Detroit Cocktail Classic is six days of boozy fun
The shakers will be rattled and mixing spoons twirled next week when the Detroit Cocktail Classic returns for a fourth year.
A celebration of Detroit’s bars, restaurants, craft spirits and bartenders, the weeklong event includes workshops, happy hours, distillery tours and cocktail-paired dinners.
The main event is the Grand Tasting at Eastern Market’s Shed 3, 6-10 p.m. Nov. 17. The craft cocktail bash features drinks from some of the city’s hottest spots, including the newly opened Prime + Proper, plus the Apparatus Room, Public House, Two James, Takoi, Standby, the Sugar House, Otus Supply and others.
Grand Tasting tickets, $50, include 12 beverage samples. So as not to “sample” on an empty stomach, there is a food truck rally planned for the same time and day at the next shed over.
Another highlight is the Whiskey Rebellion at Chartreuse Kitchen + Cocktails (15 E. Kirby), kicking off the Detroit Cocktail Classic week on Monday at 8 p.m. The party includes kegged cocktails, craft beer and light fare from Chartreuse’s chef Doug Hewitt, plus live music from the Jug Band and Shine on Kentucky Moon. Admission is $5.
Hendricks Gin will host a steampunk-inspired event at Sugar House (2130 Michigan) on Nov. 15. No admission fee or reservation required.
Another free event is a Tiki Bash with products from Beam Suntory (Jim Beam, Courvoisier, Maker’s Mark, etc.), 8-11 p.m. Nov. 16 at Mutiny (4654 Vernor). This will be the first event at this new bar, which is under the umbrella of the Detroit Optimist Society, which also owns Sugar House, Wright & Company, Bad Luck Bar and others.
The first of seven cocktail dinners planned next week is a Pierre Ferrand Cognac meal at Selden Standard (3921 Selden) with brand representative Victor Bouvier. The paired dinner is $90 per person, tax and tip included.
More cocktail dinners will be held next week at the Peterboro, Roast, Wright & Company, Grey Ghost, Frame in Hazel Park (sold out) and Takoi.
For a complete schedule and links to purchase tickets to next week’s dinners and workshops, visit detroitcocktail.com.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @melodybaetens