Forget the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, Sydney has a new wonder to share with the world. The harbourside city is set to welcome 16 of the best international bars from around the globe, from ten countries, all jam-packed into eight unforgettable nights. The inaugural Maybe Cocktail Festival will descend upon the streets of Sydney from 12 – 19 April, hosted by The Maybe Group and Public Hospitality.
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The Maybe Group’s Cine Lombardo, Martin Hudak and Stefano Catino | Image: The Maybe Group
“Part of being a truly global city is having an interesting and innovative bar culture that showcases the latest drink trends from across the globe but equally reflects the best that Sydney has to offer,” Public general manager — Hospitality, Anna Touhy said. “We are excited to welcome some of the best bartenders in the world to showcase the latest and finest innovations in drinks and partner them with some of our favourite Sydney bars to create unique experiences for our drink connoisseurs.”
You can expect nothing short of quality from the line-up, featuring bar talent from 12 of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022, plus three from their 51 – 100 list. We’re talking bars from Spain, Columbia, Singapore, Greece, the UK, Italy and plenty more. The fleet of talent will present free (yes, free!) bar events across Sydney, with each bartender taking over a bar for an epic, three-hour guest shift. It’s first-served, best-dressed, so all you have to do is rock up, sit back and bask in their bartending prowess, delicious concoctions and a-level hospitality.
Dean and Nancy | Image: The Maybe Group
The festival will also play host to industry masterclasses and panel discussions, perfect for those who like to take their cocktails a bit more seriously than us. And when it comes to the venues where the talent will be taking over, you can choose between hitting up Maybe Sammy, Dean & Nancy on 22, Mexican bar El Primo Sanchez Sammy Junior and The Strand Hotel Rooftop — talk about a line-up!
“I’m not sure I can think of anything more fun than being able to enjoy a cocktail experience from some of the best bars in the world every night, for a week. It’s not cheap to travel from Australia anywhere internationally, so we are thrilled to be able to bring this amazing talent pool of bartenders to Sydney so we can have those experiences without the cost of a plane ticket,” Maybe Cocktail Festival co-director Martin Hudak said.
And we couldn’t agree more. Maybe Cocktail Festival will take place from 12 – 19 April 2023, with the full program set to be released in March.
The Strand rooftop | Image: The Maybe Group
