From March 27 to April 5, Amsterdam turns into one big cocktail festival. Amsterdam Cocktail Week, the event I set up 10 years ago, is back. For ten days, the city celebrates its cocktail scene and the people who make it what it is. Expect exclusive signature cocktails at 23 of the city’s best bars, alongside workshops, tastings, and a packed events calendar. This year, the program is more extensive than ever. You can explore all participating bars and events or simply book your seat at the bar and dive straight in.
Now in its ninth year, Amsterdam Cocktail Week continues to highlight the energy and creativity of the local bar scene. This edition brings 23 bars together, each serving exclusive signature cocktails. Participating venues include Bar Oldenhof, Bar TwentySeven, Belly of the Beast, Cue, Door74, Dutch Courage, Feijoa, Fitz’s Bar, Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, Hasta La Vista, Baby!, Law & Order, Lotti’s, LuminAir, NIDO, NJOY, Pressroom, Prins & Aap, Rosalia’s Menagerie, Sins of Sal, Sonora, Super Lyan, The Tailor and Vault Bar.
Workshops, tastings, and events
There is more to do than ever this year. The program blends workshops, tastings, and events for both bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts. From competitions to guided tastings, there is something happening across the city every day. Love a Pornstar Martini? The Passion Fruit Collab by Sonora and Hasta La Vista, Baby! shows just how far you can take passion fruit, with plenty of room for dancing along the way. Meanwhile, Bar Oldenhof explores the full spectrum of agave in a dedicated tasting session. And at Hasta La Vista, Baby!, bartenders go head to head during the Espresso Martini Cocktail Competition to crown the best in the Netherlands. Shaken or stirred? A dedicated Martini workshop finally breaks down why it matters. At Door74, you will dive into one of the world’s most iconic cocktail styles in the city’s most famous speakeasy setting.
On April 1, Mijenta brings two leading German bartenders to Amsterdam. Betty Kupsa of The Chug Club and Maria Gorbachova of The Green Door take over Belly of the Beast and Flying Dutchmen Cocktails simultaneously, marking the finale of Mijenta Women’s Month. Guest shifts from internationally renowned bars add another layer to the week. Paradiso (Barcelona) takes over Door74 for one night, Drink Kong (Rome) heads to Fitz’s Bar, and Murder Inc appears at NIDO. In between drinks, bartenders can sharpen their skills at The Knowledge Hub, where industry experts share insights on what it takes to run a successful bar. And if you are still not done by April 5, the official afterparty continues on April 6 at Feijoa during its iconic Girls Love Bartenders night.
Cocktail walks
Struggling to choose where to go? The WOGO Cocktail Walk makes the decision easier. Two different routes guide cocktail lovers through three bars each. The Discovery walk takes you to Bar Oldenhof, Law & Order, and Dutch Courage. Prefer something more elevated? The Luxury walk includes stops at Fitz’s Bar, Cue, and Prins & Aap. All walks can be booked via the WOGO website. And that is still only part of the story. With a city-wide lineup of events, Amsterdam Cocktail Week offers more than enough reasons to plan your visit and start mapping out your route through the city’s bars.
All the events in one glance: check the website for the Cocktail Week calendar.
