Bottoms up, Montreal: From September 9 to September 19, the mixology festival Invasion Cocktail will be returning to Montreal for its seventh year with even more programming than last year's, giving yet another reason to check out some of the biggest and best names in the city's bar scene right now.
A total of 27 bars on the island of Montreal—plus two more in Brossard—will be participating this year, of which are putting together special menus with all-new recipes. Picking up a free passport from Invasion Cocktail gets participants 20% off their featured drinks.
If that's not reason enough to rediscover some of your favourite boozy haunts, the festival is rolling a series of other cocktail-forward events to check out.
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If you want to up your home bar game, the festival is hosting small in-person cocktail workshops with limited spaces at l’École de Bar Made With Love:
Friday, September 11th from 6pm to 7:30pm, presented by Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Saturday, September 12th from 6pm to 8pm, presented by the Italian Trade Commission
Friday, September 18th from 6pm to 7:30pm, presented by Martell Blue Swift
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Mixology aficionados should take note that the festival is also working with the gorgeous Griffintown restaurant and bar Perles et Paddock to run a one-night-only cocktail pop-up called Pop Up Bar Lucciola on Wednesday, September 9th. It's the winning project from Invasion Cocktail's Bartender Bootcamp. if you miss that, there's a free day of online training—largely geared towards industry professionals, but still worth tuning into—on September 15th that will include talks by cocktail-forward speakers from Singapore, Milan and New York.
Don't want to go out to a bar? No problem: Tickets are already on sale for Ready-to-Shake Kits 2.0, cocktail kits that are delivered directly to your door with all the ingredients you'll need to practice your mixology skills. Once delivered 24 to 48 hours before the workshop will take place, the whole setup has enough gear to make cocktails for eight people at a time, and the kits go for $85 after taxes—so invite your friends over or get sauced with a smaller group.
Here are the announced classes, each following their own theme and focus:
Aperitivo à l’italienne, Thursday, September 10th: From 6:30pm to 7:15pm, in collaboration with the Italian Trade Commission and with the presentation of Sour Cherry Gin Luxardo, Limoncello Pallini, Martini Fiero, Strega Liquor, Vermouth Di Torino Cocchi, Fragoli Toschi and Marsala Pellegrino.
Dolce Vita on Wednesday, September 16th: From 6:30pm to 7:15pm in collaboration with the Italian Trade Commission and with the presentation of Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Meletti, Amaro Lucano, Amaro Nonino, Amaro del Capo Caffo, Limoncino Bottega and Cavalli Vodka.
Vive la France on Thursday, September 17th: From 6:30pm to 7:15pm in collaboration with Martell Blue Swift, Trois Rivières Rum and Belle de Brillet.
Tiki en folie on Saturday, September 19th: From 6:30pm to 7:15pm in collaboration with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Diplomatico Rum and Bitter Le Lab.
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