National Cocktail Day: When It Is & How To Celebrate (2024)

You may be a seasoned mixologist, or perhaps you’re simply someone who enjoys a refreshing drink, but either way, National Cocktail Day is your chance to celebrate the art of crafting the perfect cocktail. Peerspace is here to help you celebrate by explaining what National Cocktail Day is and when it takes place, and then providing a guide with different ways to commemorate the occasion!

When is National Cocktail Day?

National Cocktail Day falls on March 24th in the United States. Author Jace Shoemaker-Galloway writes primarily about all kinds of holidays, and in 2013, she decided to invent some holidays of her own.

It’s not clear why she chose March 24th for National Cocktail Day, but considering that it falls right after the first day of spring, it’s an unbeatable day for sipping some of these bar-worthy spring cocktails you can actually make at home (courtesy of Food52).

Is this the first drink-centric gathering you’re hosting? No worries; you just need to see these cool cocktail party ideas to help you pull it off with style!

How to celebrate National Cocktail Day

Ready to make the most of National Cocktail Day? Check out our top suggestions for observing this unique holiday, which range from educating yourself about cocktails and how they’re made, to simply preparing and/or drinking the delicious cocktails:

Visit a craft cocktail bar

What better way to celebrate National Cocktail Day than by indulging in a delicious cocktail, especially if there’s a craft cocktail bar you love to hang out at—or a new one that just opened up and that you’ve been meaning to try?!

Whether you order a classic Old Fashioned or go for a contemporary twist on a martini, real craft cocktail bars use premium spirits, house-made syrups, and fresh, seasonal ingredients to concoct inventive, high-quality drinks, so it’s truly tough to go wrong. (But if you’re worried about selecting the right bar, do your research—read local publications and check out Yelp and Google reviews to find the bars near you that your fellow cocktail enthusiasts love the most.) 

The atmosphere is also a big part of the appeal of visiting a cocktail bar, so you’ll want to look for a space with features like dimly lit lounges, cozy corners, and passionate bartenders who’ll willingly talk to you about the offerings on the menu. Along with the nuanced flavors of the cocktails themselves, the comfortable and sophisticated setting of the cocktail bar is sure to further elevate the experience.

Attend a mixology class

If you enjoy making cocktails almost as much as you enjoy drinking them, you might also want to take the day to enhance your mixology skills by attending a class led by experienced and knowledgeable bartenders.

Delve into the artistry behind crafting the ideal cocktail as experts guide you through the history, techniques, and flavor profiles of everything from Manhattans to margaritas. You’ll learn how to balance flavors, master muddling, and shaking, and choose garnishes with flair and aplomb.

Attending a mixology class is not only one of the best ways to improve your drink-mixing skills, but it’s also an opportunity to socialize, both by bringing friends to the class with you and by meeting new cocktail enthusiasts to share tips and tricks with. 

Tour a local distillery

Learn more about the process of spirit-making by taking a tour of a local distillery, where you’ll gain insight into the careful craftsmanship behind your favorite drinks. The meticulous process of distillation is a fascinating one, from selecting the finest grains or fruits to carefully blending and aging the spirits.

The best tours will be led by knowledgeable guides who walk you through each stage, sharing fascinating details about the history of their distillery and the techniques they use to make their products. Many tours also include tastings, allowing you to sample a range of spirits and better understand the flavors imparted by different ingredients and aging methods.

In addition to the educational aspect, touring a local distillery also allows you to materially support small-scale producers and businesses over larger corporations, as well as to connect with the artisans who pour their passion into every bottle. 

Try making a new cocktail (or inventing your own!)

Once you’ve thoroughly educated yourself about mixology and the process of distilling your favorite spirits, you’re probably ready to jump in and start making your own cocktails using your newfound knowledge and skills. Or perhaps you aren’t as interested in the educational stuff, and you just want to prepare—and savor—the tastiest cocktail of all time. Either way, take National Cocktail Day as a chance to experiment with crafting a new concoction. 

