Baconfest Kicks Off With A Bacon-Filled Cocktail Party

By Paul Leddy in Food on Mar 25, 2014 9:30PM

The Wobble Stopper Bloody Mary from last year's Baconfest - Photo Credit: Anne Petersen/Baconfest

April in Chicago. The snow has melted (we hope), the trees are starting to bud, flowers are starting to push through the ground and the smell of bacon is in the air.

The sixth annual Baconfest will be held April 25-26 at the UIC Forum (Saturday is sold out, but there are tickets still available for the dinner on Friday, April 25). All month, there will be bacon-related events to celebrate the gift from the pig.

Festivities kick off next week with the Bacon Month Kickoff Cocktail Party at the Berkshire Room, located in the Acme Hotel, April 1 from 7-10 p.m.

Guests will enjoy bacon cocktails made by Scofflaw’s Danny Shapiro, The Dawson’s, Annemarie Sagoi, and The Berkshire Room’s Benjamin Schiller, who will be pouring the “Smokers Outside” cocktail (Applewood Bacon Smoked Bourbon, Blackstrap Rum, Lemon, Bitters, Mint).

There will be, of course, bacon snacks made by Berkshire Executive Chef Chris "Chip" Davies and Executive Pastry Chef Chris Teixeira. Even non-bacon Labatt's Blue will be available for guests to enjoy.

For bartenders (professional and aspiring), there will be a competition where bacon cocktails will be tasted by a panel of judges. The winner will get a pair of tickets for the Baconfest weekend. If you want your cocktail to be considered, the deadline is Friday, March 28.

Tickets for the cocktail party are $30 and can be purchased here.