Five years ago, local hospitality veteran Ginny Lawhorn saw an opportunity to bring the city’s bar community together for a week of events and workshops that celebrated innovation in the industry. At the time, she noticed that Baltimore’s cocktail scene was measuring up to—if not spilling over—some of our urban neighbors.

“Baltimore didn’t get the opportunities that D.C. or Philly got, even though our talent pool and restaurant saturation is just as high,” says Lawhorn, the lead bartender at Landmark Theatre in Harbor East and co-owner of Sticky Rice in Fells Point. “The first year was very organic and insular, with a couple of community engagement events and cocktail competitions.”

Since then, Baltimore Cocktail Week (BCW) has evolved from a small, trade-focused conference to an annual week of festivities that supports bartenders while also providing cocktail-fueled fun for patrons.

“Over the years, it’s very much pivoted toward the consumer or toward the industry a bit more than the other,” Lawhorn says. “But this year we worked really hard for there to be an even split in opportunity between consumer engagement and industry trade development.”

From April 23-28, both bar professionals and cocktail enthusiasts will be able to take advantage the jam-packed lineup that Lawhorn has planned for the fifth anniversary of BCW. On the consumer end, highlights will include a Reyka vodka pairing dinner at Rocket to Venus on April 23; a BARCS fundraiser with punches by Sailor Jerry rum, Hendrick’s gin, and Monkey Shoulder whiskey at the Baltimore Tattoo Museum on April 26; and a “Boss Babes” panel with female industry leaders and DIY cocktails benefitting House of Ruth at Make Studio on April 27.

This time around, Lawhorn made it a priority for the industry programming to surround wellness—a topic that has been emphasized during BCW in the past, but is being focused on more heavily this year. Once again, she is teaming up with R. Bar’s own “healthtender” Amie Ward to host seminars that address everything from nutrition and physical wellbeing to pain management and musculoskeletal protection behind the bar.

“This year we really considered things that we all know are needed in terms of talking spaces and evolution,” Lawhorn says. “We decided that it was our community responsibility to provide these platforms. It can be challenging to our comfort zone, but it doesn’t need to be challenging to our actual execution of incremental changes.”

Ward will kick off the week with a full day of programming at R. House on April 23—which will include meditation, a discussion about gender in hospitality with the Baltimore Transgender Alliance, and a self-care panel the delves into coping with the mental and emotional challenges facing the industry. The seminars will continue the next day with a meal-prepping tutorial and exercise class for pain management.

Bringing everything full-circle, the fifth-anniversary closing party on April 27 will be held at Pen & Quill in Station North—which hosted the very first BCW cocktail competition (amongst many of these female bartenders) five years ago.

“That first year is something I’ll forever hold near and dear . . . because it worked,” Lawhorn says with a laugh. “Watching people continue to come back together is so special.”

Looking ahead, Lawhorn hopes that BCW can become a destination for visitors from surrounding areas and, in turn, have a positive effect on spring tourism.

“I feel so grateful to have this work, and to partner with people who continue to have faith in Baltimore,” she says. “We really want folks to come and spend a few days here. The city is worthy of that time and investment.”

Celery juice, turmeric, kombucha, and activated charcoal might sound like items from your local health food store or cold-pressed juice stand. But lately, these ingredients are showing up on area menus as part of a national trend toward more health-conscious cocktails. “Baltimore is a little behind on this movement, but you’re starting to see it more and more,” says Gino Kozera, who just opened coffee and beer cafe Amber in Locust Point. “Trying to use as much natural, non-GMO, and fresh fruit as possible is a part of our ethos.”

Amber highlights drinks concocted with locally made Wild Kombucha flavors such as elderberry in the Gin Fizz or grapefruit-ginger that’s mixed with rye in the Port Authority. There’s also the St. Pablo, a rum drink containing honey and cayenne pepper—ingredients usually associated with a cleanse.

