Florence Cocktail Week returns to Florence to celebrate ten years since its first edition (2016–2026). The ninth edition of FCW is dedicated to celebrating Italian Talent and, as always, to spreading the culture of Conscious and Responsible Drinking, promoting quality mixology across the best cocktail bars and hotel bars in the city alongside the Italian bartender community, both in Italy and abroad.
The 2026 edition of the event, conceived and directed by Paola Mencarelli, will take place in Florence from 16 to 22 April 2026, with a week of city-wide events shining a spotlight on Florence’s cocktail scene and the dialogue between tradition, hospitality and contemporaneity.
A week of profound symbolic significance: ten years since the project that gave rise to Italian Cocktail Weeks — a journey that began in 2016 and grew over time through the editions of Tuscany Cocktail Week, Venice Cocktail Week, Cortina Cocktail Weekend and Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week, now bringing together an ever-growing number of venues and professionals, making a tangible contribution to championing quality cocktail culture across Italy.
In 2016, the year of the first Florence Cocktail Week, just 13 cocktail bars took part. Today, ten years on, Florence Cocktail Week involves more than 70 venues — Selected Bars and Event Partners alike — alongside an exponentially growing number of bartenders, reflecting how the event has made a concrete contribution to the development, visibility and professionalisation of Italy’s mixology community. A journey built over time through relationships, continuity and the celebration of talent — one that Florence Cocktail Week 2026 honours by bringing back, in spirit, the people who shaped the very beginning of this story.
“What began in 2016 as a gamble with just 13 cocktail bars has today become an established and prestigious reality. Florence Cocktail Week 2026 celebrates its tenth anniversary with extraordinary numbers: 55 Selected Bars and numerous Event Partners. A growth that represents the tangible contribution the event itself has made to the development and visibility of the Italian mixology world.” says Paola Mencarelli.
SEVEN DAYS OF EVENTS AND AN EXCLUSIVE DRINK LIST
Florence Cocktail Week 2026 will be a week packed with content for enthusiasts, professionals and newcomers alike: dedicated Cocktail Lists, Guest Shifts, Masterclasses, Brunches, Aperitivo sessions, Pop-Up Bars, cultural initiatives and experiences spread across cocktail bars, hotel bars and partner venues.
Each of the 55 Selected Cocktail Bars will present an FCW26 Drink List featuring 3 exclusive cocktails:
- 1 Signature Cocktail FCW26, of free creation
- 1 Wellness Cocktail FCW26, Low ABV or Alcohol Free
- 1 Classic Cocktail FCW26
A liquid narrative interpreting the evolution of contemporary drinking, with particular attention to quality, sustainability and responsible consumption.
The inclusion of the Classic Cocktail in the FCW26 Drink List is a cultural statement. In an era dominated by molecular techniques and hyper-complex drinks, the return to origins serves as a reminder that innovation without roots in the world of mixology creates trends but fails to honour its history. Paying tribute to the past does not mean being old-fashioned: it means being the custodians of a timeless elegance that has withstood both passing fads and prohibition.
CELEBRATING ITALIAN TALENT. TEN YEARS OF ITALIAN BARTENDERS, IN ITALY AND AROUND THE WORLD
The guiding thread of Florence Cocktail Week 2026 will be the celebration of the local and Italian bartender community, both at home and abroad. For this landmark tenth edition, all guest bartenders taking part in the events will be exclusively Italian, or Italian bartenders working outside the country. A new way of telling stories of professional journeys, expertise and visions that, while shaped by different contexts, share the same cultural roots. A symbolic and powerful choice, made to mark FCW’s tenth anniversary alongside the Italian professionals who have carried their know-how beyond national borders.
An approach, therefore, that keeps people and their paths at its core, where Italian mixology is represented by professionals who can engage with the international landscape without losing their own identity, contributing to the growth and recognition of Italy’s cocktail scene worldwide.
EVENTS PROGRAMME
The FCW26 Events Calendar will be available online from April on the official website of the festival. A rich programme of masterclasses, guest shifts and events dedicated to bar culture will bring Florence’s week of great drinking to life.
