We’re just over two weeks out until Bartenders’ Weekender kicks off in Adelaide, and there’s plenty going on — so much, in fact, we thought we’d break things down a little for you. There are loads of hospo parties, and a stacked roster of takeovers happening around the Adelaide CBD, but there’s also a lot happening during daywalker hours.
And to help you plot your calendar for the biggest three days on the bartending calendar in Australia, we’ve got a look at the 16 daytime Bartenders’ Weekender events below.
Let’s take a look.
Sunday 14 June
10:30am — 1:30pm: Bartenders’ Weekender Monin Scholarship Brunch
MONIN welcomes the Bartenders’ Weekender Scholarship alumni to a brunch, opening the weekend with amazing food, liquid and hospitality. A great chance for the crew to get to know each other and form a foundation before heading off into the weekend with a sense of community and pride. Gifts in tow.
RSVP: Invite only
10:30am — 1:30pm and 1:30pm — 4:30pm:The Scenic Route by Never Never
There are two sessions for this great arrival event in Adelaide. Take The Scenic Route with Never Never and start your Adelaide Bartenders’ Weekender off in the best possible way as guests of the Never Never team. After arriving at Adelaide Airport you will be collected by our friends from Strangelove and whisked to off to beautiful McLaren Vale to visit Australia’s best distillery bar for an unforgettable experience.
RSVP via Eventbrite for the 10:30am session.
RSVP via Eventbrite for the 1:30pm session.
1:30pm — 4:30pm: Afternoon Lasagna Club @ Bartenders’ Weekender
Welcome in the Bartenders’ Weekender with lasagna, disco, cocktails and conversation — presented by Glenfiddich and The Balvenie.
Ease into the weekend with us. The team from Latteria will be taking care of the food while cocktails and the soundtrack comes courtesy of Disco Pantera Sydney - Best Bar Design, The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025.
Where: Latteria, 185 Hutt Street, Adelaide
RSVPs essential as numbers are limited — contact drew.down@wgrant.com.
4:00pm — 7:00pm: Our People’s Portraits by Club Suntory
Bartenders all have unique creativity and talent that deserves to be showcased and celebrated. Club Suntory kick-starts the Weekender, inviting you to have a selection of quality, candid portraits captured by New York Times and Vogue Australia photographer, Oli Sansom.
Where: Bank Street Social, 48 Hindley St, Adelaide SA, 5000
RSVP: Sign-up to Club Suntory and register to guarantee your spot.
4:00pm — 6:30pm: Behind the Bottle, Taste, Shake and Make with South Australian Spirits
Step into the story behind SA’s spirits where every pour is boldly crafted, unashamedly different and distinctive to what grows here from our grains and grapes, to our botanicals and local ingredients. South Australia is rapidly becoming the spirits region to watch in Australia, with SA producers taking out half of the major awards at the Australian International Spirits Awards and the Sydney Royal Distilled Spirit Show in 2025, among previous awards for world’s best gins and whiskeys.
Expect a lively, hands-on atmosphere designed for experimentation (yes: free tastings and cocktails made with SA spirits) and genuine conversation with the people behind the bottles. Meet and taste with 15 South Australian distilleries, discover new pours across whisky, gin, brandy and liqueurs, and swap menu ideas directly with the makers. Level up your knowledge and make-your-own cocktails from SA spirits from the back bar with the spirit makers and Cry Baby crew on hand with plenty of suggestions along the way.
Free event. Strictly trade-only. Limited to 100 guests with a waitlist. RSVP to avoid missing a spot on the guest list!
Event proudly supported by Distillers South Australia and Brand South Australia.
Where: Cry Baby, 11 Solomon St, Adelaide SA 5000
RSVP at Eventbrite here.
Monday 15 June
10:00am — 3:00pm: Monkey Shoulder Presents: The World’s Ultimate Bartender Championship
Forget everything you know about conventional bartending competitions – the World’s Ultimate Bartender Championship is here!
In 2026, bartenders across the world will participate in challenges designed to test the SKILLS THAT PAY THE BILLS and prove their competency in all aspects of what it takes to be a top bartender. You don’t have to be a pro bartender to take part: if you love bartending, you definitely have what it takes.
Register for your spot to compete in the Australian round, with the winner representing Australia at the Global final held overseas later this year (location to be announced).
Where: Longplay Bistro, 131 Pirie St, Adelaide South Australia 5000
RSVP: Registration is open now at ultimatebartenderchampionship.com.
11:00am — 3:00pm: The Better Bars Summit presented by Monkey Shoulder
One of the annual highlights of the festival is our Better Bars Summit presented by Monkey Shoulder. Hosted by Boothby’s Sam Bygrave, we’ve got eight smart sessions with 10 successful speakers planned across fours hours, stuffed with insights and inspiration to help you become a better bartender and bar operator.
Tickets are just $20, and include drinks from our presenting partner Monkey Shoulder, snacks, and a copy of Boothby magazine, as well as the opportunity to network and rub shoulders with the best and brightest in the industry.
Where: Rhino Room, 131 Pirie Street, Adelaide
Tickets ($20) and lineup here.
3:00pm — 5:00pm: Fever-Tree Taste Makers
Get out from behind the bar and into the field. Fever-Tree Taste Makers is a one-off immersive experience where bartenders forage, taste and build with native Australian ingredients - turning them into bold, modern serves.
