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Florence Cocktail Week

Monday 7 April 2025
04:00 11:59

House of Nine 7 Via dei Conti Firenze, Toscana, 50123 Italy (map)

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Florence Cocktail Week Week returns to Florence from April 7th to 13th, 2025

Highlights of the eighth edition of the high-quality mixology festival organized and directed by Paola Mencarelli.

FIRENZE - Florence Cocktail Week returns to Florence to promote the culture of responsible and conscious drinking, highlighting high-quality mixology of Tuscany in the best 60 Cocktail Bars and Hotel Bars in Florence.

The 2025 edition of the event, conceived and directed by Paola Mencarelli with the Patronage of the Municipality of Florence and the support of the Destination Florence Foundation, will take place in the Tuscan capital from April 7th to 13th, 2025. The week-long series of events will highlight the city's, region's, and Italy's signature mixology, its professionals, and its emerging talents.

The main format follows that of previous years and other Italian Cocktail Weeks by Paola Mencarelli. It will be a week to explore the city's top cocktail bars through exclusive FCW Cocktail Lists, as well as through widespread events, masterclasses, product tastings, presentations, and guest shifts with both Italian and international guests. All of this will unfold throughout different times of the day, from Brunch to Night Shift.

"If Italian Cocktail Weeks, with Florence Cocktail Week, Tuscany Cocktail Week, Venice Cocktail Week, Cortina Cocktail Weekend, and Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week, has become a brand, it is thanks to Florence itself -the city where it all started in 2016- the support of important institutions like the Four Seasons Hotel and Locale, who were the first to believe in the event, and the enthusiasm of all the bartenders who have participated over the years," says Paola Mencarelli. "To keep the energy and curiosity alive, I always enjoy revisiting the format, introducing new elements, and changing things that, over time, could become monotonous. To create unique and stimulating events, it is important to follow and anticipate trends, thus providing new ideas for professionals in the industry and the general public.”

FCW is a tailor-made event, with several common points with the other ICWs, but in 2025, it focuses on the unique features of the local community and the talent of bartenders from Florence and all of Tuscany. It will explore the cocktails created specifically for the event through an itinerary that includes the 60 participating venues + 1 Special Coming Soon.

SEVEN DAYS OF EVENTS, HIGHLIGHTING THE ROLE OF THE RESIDENT BARTENDER, WITH A FOCUS ON WELLNESS THROUGH AN EXCLUSIVE FCW25 DRINK

Florence Cocktail Week is a week full of content for enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and industry professionals. Dedicated Cocktail Lists, Masterclasses, Brunch, Aperitifs, Pop-Up Bars from Tuscany Cocktail Week and Italian Cocktail Weeks, as well as Guest Shifts with Local, National, and International Guests; in addition to cultural initiatives, recreational activities, and experiences aimed at a novice audience, designed to bring the general public closer to thoughtful and high-quality mixology.

POP-UP BAR TUSCANY COCKTAIL WEEK AND THE OTHER ITALIAN COCKTAIL WEEKS BY PAOLA MENCARELLI.

Considering the success in September 2024 in Campania during Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week, Paola Mencarelli has decided to bring the formula of regional Pop-Up Bars to Florence as well. The Cocktail Bars and Hotel Bars of FCW25 will host the Pop-Up Bars from the most important Cocktail Bars and Hotel Bars of Tuscany Cocktail Week, as well as from the sister events Venice Cocktail Week and Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week, creating a true ICW Reunion.

YOUNG GUEST BARTENDER

Young Guest Bartender returns to Florence, an initiative launched in 2023 to give a voice to the new generation of bartenders, involving young bartenders under 25 in GUEST shifts where they take center stage behind the bar – either solo or alongside the stars of mixology – at the FCW25 cocktail bars.

HIGHLIGHTING THE ROLE OF THE RESIDENT BARTENDER AND THE INITIATIVE BARKEEPERS FCW25

A brand-new addition to FCW25 is the introduction of the “Barkeeper FCW” initiative, which highlights the resident bartenders of each Cocktail Bar. On specific days and times, it will be possible to meet the key personalities of the city’s mixology behind their own bar, discovering the secrets of the FCW25 creations and experience a more intimate connection with the soul of the bar.

Florence Cocktail Week aims to shine a spotlight on local venues, giving everyone the chance to explore different establishments and the expertise of the bartenders themselves, who, through their creations, promote the culture of responsible and quality drinking and foster interaction between the customer and the operator.

After 7 editions, FCW now boasts 60 participating cocktail bars, a significant achievement both for the Florentine community and for the event itself. The introduction of the new FCW25 venues is highlighted across all communication channels of the event, and in 2025, special attention has been given to the year each bar started participating, a way to honour the venues themselves, rebuilding the history of the event through its protagonists.

The importance of the resident Florentine bartenders has also been emphasized in communications, with the usual portraits by the portrait photographer Veronica Gaido. These unique and highly expressive photographs come from one of the most appreciated contemporary artists in the national and international photography scene.

WELLNESS

The focus of 2025 is on contemporary mixology trends, with a strong emphasis on WELLNESS.

For the first time, the FCW25 Cocktail Lists include the alcohol content information, a way to immediately indicate the type of drink. This is an important tool for consumers, allowing them to make their choice with greater awareness.

Another new feature of the FCW25 Cocktail List is the number of drinks; there are now two FCW25 proposals available in each of the 60 FCW25 cocktail bars, making the cocktail menu more streamlined and clear.