The Tour of Historic Cafés returns: a journey through the history of Florence’s most iconic bars, in collaboration with Ricomincio da Firenze, culminating at Caffè Gilli 1733 with a taste of the Negroni cocktail.
And plenty of new events not to be missed:
Martini® will be joining the next edition of Florence Cocktail Week with its MARTINI Social Club programme, in a special guest shift at Locale Firenze on Thursday 16 April at 7.30 pm. For the occasion, six of Italy’s most influential bartenders — Flavio Angiolillo, Patrick Pistolesi, Benjamin Cavagna, Riccardo Rossi, Alexander Frezza and Abi El Attaoui — will present a selection of classic cocktails and contemporary twists designed to showcase the versatility of MARTINI® products, with a particular focus on the Spritz and Italian aperitivo culture.
During the week, at Gucci Giardino, Martina Bonci and her team will host a series of brunches featuring exclusively Italian guests. Kicking things off is the brunch signed by Polot 1882, scheduled for Thursday 16 April from 12.30 to 3.00pm, with Moebius Milano curating the dedicated cocktail list for the event.
Baldoria Vermouth on 16 April atDjària – American Bar presents Baldoria Dinner – Between American Cuisine and Cocktail Culture. A pairing dinner dedicated to American tradition, featuring a menu inspired by the cuisine of the United States alongside a selection of American classics and twists interpreted with Baldoria Vermouth. A dialogue between food and cocktails that celebrates the character, botanicals and elegance of vermouth.
THE RETURN OF THE HISTORIC CONTEST
Among the most anticipated events of FCW26 is the return of the Contest, evoking the spirit of the very first edition in 2016. The event will take place on Thursday 16 April at 2.30 pm at Locale Firenze. An initiative that had been set aside over the years, it returns in 2026 as a symbolic moment to celebrate ten years of work, the growth of the project and the community that made it possible. A meeting point between the festival’s past and present, featuring the participation of bartenders who contributed to the birth and development of Italian Cocktail Weeks. Among them Edoardo Sandri, Assistant Bar Manager at Atrium Bar, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, the only one to have remained at the same venue for all 10 years. Much anticipation surrounds the return of the original 2016 contest judges: Patrick Pistolesi, Stefano Nincevich and Luca Pirola.
PUTTING THE BARTENDER IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH THE BARKEEPER INITIATIVE
Florence will also give prominent space to resident bartenders through the Barkeeper initiative: the true protagonists of their venues, showcased through dedicated moments that will allow the public to discover their stories, their visions and their FCW26 Cocktail Lists directly from behind the bar.
Born for FCW25, the “Barkeeper FCW” initiative aims to shine a light on the resident bartenders of each cocktail bar. On specific days and at set times, it will be possible to meet some of the city’s leading mixology figures behind their own bar — uncovering the secrets behind their FCW26 creations and enjoying a more intimate experience with the soul of the venue. Florence Cocktail Week aims to turn the spotlight on local establishments, giving everyone the opportunity to discover the different venues and the expertise of the bartenders themselves, who through their creations promote a culture of responsible, quality drinking and meaningful interaction between guest and professional. Visitors will be able to engage directly with the in-house bartender, who will be on hand to share their project and working philosophy.
Below is the list of cocktail bars that have chosen to take part in this initiative. Further details will be available in the events calendar.
COCKTAIL BAR BARKEEPER
- BULLI&BALENE
- Cibrèo Ristorante & Cocktail Bar
- Claris
- Drinking Blues
- NON-SAI cocktail e tapas
- Rifrullo Firenze
- Spirituum Spirit Club
- Time Calenzano
BAR D’HOTEL BARKEEPER
- Aria Rooftop by Iside De Cesare – Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi
- Binomio – Hotel Indigo Florence
- B-Roof – Grand Hotel Baglioni
- Companion Dolceamaro Bar – 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino
- Empireo American Bar & Rooftop – Plaza Hotel Lucchesi
- Il Magnifico Cafè – Il Tornabuoni Hotel
- Winter Garden Bar at the St. Regis Florence – The St. Regis Florence
The spotlight on Florence’s resident bartenders is further reflected in the festival’s communications through the signature portraits by portrait photographer Veronica Gaido, who for 10 years has been capturing FCW and ICW bartenders in shots that are unique and powerfully expressive. Veronica Gaido is one of the most acclaimed contemporary artists at national level and beyond the world of photography, and a friend of FCW since its very first edition.
