Charlotte’s first craft liquor weekend is coming soon

This is for you if you’re interested in craft liquors, cocktails made with craft liquors, Charlotte craft cocktail makers and, oh yeah, helping a group called CORE – Children of Restaurant Employees.

The Queen City Craft Distillers Showcase Aug. 18-20 is the first event of its kind around here. Put on by Charlotte’s Behind The Bar Foundation and the Charlotte chaper of the U.S. Bartenders Guild, it’s designed to introduce craft spirits with three days of events:

▪ 7-11 p.m. Aug. 18: “Meet The Distillers Cocktail Hour” at Stoke Bar in the Charlotte City Center Marriott will be a chance to meet the people behind the brands.

▪ 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 19: “The QC Distillers Showcase Expo” at C3 Lab in South End will before more than 25 brands and 50 products.

▪ 9 p.m.-midnight Aug. 19: “Back Bar Takeover,” with bartenders working with the craft spirits, will happen at Tilt on Trade, across from Stoke.

▪ Noon-3 p.m. Aug. 20: The weekend wraps up with a brunch social at 204 North.

While the definition of “craft liquors” is a moving target, DiSean Burns, the president of the Charlotte bartenders guild and one of the organizers, says the weekend will focus on national, regional and local brands that don’t have big distribution, along with a few bigger brands. Expect liquors from the nationally known High West to Virginia’s Catoctin Creek and North Carolina’s Muddy River, and larger brands such as Tito’s and Fernet Branca.

Charlotte didn’t have a cocktail-week event, such as Charleston’s BevCon or Asheville’s cocktail week, Burns says, so they’re hoping that the event may grow into something bigger.

“We’re hoping this can be the humble beginnings of something of that nature,” he says.

All the events will be open to the public. There’s a $60 VIP ticket that covers the whole weekend, or you can buy $20 tickets to individual events. Find the link for tickets at btbcharlotte.com.

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Charlotte’s first craft liquor weekend is coming soon."