Overview
Swizzle sticks at the ready, drinks aficionados. After the success of last year's inaugural Maybe Cocktail Festival, the event is returning in April 2024 with more than 30 international bartenders and 20 events serving world class beverages over a week-long celebration of booze, hospitality and craft.
Coming from the PUBLIC Hospitality group and the Maybe Sammy team — no stranger to legendary bar feats, having topped the list of the 500 best bars in the world in 2023 — the festival will hit venues across Sydney and showcase acclaimed bartenders and cocktail-slinging spots from Italy, England, Mexico, Scotland, China and, of course, some of the best of the Australian bar scene.
Steve Woodburn
The impressive lineup (with highlights listed below) has been curated by Maybe Cocktail Festival Director and Director of Hospitality at PUBLIC, Stefano Catino, with an even bigger showing of international guests turning up for year two.
"Last year we held 16 events and they were all packed so this year we've curated extra events and flown out even more international bars and bartenders," says Catino.
He also emphasises the importance of making the festival events affordable: "Nineteen of the 21 events are free to attend which is very important to us. The cost of living is high and it's very expensive for Australians to travel overseas so this festival will give people the opportunity to drink cocktails from an amazing bar in Rome or try a Tommy's Margarita from the gentleman who created it, without the cost of a plane ticket."
Yes, tequila fans will delight in the opportunity to have an audience with San Francisco native Julio Bermejo, creator of the Tommy's Margarita — the signature marg at legendary tequila bar and restaurant Tommy's Mexican.
Other noteworthy bars involved in the program include Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy (which ranked #3 on The World's 50 Best Bars list for 2023) and the history-rich New York staple Dante.
The events will be held at a haul of venues including Maybe Sammy, Dean & Nancy on 22, Sammy Junior, El Primo Sanchez, Kasbah at The Strand, Ricos Tacos, Busby's, The Lady Hampshire, and both Alpha and Beta at 28 Castlereagh Street.
Maybe Cocktail Festival 2024 bars (so far)
Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City)
Caretaker's Cottage (Melbourne)
Freni & Frizioni (Rome)
Argo (Hong Kong)
Panda & Sons (Edinburgh)
Julio Bermejo (of Tommy's Mexican, San Francisco)
Dante (New York City & Los Angeles)
The Donovan Bar (London)
Kwãnt Mayfair (London)
Millie Tang (Brisbane)
La Punta Expendio de Agave (Rome)
Re– (Sydney)
Byrdi (Melbourne) - #61 The World's 50 Best Bars 2023
Tayēr + Elementary (London)
Bar Leone (Hong Kong)
Gucci Giardino 25 (Florence)
Bar Nouveau (Paris)
Origin Bar (Singapore)
The Maybe Cocktail Festival will take place across Sydney between Wednesday, April 9–Sunday, April 14. The full program of events will drop in March, so watch this space.
Main image: Steven Woodburn.