Conceived and directed by Paola Mencarelli, with the patronage of the City of Venice and the support of Vela, Venice Cocktail Week 2023 follows the pattern of previous years and its sister initiatives, Florence Cocktail Week and Cortina Cocktail Weekend. 

"Born to spread the culture of conscious and responsible drinking, VCW is a kermesse that allows neophytes, enthusiasts, and professionals to meet and discuss current and future trends in the world of mixology," said Mencarelli.

The third edition involves the best cocktail bars in Venice, divided into hotel bars and cocktail bars, and their bartenders, who will demonstrate their work in a cocktail list created ad hoc for the entire VCW23 week.

The VCW23 cocktail list of each cocktail bar will feature three exclusive drinks, the ‘Signature Cocktail’, the ‘Riesco a Bere Italiano’ and the ‘Aperitivo di Mezzogiorno’.

During the day, there will be educational moments dedicated to the description of products, mixing techniques and bar formats, masterclasses, product and book presentations, cultural meetings, tastings and a large space dedicated to entertainment, both daytime and evening. 

This edition also returns Dining With The Spirits, an initiative born during Florence Cocktail Week which involves the restaurants of the Serenissima that want to show their interpretation of spirits in the kitchen, using them as ingredients in their dishes.