Jakarta cocktail week debuts

Jakarta Cocktail Week (JCW), Indonesia’s first city-wide, consumer-facing cocktail festival, will make its debut from Nov 24-28.

Over five days, around 20 international guest bars from nine Asian countries and territories will take over the counters of Jakarta’s best bars, alongside masterclasses, late-night after-parties and a festival day at Sudirman Hall, SCBD. Built by an industry-led committee of bar owners, bartenders and hospitality figures, JCW is about opening doors: between bars, between cities, and between the people who gather around a drink.

JCW’s vision is to position Indonesia's capital as a leading cocktail destination in Southeast Asia. The timing reflects a city in motion. Indonesia has one of the youngest populations in the region, a growing urban middle class and a clear shift from volume drinking to experience-led drinking. Unlike entertainment festivals where drinks play a supporting role, JCW puts the cocktail and the people who make it at the centre.

The week opens on Nov 24 at The Gunawarman with the Bangkok trio of Dicky Hartono from Firefly, Ryan Dela Vega from Aqua Bar and Niks Anuman from G.O.D (Genius On Drugs). It closes on Nov 28 at Artesian Bar at The Langham, Jakarta, with Andrew Ho of Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame, No.1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026.

International guest shifts will be hosted from Nov 25-28, with bartenders from Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam taking over Jakarta bars for one night each. Each evening centres on a different part of the city, so guests can bar-hop between shifts.

Every night ends with an industry-friendly after-party at Jaya Pub on Nov 25, Bottom Parlour on Nov 26 and Duckdown Bar on Nov 27. Cocktail Village (Friday 27 November). A free-entry event at Sudirman Hall, Sequis Tower, SCBD, the Cocktail Village brings together cocktails, the bartenders behind them and a curated mix of food, music and entertainment. Expect brand booths serving cocktails by the finest bars across Indonesia, alongside curated food booths from local F&B partners.

Industry thought leaders such as Indra Kantono from Jigger & Pony, Singapore, and Jon Lee from Penrose, Kuala Lumpur will conduct masterclasses. Panel discussions, moderated by Ray Janson, will kick off before the Cocktail Village festivities. The event also sees 100% of the profits from the sales at the Cocktail Village "Star Bar", manned by local bartenders and Hong Kong’s Bar Leone, The World’s Best Bar 2026, going to charity.

Pre-JCW, until Nov 28, participating bars will serve at least one "Road to JCW" cocktail in the run-up to the festival. International guest shifts are as follows:

Nov 25: Nautilus Mius Hong KongNov 25: St. Regis Bar A Bar Has No Name Shanghai, ChinaNov 25: Koda Craftroom Osaka, JapanNov 25: Cosmo Pony Argo Hong KongNov 26: Hats CMYK Changsha, ChinaNov 26: Osmo Pop City SingaporeNov 26: The Golden Tooth Good Friends Club Penang, MalaysiaNov 26: Tara Bar Us Bangkok, ThailandNov 26: Modernhaus Futura by TPH Taipei, TaiwanNov 26: Between The Sips Bar Cham Seoul, South KoreaNov 27: Truce The Enigma Mansion Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamNov 27: Carrots Dry Wave Bangkok, ThailandNov 28: Unfinished Project Dead Poets Hong KongNov 28: Dualism Vender Taichung, TaiwanNov 28: Salty Fish Raw + Atelier Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamNov 28: The Cocktail Club Alice Seoul, South Korea

Bluebird will offer a special promo code for guests travelling to and from participating bars during festival week, Nov 24–28.