POP-UP BARS AND YOUNG GUEST BARTENDERS
Plenty of space is also dedicated to Pop-Up Bars from all Italian Cocktail Week events — Tuscany Cocktail Week, Venice Cocktail Week, Cortina Cocktail Weekend and Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week — and to Italian guests and Italians working abroad, in a continuous dialogue between regions, experiences and styles of Made in Italy mixology. Among them, Fausto Bigongiali of Jeffer cocktails & friends in Pisa will headline a full-week pop-up at Da’ Vinattieri, creating an informal hub where people can meet every afternoon.
Following the success of previous editions, Young Guest Bartender also returns, the initiative launched in 2023 to give voice and visibility to the next generation of bartenders, coordinated by Antonia Lo Casto, barman and school teacher. For the occasion, 31 Guest Bartenders under 25 will take centre stage every day behind the bar at seven FCW26 cocktail bars.
THE OPENING OF TWO NEW FLORENTINE DISTILLERIES: FERMENTHINKS AND FLORENTIS
The forthcoming opening of two new Florentine distilleries is a clear sign of the city’s development over these ten years.
On Saturday 18 April from 12.00 to 6.00 pm in Bagno a Ripoli, Fermenthinks will host the inaugural celebration of its new production facility. The distillery opens its new doors with an open day designed to introduce the space to friends and clients. Visitors will be able to taste creations from Tuscany Cocktail Week and Florence Cocktail Week cocktail bars, including Antica Velathri, L’Oca Bianca, Bolgheri Green and RAARO, each presenting a Signature Cocktail made with Fermenthinks products. The event is held in collaboration with Molini Fagioli, who will oversee the food with the involvement of three Florentine pizza makers Giovanni Santarpia, Vincenzo Mansi and Mario Cipriano, and Orsini Soda for soft drinks. Special guests for the occasion: the team from Nazionale da Pagani, with their bartenders and products.
Sunday 19 April will mark the final of the Boulevard to Florentis Competition, which reaches its closing act during the FCW weekend. In the heart of Florence, at the location of the future Distillery, to be revealed only on the day of the competition itself, the curtain will rise and the six finalists of the Florentis Cocktail Competition will take to the stage to present their new interpretation of the Boulevardier Florentis before the judging panel.
WELLNESS AND NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
The focus of 2026 continues to be WELLBEING in contemporary mixology.
In addition to the confirmed Wellness Cocktail, which attracted significant attention in the 2025 edition, the entire FCW26 Cocktail List now includes alcohol content information for each drink, offering clarity on the type of drink from the outset and helping consumers make more informed and conscious choices.
To champion this movement, FCW26 has brought on board the Mindful Drink Week project as Cocktail Event Partner, an event dedicated to spreading a new drinking culture founded on quality, awareness and conviviality, where the value of a drink is not defined by its alcohol content but by the experience it creates. A genuine platform connecting people, ideas and places, promoting a more considered, inclusive and contemporary approach to the beverage world.
On Saturday 18 April at Caffè Concerto Paszkowski, the first book dedicated to the best non-alcoholic experiences in Italy — 100 in total, from Michelin-starred pairings to the finest cocktail bars — will be presented. Published by Saudi publishing house Color of Riyad and curated by Federico S. Bellanca, the volume is written in both Arabic and Italian and aims to serve as a reference for travellers from the MENA region wishing to experience the Dolce Vita at 0.0%.