Of course, it should be noted that no alcoholic drink is 100 percent good for you. But national brands such as Ketel One’s new all-natural botanical products with cucumber and fresh-squeezed peach are trying to help consumers drink more responsibly by veering away from artificial flavors. Even a recent Crown Royal commercial encourages its viewers to take a “water break” while watching NFL games.

“Fully embracing wellness and finding ways to live a healthier lifestyle is something you’re seeing more of in the industry,” says Ginny Lawhorn, who runs Baltimore Cocktail Week and the bar at Landmark Theatre in Harbor East (which offers a drink made with activated charcoal). “Bartending is no longer a pay-my-rent-while-I-can job. People are now in it as a career and thinking about their own health and longevity.” Lawhorn’s most recent Cocktail Week included an all-day series of wellness workshops—including a yoga flow followed by conversations centered around nutrition—at R. House hosted by bar manager Amie Ward.

That industry passion is translating to consumers. It’s something we’ve seen in older institutions—like Woodberry Kitchen and Wit & Wisdom, which use fresh juices and even have mocktail menus—and new establishments alike. The recently opened Vida Taco Bar in Harbor Point has a carrot juice cocktail, and The Regal Beagle in Canton makes the Between Two Ferns with celery juice and black pepper and Daytime Drama with a turmeric cordial.

“Just as cuisine has gone farm-to-table, cocktail programs have gone garden-to-glass,” Lawhorn says. “Beets were very popular for a while, turmeric is now, charcoal is a mixed bag of opinions. The overall goal is using little to no sugar while still maximizing flavor.”

As with any trend, there is a limit (we’ve come across distilled non-alcoholic spirits, which gave us a moment of pause) and the pendulum is likely to swing back. But for now, we’re really enjoying feeling like a saint while we sin—and the easier hangovers are certainly a plus.

Typically, the annual Baltimore Cocktail Week kicks off with a cocktail competition. But rather than pitting local bartenders against one another, organizer Ginny Lawhorn is taking a more collaborative approach this time around.

“In the face of the heartbreaking number of restaurant closures in the last year and a half, I didn’t feel like we needed another competition,” says Lawhorn, the co-owner of Sticky Rice, who started the event in 2015. “There’s more of a desire to create a community conversation and focus on cultivating small businesses, whether it’s engaging in them as consumers or supporting the jobs that they create.”

This year, the weeklong initiative happening July 30-August 4 will launch with an across-town happy hour at five bars scattered from Hampden to Canton, including Holy Frijoles, The Red Star in Charles Village, Sticky Rice, Bartenders Pub, and The Regal Beagle. On Monday, July 30 from 4-10 p.m., each spot will create a specialty drink using a certain spirit, and a portion of the final sales will be donated to local nonprofits.

“Baltimore has so many unique communities,” Lawhorn says. “People become so comfortable exploring their own, but sometimes it’s nice to engage customers and try to get them just a neighborhood away.”

The inclusive feel of the kick-off happy hour is fitting for this year’s theme, “Better Together”—which Lawhorn says will be an undertone in all of the Baltimore Cocktail Week meetups. From a special brunch to a conversation about collective bargaining, the daily events (many of which are open to the public) will address subjects like sustainability, innovation, and wellness in the hospitality industry.

Feminism will also be a topic of discussion, as five female industry leaders gather for a “Badass Business Babes” panel at Waverly Brewing on July 31 at 7 p.m. Admission to the talk is $25 with all proceeds being donated to House of Ruth. Panelists will include Lane Harlan of Clavel and W.C. Harlan, Judy Neff of Checkerspot Brewing, Carrie Podles of Alexander’s Tavern and Papi’s Tacos, Emily Lerman of Mera Kitchen Collective, and Paige Baskauskas of Opici Wines.

“It’s going to be great to hear everyone else’s opinions about working in the hospitality industry from all sides,” says Baskauskas, a wine sales representative for Opici. “This is a great event to show everyone that we’re educated when it comes to our craft. We know what we’re doing and we want to expand on that even more.”

