Sixteen international bars from 10 different countries will descend on Sydney from 12 to 19 April, courtesy of Public Hospitality and the Maybe Group’s inaugural Maybe Cocktail festival.
Bartenders from the likes of Sips Barcelona, Hanky Panky, Drink Kong and A Bar With Shapes For A Name will be taking part. Each bartender will undertake a three hour ‘rockstar’ shift at four of the Maybe Group’s venues: Maybe Sammy, Sammy Junior, Dean & Nancy on 22, and El Primo Sanchez, a Mexican bar located inside The Rose Hotel, that will open shortly.
Maybe Cocktail Festival co-director, and co-founder of the Maybe Group, Martin Hudak said: “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.”
And the Maybe Group is looking to share the love with the wider Sydney hospitality community, with one of the conditions for those bar teams attending being that they visit bars outside of the Maybe Group and Public Hospitality.
“We want this applauded, well-connected group of bar folk to experience just how good our bars are here. It’s really challenging for Australian bars to get the same global awareness as bars in Europe and the Americas as it’s easier and cheaper for bartenders to travel between those continents,” Hudak commented.
“We hope this program of sending bartenders out beyond the bars within our two hospitality groups helps the local bar industry receive the exposure they deserve and cements new relationships with like-minded bars from overseas.”
Public Hospitality’s newest rooftop bar, the Strand Hotel Rooftop is also part of the festival, hosting an event. These free events will open to the public on a first come, first served basis, but there will also be industry masterclasses and discussion for members of the hospitality industry.
Anna Touhy, Public Hospitality GM, sees the festival as a significant win for the Harbour City’s bar scene.
“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,” 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.”
More details on the festival will be revealed in March.
A full list of participating bars, plus their World’s 50 Best Bars ranking, can be found below.
#3 – Sips, Barcelona (Spain)
#10 – Alquímico, Cartagena (Columbia)
#12 – Jigger & Pony (Singapore)
#13 – Hanky Panky, Mexico City (Mexico)
#14 – BKK Social Club, Bangkok (Thailand)
#16 – Drink Kong, Rome (Italy)
#21 – Café La Trova, Miami (USA)
#27 – Tres Monos, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
#31 – Line, Athens (Greece)
#34 – Overstory (USA)
#37 – A Bar with Shapes for a Name (UK)
#46 – L’Antiquario, Naples (Italy)
#59 – Schofield’s, Manchester (UK)
#74 – Nutmeg & Clove (Singapore)
#94 – Sweet Liberty, Miami (USA)
UNLISTED – Termini (UK)