COCKTAILS IN FLORENCE. THE BOOK FOR FLORENCE COCKTAIL WEEK’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY
“Cocktails in Florence” is the new guide dedicated to the city’s finest cocktail bars, created by Florence Cocktail Week in collaboration with Florentine publisher Gruppo Editoriale, to celebrate and champion the excellence of Florentine mixology through a contemporary and international lens. The volume takes readers on a journey of discovery through Florence’s best cocktail bars, revealing the most iconic drinks to try and their recipes. 59 venues carefully selected by Paola Mencarelli herself, each presented with their signature cocktails, offering an authentic and up-to-date portrait of the city’s scene.
More than a simple guide, this is a collective narrative weaving together striking imagery, original writing and the firsthand accounts of the bartenders themselves — interpreters of a drinking culture that in Florence has, in recent years, become a defining language and mark of style.
Each venue is given four pages, conceived to convey its atmosphere, personality and mixology offering, in visual dialogue with the original bartender portraits by portrait photographer Veronica Gaido and the cocktail bar and drink photography of Michele Tamasco. The result is an elegant, immersive editorial project designed to speak to both local and international audiences. The book is enriched by an introduction by Paola Mencarelli, a section dedicated to ten years of Florence Cocktail Week, and a focus on the iconic Negroni, the timeless symbol of Florence’s bond with global mixology, curated by Federico S. Bellanca, a cornerstone of FCW since its earliest editions.
“DINING WITH THE SPIRITS”, “PIZZA WITH THE SPIRITS”, “PASTRY WITH THE SPIRITS” AND “GELATO WITH THE SPIRITS”
Also confirmed for Florence Cocktail Week 2026 are the initiatives uniting mixology and gastronomy: Dining with the Spirits, Pizza with the Spirits, Pastry with the Spirits and Gelato with the Spirits, bringing together Florentine chefs, pizza makers, pastry chefs and gelato makers who will use spirits as ingredients in their creations, served individually, included in menus, or as the focus of dedicated evenings.
This parallel project highlights how the city and its venues have always believed in FCW, responding with great enthusiasm and engagement to initiatives beyond the festival’s core programme. The ongoing and important partnership with Molini Fagioli for the pizzerias underscores the breadth of the event and the value of having a partner who has helped make this unique synergy possible.
ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SIGNATURE COCKTAILS
For this tenth year, FCW has refreshed its visual identity by evolving the official photography style for the FCW26 Signature Cocktails, which have become artistic interpretations by Michele Tamasco himself.
«The world of the night is made of movement: conversations flowing, people dancing, chairs shifting around tables to make room for a new guest. The FCW26 Signature Cocktail becomes, amid all of this, a fixed point in my imagination: in a kind of emotional time-lapse, everything moves around it, while only the cocktail remains still, a metaphor for togetherness, and for a life that finds its true north in the bar», says Michele Tamasco of his own work.
Behind the evolution of Florence Cocktail Week is a team that has known how to renew itself without ever losing its roots. A prime example is the longstanding collaboration with press office Beatrice Mencattini, a strategic partner since the very beginning. This decade-long partnership represents the beating heart of an organisational machine built on trust and a deep knowledge of both the territory and the industry. Maintaining the same collaboration for ten years is not merely loyalty: it is proof of a shared vision and symbiotic growth.
«Over ten years of Florence Cocktail Week — and of Italian Cocktail Weeks,” Paola Mencarelli is keen to note, «many things have changed, but one constant has ensured the coherence and success of our communications: the collaboration with Beatrice Mencattini. Having the same press office alongside us for a decade means having built a shared language and a trust that goes beyond work. It is proof that great projects are built with partners who share your vision. The importance of continuity is often underestimated: Beatrice is not just our press office, she is the living memory of this project. Together we have watched FCW grow and ICW consolidate, facing challenges and raising a glass to our successes. Thank you for giving voice to every one of our ideas, from the first edition to today».
