Midtown Cocktail Week: Get your drink on

Ever since Tom Cruise flashed his boyish smile, twirled shakers, flipped glasses and recited liquor poetry in 1988’s Cocktail, the art of mixing drinks was never the same. But there’s more to drinks than just vodka, tonic and lime—although that’s a pretty tasty combo.

Today, sitting at the bar is like a front-row seat to a show of science and art. And those headliners pouring your drinks are no longer mere bartenders, but mixologists. The perfect cocktail, too, is kind of like a fine wine or craft beer, but with lots of hidden flavors and much prettier.

Midtown Cocktail Week is seven full days of cocktail celebration—kind of like Hanukkah, because the eighth day is for recovery. Penthouses will open their doors and artisan drinks will be featured at sunset. Bartenders will bring their best concoctions in a mixology competition, and Latin spirits at Zócalo will prove tequila is not reserved only for a shot glass and a cerveza chaser. There also will be a Craft Punch Party at Paragary’s (1401 28th Street) on Friday, August 14, from 9 p.m. to midnight. The events are free, but the cocktails are not.

Also, 25 lucky participants will learn cocktail creations by the best in the industry during the Cocktail Creation Class on Saturday, August 15, at Dragonfly Restaurant (1809 Capitol Avenue).

Happy cocktail-ukkah!