Calling all boozers and shakers! The first week of May is about to get even more slammed. In case Cinco de Mayo, Bloomsday and the Expo '74 50th Anniversary kickoff weren't enough, here's one more party to add to the list: Spokane's first Cocktail Week.
A seven-day stretch of special menus, education sessions and exclusive happy hours has been a long-term dream for Bryan Harkey, owner of Cease & Desist Book Club, who first came across the idea for cocktail week as a beverage rep in Seattle. With the help of Dakota Goldman, a local bartender and owner of Padrino Events, that dream is finally coming true.
From May 2 to 8, almost 30 bars across Spokane are running special cocktail menus in addition to their regular libations. The special menus showcase three to five new drinks featuring any of event sponsor Republic National Distributing Company's spirits — classics like Tito's vodka, Hendrick's Gin and Old Forester bourbon, to industry worker favorites like Fernet-Branca, Carpano and Cointreau. Any guest is welcome to order from the limited edition menu.
But for those looking for extra perks, a Spokane Cocktail Week wristband ($15) gains entrance to special industry-focused events and happy hours, plus some surprise discounts at various, undisclosed locations. It's the perfect excuse to visit a spot you've never hit up before and support bartenders who are deepening their knowledge of their craft in real time.
"My initial thing was, let's make it for everybody," Harkey says. "It doesn't have to be the 15 craft cocktail bars that are in the city. You have some bars that aren't known for their cocktails, but they might have some bartenders that have been waiting to make some."
"It's also cool because, like Neon Moon, for example, which is way out Hillyard, I have never worked with them," Goldman adds. "They reached out to me because they're like, 'Hey, we just really want to get more connected.' It's a huge thing for me — I'm always working on continuing to grow the community we have here in the bar and restaurant industry. My favorite thing about Spokane is how tight-knit we are."
Check out some of Spokane Cocktail Week's featured events below. For a full list of events and participating bars, head over to spokanewacocktailweek.com. (EB)
OFFICIAL KICK-OFF PARTY
Thu, May 2 from 4-11 pm, Zola
If there's one thing Zola is known for, it's their propensity for putting on loud, lively parties. So where better to kick off Spokane Cocktail Week than Zola?
The first official event of Cocktail Week will not only be a swinging dance party accompanied by the soulful stylings of local musician Blake Braley, but also a chance to pick up event wristbands to ensure the rest of the week goes smoothly. The first 40 people to check in at Zola get an exclusive Spokane Cocktail Week T-shirt, so get there early!
Zola bartender Sheldon Moore has crafted three cocktails for the event: a traditional lemon drop, the Jimi Hendrix (a Zola favorite) and his own spiked Shelly limeade (a nonalcoholic version is available, too). The bar's general manager, Taijah Howard, says hosting the kickoff event at Zola shows that the community supports them and wants them to do well. So head down to Zola and start Cocktail Week off right. (MP)
CANINES, CATS AND COCKTAILS!
Sat, May 4 from 2-5 pm, Bark, A Rescue Pub
Just when you thought happy hour couldn't get any cuter, Spokane Cocktail Week is partnering with Bark, A Rescue Pub, the Spokane Humane Society and Tito's Handmade Vodka to add a little bit more happiness to your life. Head to the patio at Bark with your favorite vodka drink to meet your new best friend. Cocktail Week wristband wearers get an extra plate of "bone buddies" to share with their pet pal. Plus, Tito's is donating $500 to Spokane Humane Society to make sure the furry, fluffy meet-cutes keep happening. (EB)
FERNET ABOUT IT: CINCO DE MAYO PATIO PARTY
Sun, May 5 from 12-4 pm, Press
Press Public House offers up a sampler platter of the joint's best features with its Cocktail Week menu. As the event name hints, Press is one of the only bars in town with the Italian amaro fernet on tap. The space has a great patio, too, so to get in the spring spirit there will be a Gin Daisy (Hendrick's Gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, grenadine, mint sprig). And since owner Niki Randall also owns the adjoining Hang 10 BBQ, Press is serving a Tito's Hawaiian Punch and patrons who order one of the Cocktail Week drinks get 50% off Hang 10's Hawaiian barbecue lunch plates. Press is also kicking off Cocktail Week on May 2 with live music in the evening from Kyle Richards. (SS)
CINCO DE DRINKO PIZZA PARTY
Sun, May 5 from 6-7 pm, Market Street Pizza (Spokane Valley)
When you think of Cinco de Mayo, one cuisine springs to mind... pizza! OK, OK, that might not be true, but there is gonna be a special taco pizza as part of the Cocktail Week celebration at Market Street Pizza's Spokane Valley location.
In addition to a few carryovers from the main cocktail menu (limoncello drop, barrel-aged old fashioned), the discounted cocktail offerings include a White Lady (cucumber cooler with basil lavender bitters), an Old Forester old fashioned with aromatic orange and whisky bitters, a spicy paloma with Tito's vodka, and the Hot Honolulu margarita topped with huckleberry jalapeño bitters to pair with Market Street's popular Hot Honolulu pizza.
The array of bitters come via Market Street General Manager Tyson Skidmore's bitters company, Skidmore Alchemy. Patrons listening to live music from El Primo will also double as guinea pigs, as there's also a new kitchen fresh sheet. The featured drinks, meanwhile, may end up on a summer cocktail menu released the following week. (SS)
OLD FORESTER EXCLUSIVE HAPPY HOUR
Mon, May 6 from 4-7 pm, Durkin's Liquor Bar
Psst! If you're a bartender, or you're hoping to meet your favorite local mixologist, this happy hour in Durkin's basement is the place to be on Monday night. Learn the industry password (or buy a wristband to Cocktail Week) and head to this exclusive industry happy hour. Ben Poffenroth, Durkin's co-owner and manager, teases a menu featuring five cocktails crafted by bartenders Susana Moonitz and Cj Byrnes. This happy hour is a chance for industry pros to mingle with fellow bartenders and Cocktail Week-goers who appreciate the work that goes on behind the bar. Sip on some of the aforementioned cocktails featuring Old Forester bourbon, a specialty drink exclusive to this event, or your go-to Durkin's drink. No matter what you sip on, it's bound to be tasty. (MP) ♦