The week continues with a free, all-day series of wellness workshops at R. House in Remington on August 1. Led by our own local “healthtender” Amie Ward, the gathering will begin with yoga followed by a series of conversations about nutrition, sobriety, and sexual assault prevention.

Another industry trend being represented is sustainability, which will be addressed at a get-together at Foraged in Hampden on August 2. Six national brands, including Bombay Sapphire and Sierra Nevada, will present local bartenders with information about how to minimize their ecological footprints.

“It’s not a secret that we’re a wasteful industry,” Lawhorn says. “It’s a lot of packaging and food waste. But where do you start? Paper straws and compostable to-go containers are amazing. It’s all about focusing on that next step to lower your environmental impact.”

Later that day, Ceremony Coffee in Mt. Vernon will host “Punch with a Purpose,” a collaborative cocktail class that will teach consumers about the versatility of different spirits by creating a seasonal punch. “It’s super fun to dump bottles in things,” quips Lawhorn. “It’s also exciting to be able to engage a beautiful space like Ceremony in a different way for an evening conversation.”

Closing out the week will be a Baltimore Cocktail Week collaboration with the Fells Point Farmers’ Market on August 4. Attendees will be able to sample sips from eight neighborhood bartenders and vote for their favorites. The winner will be the signature cocktail at the End of Summer Soiree at the Sagamore Pendry on August 23.

In keeping with the “Better Together” theme, Lawhorn says she hopes that the weeklong initiative sparks a sense of community engagement in patrons and bartenders alike.

“There’s something so important about conversations next to your friends at a bar stool, or across the bar with a bartender,” she says, “and what that can mean to cultivation of ideas and a sense of community in a city.”

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

April 28: Baltimore Bike Party’s 5th Birthday

Mount Vernon Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. 6:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Free.

This weekend, everyone’s favorite party on wheels turns five years old, and its birthday celebration is going to be epic. Kick it all off with a killer route through Mount Vernon and Bolton Hill—starting at St. Mary’s Park with a rest stop at Whitelock Park—followed by food, live music, and drinks at the Mount Vernon Marketplace. Get post-ride fuel with bites from The Local Oyster, Pinch Dumplings, and the new Cholitas Tacos, then “rehydrate” with cold, local brews from Taps Fill Station and Between2Buns. With themed and oftentimes costumed events, the monthly bike ride has become a must-attend happening and a creative incubator for the city’s cycling community. As always, party hats, noisemakers, and balloons are encouraged. 

 DRINK

April 29: Baltimore Cocktail Week Wellness & Rejuvenation

YogaWorks Midtown, 107 East Preston St. 12-3 p.m. $15. 

We know it’s hard to decide between brunch cocktails or a morning workout, but luckily this weekend, you don’t have to choose. On Saturday, join Yogaworks for a restorative yoga class, followed by fruity, bubbly, spring cocktails as part of the annual Baltimore Cocktail Week. With tipples like blood orange cocktails and prosecco-studded sips, we can’t think of a better reward after sweating it out. All proceeds also benefit House of Ruth Maryland. Namaste, indeed! 

 SEE

April 29: CityLit Festival

University of Baltimore, William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center, 11 W. Mount Royal Ave. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

For the 14th year, Baltimore’s CityLit Festival returns with an exciting lineup of acclaimed writers. With a focus on poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, award-winning author and TED Talk celebrity Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will headline with conversations on feminism, poetry, and prose. Adichie—whose 2010 The Danger of A Single Story is one of the top 10 most-viewed TED Talks of all time and inspired her 2014 book We Should All Be Feminists—will chat with WYPR’s Tom Hall about writing, raising our voices, and activism. With a full day of sessions, also sit in on discussions about writing as political resistance, editing tips and tricks, and character building through the written word.

 HEAR

April 29: Fifth Annual Charm City Bluegrass Festival

Druid Hill Park, 900 Druid Park Lake Dr. 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. $55. 

