The Venice Cocktail Week, in progress from 21 to 25 October 2026, takes place in the lagoon, with a particular focus on the Venetian topa, a traditional boat that represents a link between nautical and hospitality. The event, conceived by Paola Mencarelli, is a unique experience, where the cocktail is not only a drink, but a moment of connection with the Venetian place and culture. The mouse, with its flat-bottom shape and its ability to navigate in shallow waters, becomes a symbol of this relationship. The event involves 31 selected bars, including hotel bars and cocktail bars, offering creative drinks and an immersive experience.
La topa: a boat that tells the lagoon
The topa is a traditional boat of the lagoon, designed to meet the concrete needs of sailing in shallow waters and narrow canals. Its simple and functional shape reflects a boat developed by necessity, with a flat bottom that allows you to navigate in difficult conditions. The topa, used for transporting people and goods, has found new uses over time, adapting to the needs of contemporary mobility. Today, the topa represents a link between tradition and contemporary experience, offering a different perspective to explore Venice.
The cocktail as a connection experience
The Venice Cocktail Week is based on a key concept: the value of experience does not depend exclusively on the recipe, but on the environment, service and relationship with the place. Hotel bars, often considered simple services, become destinations where you can discover the city through mixing. The aperitif, in the Venetian tradition, is a social moment that naturally fits into the life of the city, from the bacari to the hotel bars. Navigation, in this context, becomes a thread that unites these experiences, restoring centrality to the lagoon as a living space.
The topa allows you to cross Venice from a different perspective, following the rhythms of the city. The experience of the cocktail is intertwined with everyday life, creating an interaction between the nautical public and the historical places. The noon aperitif, in particular, is a significant category, as it lends itself to a break during the day, without necessarily turning into the exclusive centre of experience. For those who sail, it is essential to distinguish the convivial moment from the conduction of the boat, respecting the applicable rules.
The Venice Cocktail Week offers a key to contemporary reading of a custom rooted in Venetian life. The event involves 31 Selected Bar, between hotel bar and cocktail bar, which have a dedicated drink list, built around three proposals: a signature cocktail, a classic mixing and L’Aperitivo di Mezzogiorno. The program includes tastings, masterclasses, brunch, aperitifs and guest shifts with Italian and international professionals. The topa, with its history linked to Venetian daily life, becomes a symbol of this connection between tradition and innovation.
- The topa is a traditional boat of the lagoon, designed to sail in shallow waters and narrow canals.
- The Venice Cocktail Week takes place from 21 to 25 October 2026, with 31 selected bars.
- The experience of the cocktail depends not only on the recipe, but on the environment and the relationship with the place.
The topa, with its identity deeply linked to Venetian geography, is an example of how traditional nautical can maintain a cultural function. Its shape and its characteristics reflect a technical heritage developed over time, which today translates into a way to make the Venetian landscape readable. The Venice Cocktail Week, through the topa, offers an opportunity to expand the story of the city, not only in the gastronomic dimension, but also in the cultural and social dimension.