Wellington Raises Spirits With Highball, NZ’s Dedicated Spirits And Cocktail Festival

Get ready to raise your spirits as the months cool down! Highball, New Zealand’s only dedicated cocktail and spirits festival returns for its second year, and we’re taking festival-goers to new heights with a bigger venue, interactive experiences and more local and international distilleries than before.

For two days on 8-9 May 2020, Highball will hold three sessions at the historic art deco Dominion Museum Building, which previously housed Sir Peter Jackson’s Great War Exhibition from 2015-18.

We’re again partnering with Liquorland w to bring new additions to the festival including mixology masterclasses, hosted by Wellington’s best bars and bartenders; special cocktail and food pairings; and the newly rebooted New Zealand Bartender of the Year competition in collaboration with Diageo Reserve World Class New Zealand.

Popular festival experiences such as the interactive whisky blending sessions and the Highball Speaker Series are also returning.

More than 30 gin, whisky, rum, vodka and other spirits will be on show from pioneering Kiwi craft producers such as Southward Distilling Co., Cardrona Distillery, Koa Koa Limoncello and Curiosity Gin, as well as international producers such as Monkey Shoulder Whisky from Scotland, Black Tears Rum from Cuba and Citadelle Gin from France.

Sarah Meikle, Chief Executive of the Wellington Culinary Events Trust, says the expansion of Highball was built off the back of the festival’s success in its inaugural year:

“Highball 2019 took off in a big way, and we received overwhelming feedback from festival goers on how much they enjoyed the immersive cocktail and spirits experience in the heart of Wellington. We listened to what people enjoyed and what they wanted out of the festival, and have built this year’s event around that feedback,” she says.

Highball festivities kick off with the second annual New Zealand Spirits Awards on 7 May, followed by Highball weekend 8 & 9 May, with Wellington Cocktail Week 10-17 May showcasing the Capital’s rich and colourful cocktail scene with a series of events, special menus, masterclasses and walking tours hosted by local bars and restaurants.

Sip something deliciously new this May. Early Bird tickets on sale from 4 March. See www.highball.co.nz for more information.

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