Now in its fifth year, this once small parking lot jam session has grown into Baltimore’s biggest bluegrass festival, known for its stellar lineups, local food, and festival-only beer by Union Craft (we love the cleverly named When I Say Charm You Saison). Rain or shine, prepare to move and groove at two stages with local talents like Cris Jacobs and Seldom Scene, as well as big-name national acts such as The Lone Bellow and Dustbowl Revival.

 DO

April 29: The Society of Excellent Women Dance Party

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m.-1:40 a.m. $7. 

This weekend, the “Excellent Women” of Baltimore are bringing you the ultimate girls night. In the spirit of making new friends and celebrating girl power, the new Society of Excellent Women meet-up group is hosting a Saturday night dance party at the Ottobar with DJ Pancakes spinning the best girl-power jams all night long. If the event is anything like the girl groups’ previous get-togethers—full of fun like cotton candy, tie-dye—we expect a full-on fete with hits like Pat Benatar’s  “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” TLC’s “No Scrubs,” and Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls).” Because, let’s be honest . . .

When service industry veteran Ginny Lawhorn sits down to plan Baltimore Cocktail Week every year, she always has an underlying theme in mind. 

This time around, considering the growing popularity of on-demand dining apps like OrderUp and UberEats, her goal was to plan events centered around restoring the relationship between diners and servers.

“We’re in this age where people are incredibly busy and desire to have things brought to them,” says Lawhorn, who heads up the bar program at Landmark Theatres and co-owns Sticky Rice in Fells Point. “This dilutes engagement in the services being provided to us. It’s all about finding ways to entice guests to come out when it’s easier to stay in.”

To delve further into this concept, Lawhorn has crafted a lineup of events ranging from forums and master classes to concerts and cocktail contests in conjunction with the third annual Baltimore Cocktail Week—an initiative that spotlights accomplishments in the local service industry and, this year, runs April 23-30.

“In Baltimore especially, we have such an incredible network of hospitality members supporting their communities,” says Lawhorn who organized the inaugural festival in 2015. “It’s an opportunity for consumers to see their service providers in a different capacity, rather than singularly across the bar.”

The festivities will kick off with a “Spring Fling” cocktail competition hosted by Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies at R. House on Sunday, April 23.  Twelve participating bartenders representing spots all over the city —including Argosy Cafe, Encantada, Gunther & Co., and Verde—will go head-to-head to craft sips inspired by the season. If you can’t make it to the event, all of the participating bartenders will offer the submissions at their bars throughout the week.

“The events all focus on what makes you enjoy your time out,” Lawhorn says. “Moving the launch party to R. Bar—a new, shared gathering space—was a big part of that.”

Other highlights throughout the week include a multi-course dinner exploring the relationship between scotch and sherry at Tapas Teatro on April 24, a restorative yoga session followed by light fare and prosecco at YogaWorks Midtown on April 29, “Brunch Drunk Love” featuring movie-inspired mid-morning cocktails like the Clueless Campari spritzer and Breakfast Club crush at Pen & Quill on April 30, and “My Bartender is in a Band”—a special Planned Parenthood benefit show at the Windup Space featuring local bartenders who are also musicians.

“It’s exciting to provide a night where bartenders get to be in a band first,” Lawhorn says of the concert, which is being produced by Friends Records and feature local rockers Gateway to Hell, Black Lung, and Sweepstakes. “It’s certainly a challenge, but there are an incredible number of people who manage both passions.”

Admission to all of the events range from $10-45 and, in keeping with the week’s theme of caring for others, many of the festivities have a philanthropic focus. Aside from the Planned Parenthood show, all of the proceeds from the yoga fundraiser will benefit House of Ruth Maryland, and the winner of the kickoff competition will receive a $250 donation to the nonprofit of their choice.

