With all of Chicago's fantastic cocktails and new cocktail bars opening what feels like every day, it should come as no surprise that we're ready for a bit of education on the hot topic. This May, Cocktail Summit will take place at Logan Theatre with a two-day event for both cocktail enthusiasts and bar and restaurant professionals.
The festival is being put together by Billy Helmkamp (The Whistler, Logan Square Arts Festival) and Erik Westra (Westra & Co.) and will include speakers like Adrienne Lo and Abraham Conlon (Fat Rice), Andrew Algren (Cherry Circle Room), Danny Shapiro (Scofflaw), Ed Marzewski (Marz Brewing) and others.
Cocktail Summit will be split into two days, beginning Sunday, May 22 for consumers and home cocktail enthusiasts with beginner and intermediate level seminars and panel discussions. Expect topics like cocktail history, bitters production, ingredient manipulation and drink-making techniques. Monday, May 23 will be for bar and restaurant professionals with topics like spirit analysis, the science behind clear ice, how to run a successful beverage program, modern bartending techniques and how to utilize social media to build your personal brand. Both days will run from 9am–6pm.
Since you can't have a cocktail conference without a drink or two, brands will also be on-hand offering samples of cocktails and their latest spirits. You can also look forward to a handful of off-site events and tastings still to be announced in addition to the Logan Theatre programming. But for now, focus on getting your ticket—they go on sale April 1 and cost $125 per day.