Inspired by Fever-Tree’s obsession with sourcing the world’s best ingredients, this is all about flavour, balance and creativity - with guest chefs, hands-on sessions and a few surprises along the way.
Not a masterclass. Not a tasting. This is where you become a Taste Maker.
Where: Prohibition, 22 Gilbert Street, Adelaide SA 5000
RSVP at Eventbrite here.
3:00pm — 5:00pm: Tequila Ocho, Plate to Glass
An elevated afternoon of food pairing and guided tequila exploration. Guests will begin with a welcome cocktail and time to mingle before settling in for a curated dining journey and structured tasting. Hosted by Grant Shearon, Ocho Brand Ambassador, and Spanish-inspired tapas, the experience blends culinary expertise with Tequila Ocho’s distinctive terroir and craftsmanship. A refined celebration of agave, flavour, and artistry.
Where: Udaberri – 11-13 Leigh St, Adelaide
RSVP: Contact Jay if you are interested in joining: Jay.Allan@vanguardluxurybrands.com
3:30pm - 5:00pm: Split the Gee’se Caretaker’s Martini Hour with Grey Goose
The perfect event doesn’t exi… Guinness. Martinis. Free. Grey Goose and Caretaker’s Cottage are bringing you the event you didn’t know you needed at the Bartenders’ Weekender. Meet us outside Maybe Mae for free pints of Guinness and frozen Grey Goose Martinis.
50 pints. 50 Martinis. Walk-ins only.
Where: Outside Maybe Mae, 15 Peel Street
Tuesday 16 June
10:30am — 1:30pm: Marionette x Zareh: Harvest to Heat
Hosted by chef Tom Sarafian and Matt Linklater of Zareh in collaboration with Marionette Liqueur, we’ll explore how fruit, nuts and spice build bridges between cultures and generations. A guided tasting with Q&A, snacks, example serves, with Tom and Matt’s favourite records on the stereo - a flavour class exploring how sweetness, acidity, aroma, and nostalgia shape flavour, and how food and drink can speak of distance and belonging.
Where: Honeydripper, 11 Frome Street, Adelaide
RSVP: marionette.com.au/events
11:30pm — 1:30pm: James B. Beam Seven Year Sweet Spot Lunch
Club Suntory and James B. Beam are hosting you for a long lunch, exploring the beauty of the Seven Year Sweet Spot in American whiskey.
Across four thoughtfully selected drams, we’ll dive into the science of maturation, uncover why seven years is such a compelling age for flavour development, and taste how modern American whiskey cocktails are evolving to include toward lighter, brighter expressions.
Your tasting will be paired with cocktails and a curated menu from the Hellbound team, designed to elevate and complement every pour- and we’ll of course have something from rare to share with you!
Where: Hellbound, 2 Hawker Street, Bowden
RSVP: Via this link.
1:30pm — 3:30pm: Crafting the perfect canvas: From Cask to glass with Starward
Join David Vitale, Carmen Hartwich and friends for an inside look at how Australian red wine barrels and Starward whisky create the ultimate cocktail canvas.
Where: National Wine Centre Corner of Hackney Rd &, Botanic Rd, Adelaide
RSVP: Via Eventbrite here.
1:30pm — 4:30pm: Re’al Aperitivo Hour!
Join us for a laid-back afternoon celebrating all things aperitivo and spritz powered by Reàl Exotics.
We’re bringing together a curated selection of refreshing Reàl Exotics aperitivo cocktails paired with delicious Italian-style snacks. Think bright, bitter, bubbly drinks alongside perfectly matched bites designed to awaken the palate.
Where: Tarantino’s - 30 Vardon Ave, Adelaide
RSVP: at Eventbrite here.
4:00pm — 6:00pm: LARK Whisky – A New Dawn of Dark and Light
Join Lark Master Distiller Chris Thomson and LARK’s new CEO Stuart Gregor in a world-first tasting of their new Signature portfolio, including the all-new DARK LARK, Devil’s Storm and Ruby Abyss, as well as a couple of single barrel whiskies drawn directly from century-old Seppeltsfield barrels at the Pontville distillery.
This is a one-off trade tasting with only 30 spots available.
Where: Malt and Juniper, 18 Peel Street, Adelaide
RSVP: srainbow@spiritsplatform.com.au
4:00pm — 6:00pm: Haus of Allies
Haus of Allies is a community-led panel and networking event bringing together voices from across the Australian bar community to explore what it really takes to build sustainable, inclusive, and supportive careers in hospitality.
Hosted by Mix Haus as part of Bartenders’ Weekender, the conversation will move beyond theory - offering honest, practical insights into career growth, wellbeing, leadership, burnout, and creating safer, more inclusive workplaces.
Featuring industry professionals including Trish Brew, Eduardo Conde and Charlie Hunter, the panel reflects the realities of hospitality today - from early career progression through to long-term sustainability and work/life balance. The discussion will be guided by Mix Haus’s own Pip Canavan, alongside a wellness and mental health expert.
Guests will enjoy cocktails by Shirley Yeung and Eduardo Conde featuring RHUBI Aperitif and Fever-Tree.
Join us and be part of the conversation.
Where: Honeydripper, 11 Frome Street, Adelaide
RSVP: at Eventbrite here.
