Thirsty Is Pulling Up to Arizona Cocktail Weekend 2026 and we are first time callers ready to experience all the action from the best of the southwest's bar culture and beyond! We hope to see you in Phoenix from February 27th - March 2nd.
Now in its 14th year, Arizona Cocktail Weekend has built something that matters: a regional gathering that brings education, global bar talent, competition, and community into one concentrated stretch of desert heat. From the daytime energy of Cocktail Carnival to Top Bars transforming downtown Phoenix into a global pop-up circuit, to Last Slinger Standing spotlighting Arizona’s own talent, this isn’t just a festival. It’s a pulse check. And regional pulses are essential to the hospitality industry.
Not everyone can fly coast to coast chasing the industry calendar. As budgets tighten and travel gets more strategic, gatherings like this become essential. They create access. They center local professionals. They allow bartenders, barbacks, servers, and beverage leaders to experience global energy without leaving their own ecosystem.
"Arizona Cocktail Weekend has put Phoenix, our local bars, and our cocktail scene, on the global map, attracting an elevated demographic of cocktail enthusiasts and industry leaders," says Ross Simon, co-founder of the event. "Through signature events, like the Cocktail Carnival and Top Bars, the festival showcases elite global talent and world-class brand activations, for both locals and travelers to enjoy and benefit from. Together, with the multiple events taking place across the city, throughout the weekend, reinforce AZCW is now recognized as a premier international staple on the cocktail calendar. We continue to raise awareness of our city's thriving bar scene through educational and other programming for all."
Phoenix is an especially compelling backdrop. A city shaped by desert resilience, Mexican and Indigenous culinary influence, rapid growth, and a hospitality culture that understands both heat and generosity. Rooftop bars against mountain silhouettes. Warehouse venues. Late-night taco stands. Sunsets that look like someone turned the saturation all the way up.
We are excited to experience how the Southwest interprets the global cocktail conversation, through its own lens.
Because here’s the truth: scenes outside the traditional “coastal capitals” are building with intention. They are investing in their people. They are creating gathering spaces that feel accessible, energetic, and rooted in place.
Arizona Cocktail Weekend runs February 27 through March 2 across downtown Phoenix venues, with signature events including Cocktail Carnival, Top Bars, and Last Slinger Standing.
If you’re in the Southwest, this is one to circle.
Thirsty will be on the ground this year, listening, observing, documenting, meeting the community, and reporting back with the stories that don’t always make the press releases or mainstream media about the real people building culture consistently and powerfully.
We’re not just attending. We’re showing up .... and we hope we see you showing up too.
Phoenix — we’ll see you soon!