LIST OF COCKTAIL BARS FCW26
SELECTED BARS – COCKTAIL BARS
- Bitter Bar / FCW 2017
- BULLI&BALENE / NEW ENTRY
- Caffè Concerto Paszkowski / FCW 2020
- Caffè Gilli 1733 / FCW 2017
- Cibrèo Ristorante & Cocktail Bar / FCW 2021
- Claris / NEWENTRY
- Cosimo / NEW ENTRY
- Ditta Artigianale / FCW 2017
- Djària American Bar / FCW 2021
- Enoteca Violetta / NEW ENTRY
- Eye Cocktail Bar / FCW 2023
- Fede Cocktailab / FCW 2025
- Giacosa 1815 / FCW 2025
- Gucci Giardino / FCW 2023
- Harry’s Bar Firenze 1953 / NEW ENTRY 10 ANNI (2016 Harry’s Bar)
- La Ménagère / FCW 2016 10 ANNI
- L’Angolino / FCW 2025
- La Petite / FCW 2021
- Locale Firenze / FCW 2016 10 ANNI
- MAD Souls & Spirits / FCW 2017
- Manifattura / FCW 2018
- Move On / FCW 2021
- Next Door Guné / FCW 2025
- NON-SAI cocktail e tapas / NEW ENTRY
- PanicAle Cocktail Art Pub / FCW 2020
- RAARO / FCW 2025
- Rasputin / FCW 2017
- REX / FCW 2019
- Rifrullo Firenze / FCW 2025
- Rivoire / FCW 2016 10 ANNI
- Santa Cocktail Club Firenze / FCW 2021
- Saporium Lounge / FCW 2025
- Serre Torrigiani / FCW 2023
- Sevi Firenze / FCW 2025
- Strizzi / FCW 2020
SELECTED BARS – HOTEL BARS
- 701 Rooftop Bar – Gallery Hotel Art / FCW 2025
- 1564 Lounge Bar – The James Suite Hotel Firenze / NEW ENTRY
- Aria Rooftop by Iside De Cesare – Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi / NEW ENTRY
- Atrium Bar – Four Seasons Hotel Firenze / FCW 2016 10 ANNI
- Bar Artemisia – Hotel Savoy / FCW 2019
- Bar Berni – Four Seasons Hotel Firenze / FCW 2025
- Bar Bertelli – Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection / FCW 2025
- Binomio – Hotel Indigo Florence / FCW 2025
- Caffè dell’Oro – Portrait Firenze / NEW ENTRY
- Companion Dolceamaro Bar – 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino / FCW 2023
- DISOPRA – Hotel degli Orafi / FCW 2025
- Empireo American Bar & Rooftop – Plaza Hotel Lucchesi / FCW 2018
- Il Magnifico Cafè – Il Tornabuoni Hotel / FCW 2025
- La Terrazza – Grand Hotel Minerva / FCW 2021
- Picteau Bistrot & Bar – Hotel Lungarno / FCW 2018
- Rooftop Bar – The Social Hub Florence Lavagnini / FCW 2019
- Santa Cocktail Club Villa Cora – Villa Cora / FCW 2016 10 ANNI (2016 Le Pool Bar)
- The Orientalist – House of Nine / FCW 2025
- Winter Garden Bar at The St. Regis Florence – The St.Regis Florence / FCW 2016 10 ANNI
- W Lounge, W Florence / NEW ENTRY
EVENT PARTNERS – (more to come)
- Art Bar – Antico Caffé del Moro / NEW ENTRY
- B-Roof, Grand Hotel Baglioni / NEW ENTRY
- Cestello / NEW ENTRY
- Caffè Giubbe Rosse / FCW 2025
- Da’ Vinattieri / NEW ENTRY
- Drinking Blues / FCW 2025
- Drinx – Il Gusto di Xinge / FCW 2023
- Enoteca Alessi Wine & Cocktail Bar / FCW 2025
- Mario Listening Baretto / NEW ENTRY
- Oasi Fabbroni / NEW ENTRY
- Spirituum Spirits Club / NEW ENTRY
- Time Calenzano / NEW ENTRY
- Viktoria Lounge Bar / FCW 2016 10 ANNI
PAOLA MENCARELLI
Born and raised in Tuscany, in the Crete Senesi, Paola grew up immersed in the food and wine culture of her region. With a degree in French literature and a master’s in journalism, communication and gastronomic criticism, she has combined her passion with professional writing, becoming a published journalist and contributing to the gastronomic guides of Gambero Rosso.
