Greenwich’s Cocktail Week is showcasing imaginative mixologists
Mental health group to benefit from specialty cocktail event profits
GREENWICH — Local gourmands may notice new creations on eight local restaurants’ drink menus this week as Greenwich Cocktail Week encourages customers to cheer for a cause.
Cocktail Week celebrates the imagination of the town’s drinkologists, co-founder Lindsay Potter told Hearst Connecticut Media. She established the occasion alongside Old Greenwich Social Club owner Jed Simon to highlight the community’s restaurants and give a portion of proceeds to a local nonprofit.
“We were thinking why a town like Greenwich doesn’t have a cocktail week is silly. There are so many restaurants, so many amazing bartenders and beautiful cocktails that are offered, and we wanted to shine a light on that,” she said.
“The biggest piece for us is that we support a nonprofit every year, so we are raising awareness and money for them, which is my favorite part.”
Potter, born and raised in Greenwich, has experience in the beverage industry, including the cutting-edge of the hard seltzer trend. Simon approached her with the idea for a week of cocktails, and they started developing the concept in early 2020.
“It was actually a good time because everything shut down, so we had time to really build out what the plan would be. And it has just grown from there,” Potter said.
They held the first Greenwich Cocktail Week last year, raising about $12,000 for the Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation. This year, proceeds benefit Pathways, a nonprofit that supports adults with severe mental illnesses.
A celebration with drinks from Casamigos, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Campari, Redemption Rye Whiskey, The Botanist Island Dry Gin, Arbikie, Litchfield Distillery and Jiant Hard Kombucha kicked off the week Saturday.
Restaurants incorporated sponsored products into the special cocktails. East End’s “Cactus Rose” shakes up Casamigos blanco, lime juice, sparkling rose syrup with Lillet.
The other participating restaurants include Elm Street Oyster House, the Ginger Man, the J House, Little Pub, Lugano, MacDuff ’s Public House, Old Greenwich Social Club and Orienta.
Restaurant goers only have a few days to catch a sip of this year’s creations; Cocktail Week ends after Thursday night.
Potter said she has “big plans” for next year and other events in the works, including a pizza festival in the fall.