World Gin Week 2026 arrives June 13-20 as the first-ever global festival dedicated to gin’s history, versatility, and culture, co-founded by spirits expert Philip Duff and hospitality veteran Karl Finegan.
A New Annual Landmark for Gin
The drinks industry has long had its signature calendar moments, and now gin has one of its own. World Gin Week is the brainchild of Philip Duff, director of Liquid Solutions, Ltd. and one of the industry’s most recognized spirits educators, and Karl Finegan, owner of The Ivory Peacock, a Flatiron/NoMad bar in New York City that stocks a jaw-dropping 1,200 gins, placing it among the largest gin selections anywhere in the world.
The inaugural edition runs June 13-20, 2026, with programming anchored in New York City but extending to bars across Hong Kong, London, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Singapore, Mexico City, Kyoto, Sydney, and beyond. The format spans bar pop-ups, consumer tastings, and world-class educational seminars led by some of the most respected names in the drinks world.
“We want World Gin Week to be the greatest celebration of gin that the world has ever seen,” says Duff, “empowering and encouraging bars, bartenders and gin lovers everywhere to give some extra love to that noble juniper spirit which has spanned the globe, kick-started not one, but two Golden Ages of cocktails, and given us the very icon of the cocktail itself, the Martini.”
Who’s Participating
The list of participating bars reads like a cross-section of the world’s finest. Confirmed venues include Sip & Guzzle (New York), Bar Leone (Hong Kong), Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City), Atlas (Singapore), Connaught Bar (London), Concrete Rose (Houston), Maybe Sammy (Sydney), Trick Dog (San Francisco), Room 207 (New York), Cause | Effect (Cape Town), Hero Bar (Nairobi), The Barber Shop (Sydney), Bar Madonna (New York), Shakerato (Amsterdam), LenLen (New York), and YOI (Kyoto), with more to be announced.
Each participating bar is encouraged to build special gin menus, create original gin cocktails, and run promotions designed to help consumers discover new expressions and gin-focused venues. Participation is free for any bar worldwide, with an optional charitable component: bars and brands that make a nominal donation to a charity of their choice can access the organization’s logos and menu templates, and earn a listing on worldginweek.com.
Suggested beneficiaries include the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild’s National Charity Foundation and The Drinks Trust in the U.K., though participants are welcome to designate a preferred local charity. World Gin Week will also donate a portion of all ticket sales to the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild’s National Charity Foundation.
The New York Programming
The marquee events take place at The Ivory Peacock, 38 West 26th Street, and are ticketed throughout. The week opens on June 13 with the World Gin Day Celebration and Kick-Off Party (4pm-7pm), a walk-around tasting featuring gins served as G&Ts and Martinis across the bar’s four stations, with passed hors d’oeuvres.
June 14 and 15 bring a London Cocktail Bar Residency, a two-night takeover of The Ivory Peacock by a major London cocktail bar (to be announced).
The week closes on June 20, World Martini Day, with back-to-back programming. A seminar block from 12pm-4pm features ticketed educational sessions on gin and mixology taught by Dale DeGroff, Allen Katz, Steve Schneider, Natasha Bahrami, and others to be confirmed. That evening (4pm-7pm), the World Martini Day Celebration and Closing Party takes over, with pop-up bars run by notable New York bars and bartenders serving their signature Martinis. Already confirmed for the closing event: Sip + Guzzle, Dale DeGroff, Bar Madonna, and Room 207.
Sponsors, Scholarships, and Brand Involvement
Confirmed sponsors for the inaugural edition include Tanqueray Gin (Diageo), Dorothy Parker Gin (New York Distilling Co.), Bluecoat Gin (Heaven Hill), and Campari (Gruppo Campari). Brands interested in joining can request a sponsor information deck by emailing hello@worldginweek.com from a corporate email address.
In a gesture that sets World Gin Week apart from typical industry activations, the organization is awarding four Brand Scholarships to small, independently owned craft gin brands that would not otherwise have the resources to participate in events at The Ivory Peacock. Two scholarships go to U.S. brands and two to international brands. Recipients can choose to join the World Gin Day Kick-Off Party, sponsor the World Martini Day seminars, or anchor one of the pop-up bars at the closing party, all free of charge.
Why It Matters
“There was no single focal point for gin lovers, enthusiasts and makers to come together and celebrate these remarkable gins and the master distillers who pour their lives and souls into creating them,” says Finegan. “Gin has earned its renaissance, and World Gin Week is where that renaissance finds its home.”
He is not wrong. Gin’s global resurgence over the past decade has produced an extraordinary diversity of styles, botanicals, and production philosophies, yet the category has lacked an industry-wide moment to match the scale of, say, bourbon’s annual celebrations or whisky’s festival circuit. World Gin Week is a direct answer to that gap. With the caliber of bars, educators, and sponsors already committed to the first edition, it arrives with real credibility rather than the usual fanfare of a launch announcement. The industry will be watching June 13-20 closely.
For tickets, bar listings, and further information, visit worldginweek.com.