“When the community is in need, bars and restaurants show up,” Lawhorn says, mentioning industry fundraisers planned in the wake of the Ellicott City devastation last summer. “My main goal is that consumers leave these events more educated and interested. And that they really enjoy their time out in an era where setting your phone down can be very difficult.”

Baltimore’s bar scene is changing (and growing) as quickly as you can down your next drink. That means we’re seeing more talent than ever before, and what used to be a “boys’ club” is showing off the skills and drive of some seriously talented women—and our drinks are all the better for it. We sat down with nine notable female bartenders to discuss their favorite drink trends, the local industry community, and where they spend their days off.

You can check some of them out and many others at the “Lovely Ladies Bartender Competition,” which is the kickoff to Baltimore Cocktail Week this Sunday, April 10, at Pen & Quill.

Name: Briana Savage
Home bar: Bookmakers Cocktail Club
Years in the industry: 13 in the industry, 6 behind the bar
What’s good? “People ask me for Malört drinks, because I like Malört [Swedish wormwood liqueur] and I might be the only person that does. Basically they only drink Malört in Chicago and Scandinavian countries. But the way I was introduced was through the Bittermens Malört called Bäska Snaps, and that one is viscous and has a better flavor. I like it just like someone might like Campari or Fernet.”

Most exciting thing about Baltimore’s bar scene: “For me, I think, it’s the amount of passion I see among other bartenders. We’re all really supportive in a way I don’t see other places… Baltimore is all about trying new things.”

Name: Chelsea Gregoire
Current Bars: Pen & Quill (and Head Honcho at Drinkable Genius)
Years in the Industry: 10 in the industry, 2 behind the bar
What’s good? “Good egg white cocktails. I’ve taught more than one person how to properly shake egg white and humans are catching on and it’s great!”
Most exciting thing about Baltimore’s bar scene: “I love that this city, like nobody else, can do a fancy restaurant and a dive in one. I guess it’s because Baltimore buildings are generally small, so the spaces they have to put businesses in are small. So it’s dive-y in that it’s small and dark, and then you notice it’s got this incredible food program.

“Every bar in Baltimore is a little dive-y maybe in that it’s in the attitude of the bartender or it’s in the atmosphere. And they do it really well. Every time people come from out of town who are in this industry, they’re like, ‘I really love how everywhere feels like Holiday Cocktail Lounge in [New York City].’ That’s a huge compliment.”

Name: Amie Ward
Current bar: Aggio
Years in the industry: 7
What’s good? “I’m really striving for us to turn Aggio into Baltimore’s amaro bar because we don’t have anything like that . . . When I first started at Aggio, they were about to get rid of all the amaro [a bitter Italian liqueur] because it just wasn’t selling, it didn’t have any real big following behind it, and I said, ‘Hold on, just gimme, like, a month and see what I can do with it.’

“I’m mainly focusing on doing the whole education of what is amaro . . .There are the people that like that really hearty stuff, like Fernet is like getting smacked in the face with a Listerine bottle, and I tell that very joyously to anyone who gets one of the flights, but that might not be what you like. So I’ve been working on the flights and then trying to figure out what [individual] people like too and I’ll do custom flights on the fly as well.”

When she’s not working: “It used to be roller derby, but now it’s in the gym being a meathead (picking up heavy things and putting them back down again). I’m training for my first Strong Woman Competition.”

Name: Molly McNulty
Current Bar: Cultured
Years in the Industry: 8
Her favorite thing about bartending: “I’m actually also a painter, [I think of flavors] like colors. There’s so many ways to go with colors; I approach drinks the same way I approach painting.”
Advice for new bartenders: “I have a couple answers to this. Kindness is always the best tool in your kit. You don’t have to have double jiggers and crazy bar tools. You just have to be kind. And it is totally ok to not know how to make something and to not feel ashamed about that. What’s not ok is not having any curiosity about it.”
Most exciting thing about Baltimore’s bar scene: “There’s a lack of pretention in Baltimore bartenders. People are really creative and pushing each other to do new things…[but] it doesn’t feel snobby, it doesn’t feel like we have sticks up our asses about being the best part of people’s day—which is eating and drinking…People are doing really creative awesome things, but they aren’t being douche bags about it.”

