World Class Cocktail Festival Rotterdam - details and info

HAPPENING 19 JUN–5 JUL '26 | Eleven Rotterdam bars and hospitality venues will take part in the World Class Cocktail Festival from 19 June to 5 July. Across three weekends, participating locations will serve special cocktails inspired by bartenders from across Europe, giving you a reason to explore several corners of Rotterdam’s bar scene.

The festival coincides with the European finals of World Class, an international bartending competition being held in the Netherlands for the first time. Individual cocktail menus, prices and serving times have not been announced in the information provided, so it is worth checking with each venue before heading out.

Eleven Rotterdam bars take part

The participating venues range from karaoke bars and restaurants to speakeasies, neighbourhood bars and two of Rotterdam’s best-known waterfront landmarks. The list includes Duke of Tokyo, Ox, Botanero, The Rumah, Bar Break, Bar Bu, Bar Tender, Little V, Le Flamant Bleu, Hotel New York and the ss Rotterdam.

That spread makes it possible to create your own route rather than following one official festival trail. You could start in the city centre, head towards the Westblaak or Witte de With area, or turn the evening into a trip across the Maas towards Katendrecht and the Kop van Zuid.

Duke of Tokyo combines karaoke with cocktails, while Ox operates as a speakeasy-style restaurant in an industrial basement. Botanero is known for Mexican flavours and Palomas, and The Rumah has built a reputation as a meeting point for bartenders and cocktail drinkers.

From neighbourhood bars to landmarks

Bar Break offers a more local bar setting near the ss Rotterdam, while Bar Bu combines a fusion restaurant downstairs with a cocktail bar above. Bar Tender focuses on theatrical presentation, including fire and smoke, and Little V pairs Vietnamese food with approachable drinks.

Le Flamant Bleu brings a flamboyant speakeasy atmosphere to the centre. Hotel New York and the ss Rotterdam add two historic waterside settings, making the festival as much about exploring Rotterdam locations as trying different drinks.

The announcement promises aperitifs, whisky-based cocktails and contemporary versions of familiar classics. Exactly what each bar will serve has not yet been specified, but the mix of venues suggests the festival will cover more than one style of cocktail night.

European finals add international flavour

The World Class Cocktail Festival takes place alongside the European finals of the World Class competition. Bartenders from across Europe will be in the Netherlands for the event, placing Rotterdam’s participating venues within a wider international programme.

That does not mean you need to follow the competition itself to join in. The public-facing festival is designed around visiting the bars, discovering new addresses and trying drinks created specifically for the period from 19 June to 5 July.

For Rotterdam, the strongest part of the concept is the route it creates through very different venues. A basement speakeasy, a karaoke bar, a Vietnamese restaurant and a former ocean liner rarely appear on the same night-out list, but here we are.

Make a Singleton Sour at home

The festival announcement also includes a recipe for a Singleton Sour. To make one, you need 50 ml of The Singleton 12, 20 ml of fresh lemon juice, 20 ml of equal-parts sugar syrup, one dash of Angostura bitters, egg white or cocktail foamer, ice and a cocktail cherry.

Add the egg white or foamer to a shaker first, followed by the lemon juice, sugar syrup, bitters and whisky. Shake without ice for 10 to 15 seconds, then add ice and shake again for around 10 seconds.

Fill a rocks glass with fresh ice and strain the drink through both a Hawthorne strainer and a fine sieve. Finish with a cocktail cherry on a pick.