Summer in Cape Town gets a shake-up this year with the launch of the first-ever Cape Town Cocktail Week (CTCW), a seven-day city-wide festival. For one week only, more than 25 participating bars will pour specially created CTCW signature cocktails for just R50 (if you’re wearing a festival wristband, of course) with no shortage of extra entertainment on the side. Think guest shifts from talented mixologists, pop-ups, games, masterclasses and more.
“Cape Town has an incredible cocktail scene, and CTCW encourages locals and holidaymakers to explore it when the city is at its finest,” says CTCW founder Leah van Deventer, a globally recognised voice in the drinks industry and the regional Academy Chair for the World’s 50 Best Bars – representing Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. “CTCW is not just about discounted drinks, it’s a city-wide celebration that spotlights bartenders and bars, and positions Cape Town as an international cocktail hotspot.”
Unlike your typical fenced-off festival in one location, the magic of CTCW is that it takes punters to the places where Cape Town’s cocktail culture comes alive: in the bars themselves. Purchase a wristband, pick up the official map and chart your own route: from after-work sundowners to late-night nightcaps.
Who is taking part in the inaugural Cape Town Cocktail Week?
You can find a complete list on www.capetowncocktailweek.com, but expect a greatest-hits tour of Cape Town’s cocktail scene.
On the current line-up: Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen, The Art of Duplicity, Asoka, Bascule Bar, Planet Bar, Tjing Tjing House, The House of Machines, Time Out Market, Aperitif, Una Más Mezcaleria, Barcadia, Tommys Chop Shop, The Drinkery, The Tiki Tomb, Rick’s Café Americain, Strolla, Talking to Strangers, The Village Idiot, and more being added all the time.
“CTCW is a cocktail safari, where everyone chooses their own adventure,” says Van Deventer. “As well as enjoying the hospitality of the bars, you get to experience the city itself, and are invited to include tourist stops on your route, too. Many venues are open during the day, so you can stroll through the Company’s Gardens, wander along the Promenade, ride up the cable car or even stop at a museum.”
Need to know
- When: 10 - 16 December 2025.
- How it works: Buy a ticket, swap it for a CTCW wristband, then access R50 cocktails at all participating venues. Many locations will also offer dedicated mocktails or alcohol-free serves on request.
- Tickets: On sale soon via Quicket (Early Bird R280; General R380; Groups of 10 for R3,300).
- Where to start: Check the live map and the daily events board for guest shifts and specials.
- Find out more: www.capetowncocktailweek.com
Can't wait until then? Try our pick of the Best bars in Cape Town
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