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Gin has spent the last decade quietly reclaiming its cool factor but, this June, the juniper spirit is getting a full-fledged global festival devoted entirely to it. World Gin Week—a brand-new annual celebration founded by spirits expert Philip Duff and hospitality entrepreneur Karl Finegan—will run June 13–20 with tastings, pop-ups, seminars and martini-fueled parties stretching from New York to Hong Kong, London, Sydney and beyond.
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New York is serving as one of the event’s central hubs, with many of the marquee events unfolding at The Ivory Peacock, the Flatiron cocktail destination known for its collection of more than 1,200 gins.
The inaugural edition aims to celebrate gin’s history, versatility and enduring influence on cocktail culture while encouraging bars worldwide to craft special menus and gin-forward experiences. Participating bars span multiple continents and include heavy hitters like Bar Leone, Connaught Bar, Atlas, Handshake Speakeasy and Maybe Sammy.
New York’s programming kicks off on World Gin Day, June 13, with a World Gin Day Celebration and opening party at Finegan's The Ivory Peacock, where attendees can sample a wide range of gins served as G&Ts and martinis, alongside passed hors d’oeuvres. A London cocktail bar residency follows on June 14 and 15, bringing an acclaimed U.K. bar team stateside for a two-night takeover.
The week wraps on June 20 with World Martini Day events that include educational seminars led by drinks luminaries like Dale DeGroff, Allen Katz, Steve Schneider and Natasha Bahrami, followed by a closing party featuring pop-up bars and signature martinis from some of the city’s best cocktail spots, including Sip & Guzzle, Bar Madonna and Room 207.
The festival also has a charitable component: participating bars and brands can donate to organizations like the United States Bartenders' Guild National Charity Foundation and The Drinks Trust, while a portion of ticket proceeds from World Gin Week events will benefit the USBG Foundation.
For New Yorkers who’ve spent the last few years rediscovering the martini in all its various levels of filthiness, this week-long celebration may be the city’s most spirited excuse yet to order another round. Just please, give a dry martini a chance? Not all of them need to taste like the ocean.