1 Signature Cocktail FCW25 – A freely created drink made with products from the Main Sponsors and Sponsors.
1 Wellness Signature Cocktail FCW25 – A freely created Low ABV or Alcohol-Free drink made with products from the Main Sponsors and Sponsors.

In addition to the Wellness Signature, there will also be events focused on physical and mental well-being, including "Wellness Time - Reset Body & Spirit," an initiative dedicated to bartenders scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th at The22 Yoga & Fitness Lifestyle Studio Florence. This event is organized by Event Sponsor Ice3 and Main Sponsor Legend Kombucha, with the support of FCW.

EVENTS FCW 2025

The FCW25 Event Calendar will be available online starting in April on the official event website.

A rich schedule of events will animate Florence's week of fine drinking, including masterclasses, guest nights, and events focused on exploring bar culture.

The Historic Café Tour returns, offering a chance to discover the history of the bars of Florence, in collaboration with Ricomincio da Firenze, and it will end at Caffè Gilli 1733 with a Negroni Cocktail tasting. There will also be many new events not to be missed.

INTERNATIONAL GUESTS

Florence will welcome guests from all over the world for FCW25.

On Wednesday, April 9th, "The Maestro" Salvatore Calabrese, a long-time friend of all the ICWs by Paola Mencarelli, will return to Florence from London for the inauguration of Artemisia Bar, the new bar at Hotel Savoy, which, under his supervision, reopens with a fresh look during the Florence Cocktail Week.

From South Africa, Julian Short, chef bartender at Sin+Tax in Johannesburg, will be in town. The versatile international mixology professional will be featured on Friday, April 11th, for a Guest Shift at Santa Cocktail Club, organized by the Main Sponsor Altamura Distilleries in collaboration with FCW.

Julian Short will also participate in a unique roundtable on the use of wine in mixology on Saturday, April 12th, at Enoteca Alessi. The event will involve trade press and the participation of opinion leaders and mixology enthusiasts.

SHIFT SCHOLARSHIP FROM KAZAKHSTAN

As in previous years, FCW places a strong focus on training, fostering intercultural communication, and creating a community of local professionals who collaborate globally to promote the concept of quality.

Shift Scholarship from Kazakhstan is the name of the exchange supported by Florence Cocktail Week and organized by Paola Mencarelli and Arina Nikolskaya, founder of SHIFT.project and Academy Chair of 50 Best Bars.

For this edition, the project provided the opportunity for two Kazakh food & beverage professionals to come to Italy and gain valuable training experiences at some of the most renowned venues in Tuscany.

Bartender Abay Mukambayev and Chef Svetlana Khaninaeva are the two individuals selected by the organization to participate in this inspiring initiative. Arriving in Italy at the end of March, they will undergo internships first at Sal'8 Bar Agricolo, Relais Poggio ai Santi in San Vincenzo (Livorno), and later at Santa Cocktail Club in Florence.

The experience will culminate during FCW25 with three Guest Shifts at three of the FCW25 Cocktail Bars: Tuesday, April 8th at Santa Cocktail Club, Thursday, April 10th at Eye Cocktail Bar, and Saturday, April 12th at Gucci Giardino.

“DINING WITH THE SPIRITS”, “PIZZA WITH THE SPIRITS”, “PASTRY WITH THE SPIRITS” AND “GELATO WITH THE SPIRITS”

Given the success of previous editions, the initiatives "Dining with the Spirits" and "Pizza with the Spirits" will be reprised. Florentine chefs and pizzaiolos will use spirits as ingredients in their dishes and pizzas, offering them during FCW25 week as part of their menus or at dedicated events.

Two new additions to these already established initiatives in Florence are "Pastry with the Spirits" and "Gelato with the Spirits," expanding the concept to include pastry chefs and gelato makers.

A major novelty in the city is the opening of Vivoli Affogato Bar, a sister venue to the historic Vivoli, which will inaugurate during FCW, bringing back the trend of affogato gelato, particularly featuring spirits.

The list of participants will be available in the "Dining with the Spirits", "Pizza with the Spirits", "Pastry with the Spirits", and "Gelato with the Spirits" sections on the official website www.florencecocktailweek.it.

WORKSHOP “SHAKE YOUR IDENTITY: THE POWER OF CREATIVE THINKING IN PERSONAL BRANDING”

Paola Mencarelli has always created events with a strong communicative impact. For this edition, she wanted to focus on the individual bartender and how to help them develop a personal communication strategy that is also useful in the workplace, starting from their own unique traits.

This led to the creation of a collateral project that precedes FCW: “Shake Your Identity: The Power of Creative Thinking in Personal Branding,” a workshop with Ilaria Legato, Brand Designer, and Beatrice Mencattini, ICW Head of PR & Communication, scheduled for Thursday, April 3rd, at Hotel Number 9.

The event is aimed exclusively at FCW25 bartenders and focuses on developing creative thinking that is useful for creating one's own brand identity. It’s a way to help transform each individual’s style into a true brand, even through the creation of drinks that become an authentic expression of their identity and vision. This practical and inspirational journey aims to highlight individual talent, leaving a lasting mark, and concludes with proper guidance on using one's image on social media, focusing on Instagram.

LIST OF COCKTAIL BARS and BARS D’HOTEL FCW25

COCKTAIL BARS