George Dickel
Alissa Henley will be part of a panel on gender equity in the spirits industry.
Madison Cocktail Week is pouring out an extra round this year.
The second annual event, organized by local bartenders, will return Feb. 18-21, again serving as a lead-in to the Distill America spirit-tasting event held at the Edgewater on Feb. 20. But this year, Madison Cocktail Week’s February events are being billed as a “teaser weekend” and a prelude to an even bigger party planned for October.
“What we expect in October is a reinvention of [Madison Cocktail Week],” says organizer Tom Dufek, director of operations at Merchant. “We have a lot of things planned, bigger than anything we’ve ever done here in Madison.”
When Madison Cocktail Week debuted last year, the idea was to tap into the momentum and potential of Distill America, but organizers thought the two events might eventually separate, Dufek says. Moving the main cocktail week event to October gives the opportunity to expand without overshadowing Distill America -- and the mid-fall weather will be better, too.
Even so, this month’s version has plenty to offer, featuring 13 events at 10 different venues across Madison. Though there are slightly fewer offerings than last year, the events that are taking place will be “of a similar magnitude,” with guest bartenders and distillers from throughout Wisconsin, Dufek says.
“Our theme has always been to really showcase what we’re doing in Madison, but also to collaborate with our peers,” Dufek says.
The week kicks off Feb. 18 at Gib’s with a bartender relay race featuring Casa Noble tequila, and continues on Feb. 19 with a panel discussion about gender equity in the spirits industry featuring Alissa Henley, general distiller for George Dickel, and Liz Henry, co-owner of Wisconsin-based J. Henry & Sons bourbon. Also on Feb. 19 is a seminar about contemporary techniques in cocktail making, held at the soon-to-open Robin Room bar on East Johnson Street.
There will be three “Pen Pal Field Trips,” with bartenders from Goodkind in Milwaukee, Proof in De Pere, the Libertine of Green Bay and Wickman House in Door County taking over at Madison’s, Maduro and Heritage Tavern.
After Distill America, the cocktail week folks are shuttling patrons via bus to after-parties at Merchant, the Robin Room and Gib’s. Finally, for those who enjoy eating food while drinking, there will be cocktail brunches at Cento and Oliver’s Public House, and a dinner at Estrellón.
Additionally, as a lead-in to Distill America, the folks from North Shore Distillery are planning a special cocktail menu to be served at Forequarter for the duration of Madison Cocktail Week.
