If you like your alcohol with a lot of different tastes – not straight beer, nor straight wine, nor straight liquor – then the Jerusalem Cocktail Fest may be your ideal night out.
This year, the third annual Cocktail Fest will be held August 21-22 at the First Station. Five Jerusalem cocktail bars will be participating, plus a few independent bartenders and bar service companies. Entrance is free – but the cocktails are not.
Each of the participants was asked to create three new cocktails for the festival: two of them mainstream, one premium. There should be some 30 new taste sensations for the visitors, but please don’t think you have to try them all!
Leon Shvartz, the organizer of the festival and owner of the Glen Whisky Bar and the Rabbit Hole Cocktail Bar, said that fewer bars and businesses are participating this year. “The war has caused many problems for the alcohol industry, such as scarcity of manpower and a general lack of motivation.”
However, he added, “This year there will be international bartenders giving master classes. We will also have a tattoo artist, who we hope will help people understand that they shouldn’t make permanent decisions while under the influence of alcohol!”
There will also be a pop-up liquor store where you can buy ingredients needed for making the new cocktails being served. Atmosphere will be provided by local bands and DJs.
“We want to show the rest of the country that Jerusalem has a good selection of cocktail bars and a nightlife of its own,” said Shvartz.
Here are some tips to make the Cocktail Fest even more enjoyable:
- Take public transportation. You’ll avoid parking problems, and you won’t be driving home under the influence of alcohol. Cocktails may taste great and go down easy, but they can be very potent. It’s amazing how “just a sip here and just a sip there” can add up.
- Arrive early (gates open at 4 p.m.) so you can walk around leisurely, try different cocktails, and speak to the mixologists.
- Eat something before and while you’re drinking. This slows down the absorption of alcohol – and lets you sample more cocktails! Drinking water is a good idea, too. There are many restaurants and fast-food stands in the First Station.
- The Cocktail Fest is a great opportunity to try several different drinks, but keep it slow and pace yourself. Most importantly: You do not have to try everything. Drink moderately, have a good time, and get home safely. ■
The third annual Jerusalem Cocktail Fest will take place Wednesday and Thursday, August 21 and 22, at the First Station, beginning at 4 p.m. each afternoon, and ending at midnight. Entrance is free, but all cocktails are for sale.
Doug Greener is the owner of MediawiSe, an advertising and direct marketing agency in Jerusalem. He writes a web log on Israeli craft beers called Israel Brews and Views, which can be found on Facebook.
