12 of the world’s best bars are coming to Sydney this week for Maybe Cocktail Festival 2025

• Maybe Cocktail Festival is back from Monday, April 7 until Sunday, April 13.
• Representatives from 20 of the World’s 50 Best Bars are attending.
• The festival is Australia’s largest international cocktail event.
• READ MORE: Sydney Beer Week will return for round two in October

This week has just got a whole lot brighter thanks to the return of Maybe Cocktail Festival, which opens this afternoon. More than 12 of The World’s Best Bars have flown in for the third annual festival, so you can sample their offerings without the cost of a plane ticket. Most of the events are free to attend, too.

This year’s festival welcomes leading bartenders and industry icons from Argentina, Indonesia, Spain, the UK, the USA, Italy, Japan, and beyond, each bringing the essence of their award-winning bars to Sydney.

Things get started this afternoon with a talk by world renowned bartender, Simone Rossi, who will talk about his revival of the centuries-old liqueur ratafia (Monday, April 7 at Dean & Nancy on 22, 2pm-3pm). Later this evening, start your night at Maybe Sammy near Circular Quay, where Surfers Paradise’s Mirror Bar will takeover from 4:30pm-7:30pm. Go for dinner before heading to the first late-night party of the week, Mr Black Party at Little Cooler near Town Hall (11pm-2am).

The big event of the first day is, however, a takeover by Barcelona’s Paradiso, which was voted the World’s Best Bar in 2022. They will showcase their best beverages at El Primo Sanchez in Paddington from 8pm to 11pm tonight. Paradiso isn’t the only big name on the program either, with 12 of the World’s Best Bars hosting events this week.

The World’s Best Bars come to Sydney

Maybe Cocktail Festival is Australia’s largest cocktail event and attracts visitors and participants from across the world. This year, representatives from several of the World’s 50 Best Bars are flying in for the occasion.

Following Paradiso’s Monday evening takeover, Buenos Aires’ favourite Florería Atlántico (#46) will highlight its offerings at Prefecture 48 on Tuesday, from 7pm to 10pm. Seoul’s Zest (#9 in the world and #2 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024) will take over the same venue on Saturday for a headline event.

Thursday has been the new Friday for a few years now; it’s the new (ish) day for after-work drinks with colleagues. This week, Sydneysiders and visitors can find London’s Connaught Bar (#13) at Dean & Nancy on 22 from 7pm, or Buenos Aires’ Cochinchina at Maybe Sammy. The British 5-star hotel bar is famed for its elegant takes on classics, while the latter combines Asian and French influences.

Another World’s Best from London will host an unmissable Saturday evening event at Little Cooler. Satan’s Whiskers (#29) is a small but mighty bar in London’s Bethnal Green. Regarded for their speedy service, simple and exciting menu, and the hip-hop soundtrack that accompanies every visit, find out if they can recreate all the elements Down Under. They will also host a masterclass with Club Suntory on Wednesday, April 9, from 12:30pm if you’re around (at Disco Pantera).

Direct from Italy, Moebius Milano (#38) blends cuisine, culture and cocktails by the bucketload. Will the Pesto Martini (pictured below) be on the menu for the night? There’s only one way to find out. Head to Maybe Sammy on Saturday from 9pm to midnight.

What else is on during Maybe Cocktail Festival?

On Sunday, it’s the ladies’ turn. Prefecture 48 will host six hours of Women in Hospitality events, starting with a panel talk from 12pm to 3pm before they takeover the venue

The panel talk will be led by Paradiso’s Margarita Sader, who will be joined by Guoyi Gan from Jakarta’s Cosmo Pony, Gaby Agave from Dun Fulano Tequila, Inés de los Santos from CoChinChina and Sarah Proiette from Maybe Sammy, among other women who are shaping the future of bars and spirits around the world. Celebrating women in hospitality and discussing the ongoing challenges with inclusivity in hospitality, it’ll be a thought-provoking conversation. Afterwards, see their efforts in action as they take over Prefecture 48 for three hours.

Other highlights include the Maybe Masterclass (Thursday, April 10, 10am-5pm at Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Habour), where attendees will hear from some of hospitality’s brightest minds on what sets the world’s best bars apart, sustainability, innovation and the future of bar culture. Shanghai’s Sober Company will host at Prefecture 48 on Friday, April 11, showcasing it’s multi-concept magic and award-winning cocktails.

The full program can be found at maybecocktailfestival.com, so you can plan your perfect week of sipping and sampling.

Featured image via maybecocktailfestivals.com

FAQs

When and where is Maybe Cocktail Festival?

The festival will be held at venues across Sydney, all managed by the Maybe Group. Events will take place from Monday, April 7 until Sunday, April 13. Details about events, locations and times can be found at maybecocktailfestival.com and on Instagram.

How do I buy tickets?

Entry to all guest shifts and parties requires a minimum of two tokens per person, purchasable at the venue. They can be redeemed for drinks inside the venue. One token costs $25. Each token can be redeemed for:

• 1 token = 1 cocktail
• 1 token = 1 wine
• 1 token = 2 beers
• 1 token = 2 soft drinks

The masterclasses are ticketed, with pricing and schedule details, and purchase options available at maybecocktailfestival.com/learn.

Who can attend?

As you’d expect, only those over the legal drinking age—18+ in Australia—are welcome. So leave little ones at home with a sitter and enjoy a grown up day or night out, sampling some of the world’s best cocktails.

Which bars will be at the festival?

Skipped straight to the end? We can tell. We’ve mentioned several of the participating bars above, but the full program can be found at maybecocktailfestival.com.

Takeovers will be hosted by: 50 Spirito Italiano, Bar Mauro, Bisou Bisou, Boadas, Brujas, Cat Bite Club, Clemente, Cochichina, The Connaught Bar, Cosmo Pony, Florería Atlántico, Gabriela Moncada, Hanky Panky, Manhattan Bar, Mirror Bar, Moebius, Paradiso, Satan’s Whiskers, Sober Company and Zest.