Name: Constance Belton
Home bar: Club Charles
Years in the industry: 3
Her favorite thing about bartending: “My favorite thing about bartending is my bar . . . It’s the community of people who work there is amazing, like, Jeremy’s been working there for 12 years, some of the girls have been there for 8 or 9 years. I’m actually pretty new. People don’t leave; people love to work there.

“We have people that have come in the bar on a weekly or every other couple days basis for 20 years. A couple of months ago, a regular brought in her daughter on her 21st birthday…[and the mother] has been hanging out at the bar for more than 20 years and now she passes it along to her daughter. That’s a story I’ve heard from more people. Friends have said, ‘Yeah, my parents met at that bar.’ It’s has been open for more than 65 years. It was originally called the Wigwam, actually, when Ester opened it and now her daughter runs it.”

Name: Melissa Ray
Home bar: Roof Deck Bar at Camden Yards
Years in the industry: 19 in the industry, 14 behind the bar
Her favorite thing about bartending: “I’ve tried other things and I always come back to this. I like making new relationships and having my regular business. I’m very family-oriented and when I have my regulars it feels like a family. “
Advice she’d give to new bartenders: “If you’re excited about being in the business and you want to stay in the business . . . jump in and go crazy, learn as much as you can, get involved, ask questions, join the [Baltimore Bartenders’] Guild. Go to meetings. Get your feet wet.

“…And make sure you take care of yourself as well. Make sure you’re doing things that make you happy when you’re out of work. Go get a massage, get a facial, and go to the gym. Do things that help relieve stress. If you don’t take care of yourself you’ll feel like you’re just living one long night.”

Name: Pam Haner (not pictured)
Home bar: W.C. Harlan
Years in the industry: 10
What’s good? “I really like to do sherry cocktails, stirred cocktails, [I] like complex sippers. We have on our new menu one of my favorites, The Hermez, which is a sherry cocktail with pot-still rum, Priorat vermouth, and dry curacao that I like a lot. [For it] I infused olive oil with orange pekoe tea for the garnish.”

Her favorite thing about bartending: “It’s super creative, like cooking. Finding new combinations that work together. My favorite thing that happens is when you really think something is not going to work and it really, really does. One of the things that I was really surprised by is banana cordial and Fernet Branca is really nice together.”

Name: Anna Welker
Current Bars: Bad Decisions and B&O American Brasserie
Years in the Industry: 11 in the industry, 8 behind the bar
What’s good? “One of my favorite things is to get people to like gin who think they don’t like gin . . . Gin is just this big, beautiful world of all diffident styles that people don’t even know exists. I like to consider myself a ‘ginja’ or a gin ninja, if you will.”
When she’s not working: “My background is in theater . . . I love seeing creativity in motion, and I watch the set and costumes just as much as the actors. I know how much work and heart go into each show, and I know it sounds cliché, but it’s still magical to me. I still get butterflies watching a curtain go up.”

Name: Ginny Lawhorn
Current Bars: Sticky Rice Baltimore and Landmark Harbor East
Years in the Industry: 18 in the industry, 15 behind the bar
How the bar business makes a difference: “What I find most valuable about the bar and restaurant industry is that our industry offers hands on, in-house training and advancement through hard work that is becoming increasingly difficult to find elsewhere. You are able to join a restaurant family as a busser, move to a barback and be trained as a bartender the same way you can start in a kitchen with prep, move to a line cook, and be trained as a chef. This means the industry offers a unique opportunity for growth that can directly support so many people who might otherwise struggle to get their foot in the door for other careers.

“We have a responsibility to pay these options forward to anyone willing to work for them as they were afforded to us. I wouldn’t be in the position I am in if this weren’t true. I am thankful every day to be able to have a restaurant where we can provide these possibilities.”