Deciding which Spoleto shows to see can be tricky: do you spend opening night Waiting for Godot or watching Honji Wang and Sebastian Ramirez mixing ballet, martial arts, and hip-hop on stage in Monchichi? Do you commit to Eugene Onegin and go all in on an opera about the “tragedy of first love,” or do you decide you’ll swing more avant-garde and catch Angel, the one-woman monologue about a heroine’s experience in a 2014 siege in Northern Syria? Deciding which art form you want to immerse yourself in (at the right price) for 17 days can be a challenge, albeit a nice one. Finding the right drink to pair with your cultural experience shouldn’t be.

Spoleto has paired up with 14 area bars and restaurants to kindly organize a lineup of specialty drinks to sip starting today, May 22 through the end of the festival, June 11. Director of Marketing and Public Relations Jessie Bagley says that, “The mixologists created such creative items influenced by the wide range of opera, dance, theater, music programming, and we are thrilled to encourage Festival-goers to experience some of Charleston’s vibrant restaurant scene.”

Below, find the Cliff notes version of the “cocktail campaign” — more boozy deets available from Spoleto.

Zero Restaurant + Bar serves up the “Black Rabbit,” a Bristow gin cocktail inspired by the Charles Lloyd Quartet.

Le Farfalle’s specialty drink is the “Spoleto Cobbler,” a rum-based drink inspired by Il N’est Pas Encore Minuit.

Head to the Victor Social Club for the Spoleto Martinez, a gin drink inspired by the Pedrito Martinez Group.

The Darling Oyster Bar serves a “Spoleto Swizzle” a tropical rum drink inspired by the entire festival.

If you’re a Garry Hynes fan, head to The Drawing Room for the simply named “Godot,” a cocktail made with “Estragon” infused Myers Plantinum, Carpano Antica Formula, and house made Charleston loquat liquor.

The “Monchichi 75″ is a sexy Spanish sparkling wine-based concoction that O-Ku has crafted, inspired by the two-man dance company.

The Thoroughbred Club’s “Spoleto Sipping Soda” includes Deep Eddy vodka and strawberry puree.

Honoring Farnace, McCrady’s Tavern has created “Contratto en Travesti”: the boozy blend contains amaro, vermouth, sherry, and bitters.

Also inspired by Vivaldi’s opera, PawPaw’s “Vivaldi Smash” is made of Tangueray gin with berry puree and mint.

The Living Room at The Dewberry serves up “The Final Act,” a cocktail made with vodka, aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, and orange bitters and inspired by, you guessed it, the Festival Finale.

5Church Charleston’s “Lucky of the Irish” also pays homage to good ole Godot; the drink is Irish whiskey-based.

Get “Tapped Out” at Prohibition with this gin-based drink inspired by tap dancer Ayodele Casel.

The Macintosh’s “Spoleto Spritz” is made with Compari, Cocchi Americano, pineapple sage, and soda.

The Cocktail Club, inspired by Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road, has crafted “Woodwind Road” made with cognac, pistachio liqueur, bitters, and Herbsaint.


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