How to Kill Your Liver at Portland Cocktail Week 2013

Photo of Pig & Punch 2012 courtesy Facebook

If Portland seems slightly hungover this weekend, it'll be thanks to the fourth-annual Portland Cocktail Week, which will bring hundreds of professional bartenders together for five days of educational seminars and tastings at what's officially being called "the Portland Bartender Institute." But several events are also open to the public — think pig roasts, bar competitions, free whiskey tastings, and classes with the likes of Dale DeGroff. Full line-up, below:

Shaken vs. Stirred: The Perfect Classic Cocktail
When: Saturday, October 19
Where: Imperial, 410 SW Broadway
How much: $30
Imperial's Brandon Wise teams with Basil Hayden bourbon in a hands-on class about classic cocktails. Snacks will be provided by Imperial's Vitaly Paley.

Women & Whisk(e)y
When: Saturday, October 19
Where: Biwa, 215 SE Ninth Ave.
How much: $30
This one's for the ladies only: Women & Whisk(e)y shatters the stereotype that whiskey's the drink just for Ron-Swanson types, with a women-only class that focuses on "the relationship between whisk(e)y, fragrance, and aroma." Tickets include tastes and snacks provided by Biwa; reservations available by emailing here.

Scotch Malt Whisky Blind
When: Saturday, October 19
Where: The Richmond Bar, 3203 SE Division St.
How much: $30
Ever want to taste 16-20 different Scotch malt whiskeys in one sitting? A brand ambassador from Highland Par Single Malt Scotch Whisky will lead a blind tasting of up to 20 different whiskeys, highlighting the different "noses" and tastes within. To sop up all that booze, the event includes lunch provided by the just-opened Richmond Bar. Reservations available by emailing here.

Apéritif Cocktails 101
When: Sunday, October 20, 11a.m.-12:30p.m.
Where: St. Jack, 2039 SE Clinton St.
How much: $30
Early Sunday-morning drinking is perfectly acceptable when you're talking "Elegant Fundamentals with Lady Lillet," so St. Jack bartender John Salas will team with Imbibe editor Tracy Howard for an interactive apéritif experience. Guests will each make two light morning cocktails, paired with pastries from St. Jack's patisserie. Reservations available by emailing here.

I'll Take Manhattans, The Story of Bitters
When: Sunday, October 20, 2-3:30p.m.
Where: Multnomah Whiskey Library, 1124 SW Alder St.
How much: $30
Legendary bartender Dale DeGroff hosts this seminar about bitters, which will include tastings of five different bitters — both solo and within Rye Manhattans. Tickets available here.

Swig N Swine
When: Saturday, October 20, 2-6p.m.
Where: Jupiter Hotel, 880 E. Burnside St.
How much: $30
Just like last year's Pig & Punch event, the merry-makers at roving spirits party the Bon Vivants will bring back the spit-roasted pig at Swig N Swine, the official Cocktail Week opening party — that doubles as a fundraiser for the Self Enhancement Inc. Charter School. As to be expected, the event features many bowls of punch and live music. More information here.

An Evening of Cocktails with Cripple Creek
When: Tuesday, October 22, 8-11p.m.
Where: Star Theater, 13 NW Sixth Ave.
How much: $30
Dubbed a cocktail "live show," NYC's team of bartenders known as Cripple Creek will host an event where cocktails are made live on-stage (set to a live DJ and "sensory effects") and sampled collectively as an audience. The "set" will include anywhere between eight and 12 cocktails — "each one being passed in tasting portions from the stage to the entire audience as its made." More information here; tickets are available at the Star Theater.

PCW Bar Challenge
When: Thursday, October 24, 6-8p.m.
Where: Pure Space, 1315 NW Overton St.
How much: $20, tickets at the door
Like a Top Chef restaurant wars challenge gone boozy, this Bacardi-sponsored event will see four teams of eight bartenders tasked with creating a bar — from scratch — in just 10 hours. All bars will debut inside the Pearl's Pure Space starting at 6p.m., where guests can sample the cocktails from each completed concept.

Closing Night Party
When: Thursday, October 24, 8-11p.m.
Where: Jupiter Hotel, 880 E. Burnside St.
How much: $25, tickets at the door
The United States Bartending Guild reps hard at the closing-night event, which will see 36 bartenders from across the country pouring drinks inspired by their home state.
· Portland Cocktail Week [Official site]