My Florence Cocktail Week 2025 Recap

A bit late being Florence Cocktail Week 2025 took place on Monday, April 7th up until Sunday, April 13, but here is my post FCW2025 Recap:

Unfortunately I was only able to make it halfway through festivities, joining the party on Thursday, April 10th and Friday, April 11th but what an incredible 48 hours! Jam-packed with special guest shifts featuring bartenders from around the world and also Italy, plus seminars, masterclasses, and the best kind of reunions and overall energy within the bar, spirits and bartending industry and the people who love them all (like me).

But first, a bit about Florence Cocktail Week, in case you’re unfamiliar…

Founded by Tuscan native Paola Mencarelli (who is also the creative director) along with the Patronage of the Municipality of Florence and the support of the Destination Florence Foundation, she created FCW back in 2016 wanting to promote her region in a different kind of way, taking inspiration from the London Cocktail Week model.

It all started with a handful of events (as in 8), 13 cocktail bars, and literally 1 guest bartender shift, but grew into so much more with each coming year. As of 2025, FCW reached 60 participating cocktail bars, 194 events and 154 guests. This year’s edition of FCW with a program centered on wellness included a few new features from previous editions:

• Prominently showcased was the year that each bar participated in Florence Cocktail Week, in order to honor the original cocktail bars that took part of the first event, while also tracing the evolution of both.

• Also for the first time, the FCW25 Cocktail Lists were reduced to two Signature Cocktails per venue—one of which was wellness-inspired. Each cocktail was accompanied by its alcohol content, offering a valuable tool to help consumers make more informed and conscious choices.

• And following the success of the format used during Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week in September 2024, Paola Mencarelli incorporated the same concept of “Regional Pop-Up Bars to Florence Cocktail Week as well.

• Another major new addition to FCW25 this year was the launch of “Barkeeper FCW” an initiative designed to spotlight the resident bartenders at each participating venue. During specific time slots, guests could meet the minds behind the cocktails at their own bars, discovering the secrets of FCW25’s creations and enjoying a more intimate, personal experience within the soul of each venue.

Other highlights:

• Throughout the week, the 60 participating cocktail bars and hotel bars hosted “35 Pop-Bars” from some of the most prestigious venues involved in Tuscany Cocktail Week, Venice Cocktail Week, and Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week, creating what felt like a true Italian Cocktail Week (ICW) reunion.

• Guest shifts were another highlight of the week, lighting up Florence’s days and nights with a total of 67 guests from across Italy and 36 international guests from around the world.

• Always placing an emphasis on education and intercultural communication, Florence Cocktail Week showcased the “SHIFT Project Scholarship” from Kazakhstan. Founded by Arina Nikolskaya (also Eastern Europe Academy Chair for 50 Best Bars and creator of Nomad Bar Show) she brought with her two Kazakh professionals from the food and beverage sector bartender Abay Mukambayev and chef Svetlana Khaninaeva - first to the Tuscan countryside to take part in another admirable initiative created by Giulio Neri and Federico Diddi at Relais Poggio ai Santi’s Sal’8 Bar Agricolo in San Vincenzo, Livorno called “Un Orto Al Sal8” and after that - the heart of Firenze centro storico to Santa Cocktail Club, Hotel Number Nine, Eye Cocktail Bar and Gucci Giardino.

• Another integral part of the Florence Cocktail Week 2025 program was food. Drinks were paired with the finest of food at some of the esteemed establishments in Firenze such as the acclaimed restaurant XINGE, where tasting menus were designed around a signature cocktail list sponsored by the top spirit brands. There were several branded food and drink events sprinkled throughout the city during FCW2025 (also featuring pizza, pastries and even gelato!) creating a synergy between the world of spirits and gastronomy.

Since the very start, FCW has largely contributed to changing the perception of how people within the industry viewed not only the city of Florence as a key player, but Italy as well. Giving rise to new themes and trends, unconventional ingredients in mixology, and unique events emphasizing wellness-focused offerings that are much-needed, Florence Cocktail Week continues to support the historic establishments, hotel bars, and cocktail bars that already exist, at the same time encouraging new ones to be born.

Stay tuned for my specific visits (and drinks) coming soon on my Instagram…