The 2025 Rochester Cocktail Revival

America is in what some industry experts are referring to as a kind of alcohol recession. Beer and wine sales have been hit hardest, but even some premium spirit brands are seeing significant declines. An annual event seeks to breathe some light into the scene. With that in mind, this week's final episode feels like happy hour: it's all about the twelfth annual Rochester Cocktail Revival (RCR), which returns June 2-8. RCR is the only weeklong festival of its kind in New York State, made possible by 30+ Rochester bars and arts venues that host 70+ events across downtown Rochester. This hour, Evan, co-host Leah Stacy, and our guests talk about new events, the ongoing tiki trend, immersive cocktail theater and more. Our guests:

• Chuck Cerankosky, director of Rochester Cocktail Revival
• Flo Cardella, head bartender at Leonore's
• Cat D. Olson, artistic director of CAT + THE COYOTE
• Patrick Stetzel, owner and operator of Ziggy's