Midtown Cocktail Week 2013
Welcome to our annual Midtown Cocktail Week edition of Submerge Your Senses! This year, MCW’s theme is “Welcome to the Show,” and it all goes down from Wednesday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 25 at various establishments in the downtown and Midtown areas. Read on to learn about some of the great scheduled parties, events and classes. For more information and to register for many of the events, visit Midtowncocktailweek.org.
Let’s all raise a glass to the hardworking people who put on all the wonderful MCW events year in and year out, and especially to our local restaurant and bar industry workers. Cheers to you! And remember folks, please don’t drink and drive. A cab is always just a call away. Hit up Yellow Cab of Sacramento at (916) 444-2222, or heck, they even have an app for iPhones and Android devices, so really there’s no excuse not to get a cab. Have fun out there and be safe, you imbibers, you!
SEE: The Big Show Cocktail Competition at LowBrau • Aug. 21, 2013
One of the main highlights of Midtown Cocktail Week is always the cocktail competitions. Sort of a who’s who of local bartending talent, these events are extremely exciting and entertaining to watch as the best mixologists in the area battle it out for the highly coveted top spot. The competitions tend to get super crowded and hit capacity and/or sell out real quick, so be sure to get your tickets nice and early for “The Big Show,” as it’s being dubbed, on MCW’s opening night, Wednesday, Aug. 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. at LowBrau (1050 20th Street). Tickets are $10 apiece and are available on Midtown Cocktail Week’s website.
TASTE: Get Local Favorite Recipes Online and Make ‘Em at Home
Experimenting with cocktails at home can be fun, albeit sometimes frustrating when things don’t turn out as tasty as they do when your favorite local bartender makes them. It always helps to have a nice place to start when looking to get your home mixology experimentation on. So, for a bunch of local favorite cocktail recipes, head to Midtowncocktailweek.org/recipes to get the inside scoop on how to make drinks like the Buffalo Buck, Romeo and Violet, Honey Badger and the Berry 75. Some are complicated, some are simple, all are delicious. Hit up a local farmer’s market or grocery store for fresh fruits and produce and then stock up on booze from Total Wine or BevMo. Invite some friends over, get to mixing and you’ve got yourself a party!
TOUCH: Get Hands-On at Midtown Cocktail Week’s Various Classes • Aug. 22–23, 2013
One of the coolest parts of Midtown Cocktail Week is how hard the organizers strive to provide quality educational classes for both the public and area bartenders. The lineup of classes this year is exciting, with many unique themes and knowledgeable educators and speakers to help up your cocktail game. All of the classes are jam-packed into two days. On Thursday, Aug. 22, the class lineup is as follows: From 10 a.m. to noon is Soda Fountains and The Cocktail Process presented by Artisnal Spirits; from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. is Japanese Bartending & The Art of Omotenashi presented by Suntory; from 2 to 3 p.m. is The Rise and Fall and Rise of Tiki & Exotica presented by Bols; from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. is MCW 2013 Presents David Wondrich, sponsored by Bols; and wrapping up the Thursday classes from 5 to 6 p.m. is World Peace Through Whiskey: One Dram at a Time! presented by Laphroaig and Ardmore. Friday’s class lineup looks like this: From 10 to 11 a.m. is The Drunken Botanist presented by Artisnal Spirits; from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is Bad Cocktails Gone Good presented by Diageo; from 1 to 2 p.m. is Rum in the Americas presented by Denizen Rum; from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. is American Whiskeys presented by Diageo; and from 3:30 to 5 p.m. is the final educational event, English Gins sponsored by Pernod Ricard. All classes require pre-registration and cost $5.00 to attend. They are all taking place at the Citizen Hotel (926 J Street) in either the Quorum Room or the Scandal Lounge.
HEAR: Bestselling Author Amy Stewart On Her Book The Drunken Botanist • Aug. 23, 2013
New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart knows a thing or two about plants. Her sixth and latest book, The Drunken Botanist, combines her lifelong interests in botany and well-made cocktails. According to Drunkenbotanist.com, “The book explores hundreds of plants that are fermented, distilled, macerated, infused, mixed and otherwise made into drinks.” Since publishing her first book, Stewart has been on NPR’s Morning Edition and Fresh Air, she’s appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America and the PBS documentary The Botany of Desire. She’s also written for New York Times, the Washington Post and many other newspapers and magazines. What are we getting at, here? Stewart is legit, and she just so happens to be making her way to Sacramento to speak at one of Midtown Cocktail Week’s many educational events. Got a green thumb? Like craft cocktails? Make sure to catch her on Friday, Aug. 23 at the Citizen Hotel from 10 to 11 a.m. Visit Midtowncocktailweek.org/education for more information.
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