IT is the festival which is hoped will shake and stir up a Hampshire city.

Winchester’s first ever cocktail week will come to the city from February 1 to 7, and is expected to prove a huge hit with revellers.

Cocktail weeks haven’t spread too far across the country yet. London Cocktail Week has been running for the best part of a decade now but it is only recently that the format has begun to expand to other cities and we are pleased to have been quick to take on the challenge.

The week is organised by events company and blog Cabinet Rooms, run by Gary Whiter and Marcus Roe.

They will host a series of workshops for punters and hospitality professionals at the Theatre Royal in Jewry Street.

The week will see 16 unique cocktails, which cost £4 each for wristband holders, available at 13 different venues across the city for wristband holders.

The venues include the likes of Chococo, Forte Kitchen, Hotel Du Vin, Holiday Inn, Kyoto Kitchen, River Cottage Canteen, No5 Bridge Street, The Wykeham Arms, The Green Man and many others.

Wristbands for the week are available to buy online now and cost from £10, and are available for collection from the Theatre Royal throughout the festival.

Co-organiser of Winchester Cocktail Week, Gary Whiter, said: “At Cabinet Rooms, we love learning all about food and drink so we’re delighted to welcome industry experts to the Hub to run free workshops for wristband holders.

“Whether people want to learn how to mix a cocktail from professional bartenders or just to know more about the spirits and mixers going into their favourite drinks, we think there’s something on the programme to enlighten and entertain everyone.”

To find out more about the week visit http://www.winchestercocktailweek.co.uk/whats-on/