Her training and experience in food event organisation, together with a growing passion for the world of mixology, led her to found Italy’s first cocktail week: since 2016 she has been the founder and artistic director of Florence Cocktail Week, to which Tuscany Cocktail Week was added in 2019. Invited to Venice, in 2021 she cemented the success of the format by creating Venice Cocktail Week, followed in 2022 by Cortina Cocktail Weekend, with the launch of the first ever “Mixology’s Cup” on the slopes. Invited to the Amalfi Coast, in 2024 she brought to life Amalfi Coast Cocktail Week, an original cocktail week project dedicated to the finest cocktail bars of the Costiera and Campania.
With a view to contributing to the growth of the mixology sector in Italy, at the end of 2023 she decided to bring all the cocktail weeks she organises together under the umbrella of “Italian Cocktail Weeks by Paola Mencarelli”.
In 2021 she published the book “I Signature Cocktail di Florence Cocktail Week, 5 anni in 143 drink” with Giunti Editore. A judge for some of the most prestigious Italian and international rankings, in 2022 she was awarded the Order of Merit as Console of Italian Hospitality.
THANKS TO:
MAIN SPONSORS – Baldoria Vermouth, Martini&Rossi, Orsini Soda, Polot 1882, Velier
SPONSORS – Bitter Fusetti, Distilleria Nardini, EOLIA, Fermenthinks, Gamondi, Ginarte Dry Gin, Gin Ecologo, Legend Kombucha, Lucano 1894, No.3 London Dry Gin, Nonino, Oppure, Pernod Ricard, Presobene London Dry Gin, Pruneti, Winestillery Florentis, Yerbito, Yurt Vodka
TECHNICAL SPONSORS – Fonte De’Medici, Molini Fagioli
EVENT SPONSORS – Altamura Distilleries, Cadello, Famiglia Santoni, Frantoio di Sant’Agata d’Oneglia, Nazionale, Noam, Tanqueray, Three Cents
SUPPLIER PARTNERS – Calonaci, Enoteca Alessi, Glou Glou, Prinz, SDH
MAIN MEDIA PARTNER – Identità Golose
MEDIA PARTNERS – 2night, Coqtail for fine drinkers, Craft&Co, Gintastico, Il Forchettiere, Mixer Planet, Pop Eating, The Players, Tuorlo, Venezia da Vivere
LOCAL MEDIA PARTNERS – el duomo, FIRENZE made in tuscany, Firenze Spettacolo, FUCK, FUL, Io Amo Firenze, Leonardo Romanelli, The Florentine
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA PARTNERS – The Cocktail Lovers, Lost & Found Italy
COCKTAIL EVENT PARTNER – Mindful Drink Week
INTERNATIONAL COCKTAIL EVENT PARTNERS – Athens Bar Show, Salonica Bar Show, Shift_project, Top 500 Bars
PARTNERS – Club Amici del Toscano, Marina Calamai, Ricomincio da Firenze
TECHNICAL PARTNERS – Allosanfan Viaggi, Edifir, Memo Bartools, Postini Fiorentini, Tablecloths
FASHION PARTNER – Wave
MOBILITY PARTNER – Florence Greenline
HOTEL PARTNERS: Grand Hotel Minerva, Hotel Indigo Florence, Hotel Savoy, House of Nine, Il Tornabuoni Hotel, Palazzo Portinari Salviati, Plaza Hotel Lucchesi, Portrait Firenze, Teatro Luxury Apartments Firenze – Starhotels Collezione, The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence, The Social Hub Florence Lavagnini, The St.Regis Florence, Villa Cora