The Valley drinks scene’s biggest event is back for its 13th year. Arizona Cocktail Weekend’s 2025 schedule has been announced, and the spirit-centered event is slated to run from Feb. 27 to March 3.
The multi-day experience was founded in 2011 in effort to help put Phoenix’s cocktail game on the map. The weekend is focused around three signature events, with tastings, educational seminars, pairing dinners, parties and recovery activities sprinkled throughout.
The Cocktail Carnival will kick off the weekend on March 1 at downtown’s Arizona Center. The event channels the whimsy and entertainment of a carnival and carries that through to the drinks being served. Spirits makers will offer 30 specialty cocktails at this interactive, immersive event. General admission tickets are $55; VIP tickets are $65 and include one hour of early access to the event.
Mixology tourists won’t need to go far to sip drinks from international, award-winning bars at the weekend's second signature event. Top Bars, hosted on March 2 at Warehouse215, will bring together 40 of the world’s most notable cocktail lounges in one spot. Teams from renowned bars such as Allegory in Washington, D.C., Penicillin in Hong Kong and Silverleaf in London will shake up signature sips for this party. General admission tickets are $75; VIP tickets are $90.
Last Slinger Standing, a head-to-head bartending throwdown, caps the weekend. Sixteen of Phoenix’s top slingers will face off in a bracket-style competition. A panel of cocktail experts will judge the event, naming the winner who will take home the trophy and bragging rights around town. This event is free, but tickets have not yet been released.
Organizers are also bringing back partner events, a new offering from 2024 that highlights local bars and restaurants, which are paired with a spirits sponsor to highlight craft cocktails. Organizers are currently seeking bars, restaurants and venues to sign up, but there were at least 70 of these events around the Valley last year to add to the festival atmosphere. These included tastings, guest bartending shifts and more. Most of these events were free, but did require an RSVP due to limited space.
The weekend isn’t just dedicated to indulgence. The event also features education and networking events for those who work in or hope to break into the hospitality industry.
Arizona Cocktail Weekend
Feb. 27 through March 3
Multiple locations
The multi-day experience was founded in 2011 in effort to help put Phoenix’s cocktail game on the map. The weekend is focused around three signature events, with tastings, educational seminars, pairing dinners, parties and recovery activities sprinkled throughout.
The Cocktail Carnival will kick off the weekend on March 1 at downtown’s Arizona Center. The event channels the whimsy and entertainment of a carnival and carries that through to the drinks being served. Spirits makers will offer 30 specialty cocktails at this interactive, immersive event. General admission tickets are $55; VIP tickets are $65 and include one hour of early access to the event.
Arizona Cocktail Weekend celebrates all things mixed, shaken and poured through events of all sizes.
Arizona Cocktail Weekend
Last Slinger Standing, a head-to-head bartending throwdown, caps the weekend. Sixteen of Phoenix’s top slingers will face off in a bracket-style competition. A panel of cocktail experts will judge the event, naming the winner who will take home the trophy and bragging rights around town. This event is free, but tickets have not yet been released.
Organizers are also bringing back partner events, a new offering from 2024 that highlights local bars and restaurants, which are paired with a spirits sponsor to highlight craft cocktails. Organizers are currently seeking bars, restaurants and venues to sign up, but there were at least 70 of these events around the Valley last year to add to the festival atmosphere. These included tastings, guest bartending shifts and more. Most of these events were free, but did require an RSVP due to limited space.
The weekend isn’t just dedicated to indulgence. The event also features education and networking events for those who work in or hope to break into the hospitality industry.
Arizona Cocktail Weekend
Feb. 27 through March 3Multiple locations
