The official inaugural Manhattan Cocktail Classic launched on May 14, 2010 in its eponymous town and blew the alarm clocks off the night stands of The City That Never Sleeps. In the understatement of the decade, Astor Center alumnus Leslie Townsend left the famed food and beverage learning center approximately one year ago to “get involved in doing events”.  The result was an impressive debut that left attendees gleefully astonished and clamoring for more.

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic brought top-level mixologists from around the country together with spirits brand ambassadors from around the world to enable fun-loving cocktail aficionados and professionals alike to experience Mardi Gras in NYC. It kicked off with a Friday night gala at the iconic New York Public Library on 5^th Avenue. The MCC owned the space that night, slathering the front steps in red carpet and setting up a different party in every room, every room, from basement to roof. Revelers garbed in everything from grunge to black tie, from white tie to Moulin Rouge-worthy period tributes, flowed through the historic Beaux Arts halls sipping every type of imaginable spirit and unimaginable cocktail they could desire. The mixologists at the library were deadly serious about their recipes and presentations and took great pride in showing off their skills. We took great pride in not spilling the drinks on our glamorous clothes.

Live bands, celebrity DJs and a good dose of food helped to keep the bacchanalian vibe buzzing. You were hard pressed to find anyone in the building who wasn’t displaying broad smile. No one in New York City was having a better time that night. And this was just the beginning.

The next four days were filled with events scattered around the city and across various palates. Brooklyn standouts like the Clover Club and Huckleberry Bar held “Behind the Bar” informational sessions in their spaces (yes there was education to be had too!)  But the East Village Astor Center was the crown jewel of the 4-day conference as the institution had the honor of producing the Official Bar of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, a special space created just for this event. Inside the Astor Center there were even more educational sessions including “Cocktails for the Home Cocktail Party”, “Discovering Le Cognac”, and one of my favorite titles, “Sustainable Spirits? The Cocktail as Food Justice and the Universal Right of Pleasure”. There was even a cocktail photography workshop!

The conference included a bar crawl on wheels called “The Latin Spirits Bus Tour”, an import from Miami that carted imbibers around to super-hot NYC venues to sample each destination's own Gran Sierpe Pisco and Cuca Fresca cocktails. There was also a swanky cocktail-cruise that set sail on the Hudson for a picture perfect Sunday night aboard the Royal Princess Cruise Liner.

Old-schooler like Keens Chophouse joined in with super-secret lower East Side speakeasies to host many of the events around the city. When the after-party rolled around on Tuesday night you would have no idea that the participants had been sipping cocktails for four days straight. The last party had as much energy and fun as the first. In a word – the MCC was epic.

Being the first time this was held, the MCC event sort of snuck up on me so I apologize for not cluing you in early on. But rest assured you will know about it next time. And I’ll be sure to wear old-timey clothes to the gala.

Cheers!

Tanya ~ Vino Noir NYC