included with each ticket. 21+ only. Sponsored by Brown-Forman.
#50 W. ANDERSON | JUNE 8 | GOOD LUCK
Good Luck, a spirits parlor improbably situated on a street bookended by a strip club and a violin repair shop, famous for fantastically complicated drinks and equally intricate characters, announces a fête for aficionados of the perfectly peculiar. Cocktails from the grand portfolio of Fratelli Branca accompany a dispatch of vinyl records from a DJ of wax royalty, a limited edition Branca coin for the first 100 attendees, and prizes for the best dressed in the style of Wes.
TERRIBLE 2S! VELVET BELLY BIRTHDAY BASH | JUNE 9 | VELVET BELLY
Velvet Belly turns 2! Come ring in the beginning of year 3 with drink specials sponsored by Gray Whale, DJs, dancing, giveaways, and mayhem! No entry fee required.
SPIRIT TASTING SPECTACULAR | JUNE 10 | THE METROPOLITAN
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. A cash bar featuring drink specials and bar snacks will be available at Bar Bantam in the lobby of The Metropolitan. $25 at the door. 21+ only.
THE REVELRY’S ANNUAL HIP HOP BRUNCH | JUNE 11 | THE REVELRY
The Revelry and FERNET BRANCA… a pairing as classic as peanut butter and jelly. Could one exist without the other? Attend the ultimate brunch celebration and decide for yourself – it’s the 10th Annual Hip-Hop Brunch, featuring DJ Delano!
BAR ROOM BATTLE ROYALE | JUNE 11 | RADIO SOCIAL
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 and spirit tasting tables. Drink specials and snacks from Radio Social will also be available, all set to a live soundtrack by DJ Chreath. $25 at the door. Sponsored by RocNet Supply and Campari America.
A portion of all proceeds from Rochester Cocktail Revival will benefit Cancer Support Community Rochester—a local non-for-profit that annually provides free programming to men, women, teens, and children who are affected by cancer. For a full list of this year's events and to purchase tickets, visit rochestercocktailrevival.com.
