Weeklong cocktail festival kicks off June 3: 10 best bets

The Rochester Cocktail Revival, a weeklong celebration of cocktails and spirits, will kick off its 11th iteration June 3. More than 30 Rochester bars and arts venues will host upwards of 80 events across downtown Rochester.

Since its inception in 2014, the festival has helped anchor the restaurant culture in Rochester, said founder and director Chuck Cerankosky. It also shows off the city's cocktail scene to national speakers and others who attend. "It shows to the world the amazing things we have throughout the bars here ― not just the drinks on our menu but also the people working behind the bar.”

Among the festivities will be:

? RCR Launchpad Party: 7 p.m. June 3 at Essex, 1048 University Ave. This party showcases new-to-Rochester spirit brands alongside a live concert with the Honey Smugglers. $28.52.

? Kentucky Garden Party: 6 p.m. June 5 at the George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. The museum's terrace garden will provide a lush setting for a soiree featuring botanical cocktails, live music, lawn games and custom poetry. From $92.55.

? The Spirit Tasting Spectacular: 11 a.m. June 8 at The Metropolitan, 1 S. Clinton Ave. Taste through more than 30 craft spirits including national and New York State distillers. $23.18.

? The Lost Generation: An Immersive Cocktail Rendezvous: 8:30 p.m. June 8 at a location to be announced. Rochester-based performance company Cat + The Coyote will reimagine Gertrude Stein's 1919 Paris salon while you sip custom cocktails from the team behind pop-up bar Rumble + Stir, all set to a soundtrack by DJ Jolene. Black tie attire requested; admission includes two cocktails. $55.20.

? The Bar Room Battle Royale, 5 p.m. June 9 at Radio Social, 20 Carlson Road. Bartenders from around Rochester go shaker-to-shaker to claim mixologist supremacy, all set to a live soundtrack by DJ Chreath. Admission includes spirit tastings. $23.18.

Notable seminars to check out include:

? Hands-On Hospitality, Sign Language in the Service Industry: Noon June 4 at the Jackrabbit Club, 40 Anderson Ave. A free workshop for restaurant staff, it will teach basic ASL bar vocabulary, along with some dos-and-don'ts of interacting with the Rochester area Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Free.

? DEI Over Cocktails: Noon June 6 at the Jackrabbit Club, 40 Anderson Ave. Maiah Johnson Dunn, New York Kitchen's Beverage Education Manager, and Syd Bell, Rochester-area DEI Practitioner, will serve up diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts in actionable conversations paired with real-world examples. Free.

? Death, Luck and Tigers, A Conversation with David Kaplan and Chuck Cerankosky: 4 p.m. June 6 at Good Luck, 50 Anderson Ave. The founders of Death + Co. and Good Luck, respectively, will discuss their careers with RIT hospitality professor Lorraine Hems as moderator. Admission includes a cocktail or mocktail. $28.52.

? ‘Tini Time, 2.0 with Robert Simonson: 2 p.m. June 8 at Martine, 647 South Ave. An award-winning author and New York Times contributor, Simonson will discuss the next Golden Age of the martini. Admission includes a cocktail. $28.52.

? Rochester's Stalwart, 160 Years of Fee Brothers: Noon June 9 at The Alexander, 282 Alexander St. Hear about the history of Fee Brothers from fifth-generation owner Jon Spacher. Free entry; includes tastings of the newest Fee Brothers products. (Make a brunch reservation at The Alexander before or after.)

Participating bars include Bar Bad Ending, Bar Bantam, Bitter Honey, Branca Midtown, Crisp, Cub Room, Cure, The Daily Refresher, Good Luck, Grace & Disgrace, Jack’s Extra Fancy, Lento, Leonore's, Locals Only, Lucky's, Martine, Nosh, Owl House, The Playhouse, Radio Social, Recreo, Redd, The Revelry, The Richmond, Roux, Studio Lounge, Swan Dive, Tapas, Velvet Belly, Vern's and Ziggy's.

Tickets for feature events are on sale, and a complete schedule of events is online at rochestercocktailrevival.com.

A portion of the proceeds benefits Cancer Support Community at Gilda’s Club Rochester, which offers free support to men, women, teens and children affected by cancer. Since 2014, the Rochester Cocktail Revival has raised more than $200,000 for the organization.

Tracy Schuhmacher is food, drink and culture reporter for the D&C. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY Cocktail Revival kicks off June 3: Ten best bets