There may be a classic recipe you’ve been wanting to try or a new recipe you came across that caught your eye and sparked your interest. If you don’t have a specific cocktail in mind but would like to try something new, Epicurious’s list of the best cocktails you’ve never heard of (courtesy of pro bartenders) is a perfect jumping-off point — it showcases unique creations like the “Gunshop Fizz,” the “Bow and Arrow,” and the “Art of Choke,” among others!

Or maybe you’re feeling adventurous enough to invent your own signature drink. The potential combinations — and the possibilities — are endless! If you do invent your own drink, you’ll want to explore different flavor combos with a variety of spirits, mixers, and garnishes as well as fresh fruits, herbs, and specialty syrups, all of which can add complexity and depth to the finished product. And don’t be afraid to shake things up, so to speak, by incorporating unexpected ingredients and techniques—that’s how some of the most iconic cocktails were born!

How to plan a cocktail-tasting party for National Cocktail Day

Invite your friends to a true cocktail party in observation of the holiday—and by that, we mean one that actually centers around the cocktails themselves! Most cocktail parties are primarily social events with cocktail-sipping as an optional activity, but for National Cocktail Day, consider upping the ante a bit and having a cocktail-tasting party where guests can sample a variety of cocktails and deepen their appreciation for the art of mixing drinks. 

You might even set up a DIY cocktail bar, providing an assortment of spirits, mixers, and garnishes and encouraging guests to get creative by crafting their own signature drinks. Here’s a detailed guide to setting up your own DIY cocktail and mocktail bar at your party!

Book the perfect Peerspace party venue for your cocktail party

As you plan your party, be sure to give some thought to the location where you intend to hold it, since this can potentially make or break your party. You might want to host it at your home, but if that doesn’t work for you, renting a venue for a few hours can also be a great option.

Luckily, with the help of Peerspace—the largest online marketplace for renting all kinds of spaces by the hour—it’s easy to discover amazing party venues in your area. The site’s selection of listings spans tens of thousands of spaces in hundreds of cities across the United States as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Europe, and even beyond.

Peerspace is easy to use

Just as important as this broad selection is the fact that Peerspace makes locating your dream cocktail party venue incredibly easy. Whether you’re concerned about staying within your budget, finding a space that can comfortably accommodate an extra long guest list, or finding a specific type of space like a garden or a bar, Peerspace’s intuitive search function helps you narrow your search down based on your priorities within seconds.

For more decor, drink, and food inspo, check out our creative happy hour ideas next!

Implement helpful filters

The site’s optional search filters allow you to filter your results by hourly rental price, number of attendees, the date and time of your event, keywords in the listing description, indoor spaces (e.g., bedrooms, dining areas, etc.), outdoor spaces (beaches, lawns, etc.), style/aesthetic of the space, space type, availability of instant booking, amenities, and even more. 

Browse cocktail party-worthy venues

After you’ve narrowed down your search as much (or as little) as you need, you’ll want to move on to scrolling through your search results to find the best potential venues for your cocktail party. We recommend keeping a list of all your favorites so you don’t lose track and can easily compare your top choices.

Peerspace listings are absolutely packed with useful information, so you’ll be able to refer to high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, and real reviews from past renters as you make your final decision.

But if you finish reading through a listing and have any lingering questions, you can always contact the host of the space directly—most Peerspace hosts respond pretty quickly, so there shouldn’t be too much of a delay.

Last but not least, when you choose your favorite venue and are ready to reserve it for your cocktail-tasting party, you can do so directly from the listing with a click of a button.

National Cocktail Day: conclusion

Whether you choose to celebrate the day by attending a mixology class, hosting a lavish cocktail party, or simply enjoying a delicious drink at your favorite bar, National Cocktail Day is an ideal opportunity to indulge in the fine art of crafting cocktails. Most importantly, make sure to be safe, drink responsibly, and have fun!

Find unique cocktail party venues on Peerspace