52 Weeks of Cocktails Challenge: 2023

The 52 weeks of cocktails challenge will continue in 2023! The idea for this cocktail challenge was suggested by a colleague at the end of 2021 after I shared my chocolate peppermint spritz cookies that were my final bake of the reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge. Doing a new bake every week furthered my knowledge of baking.

I dabbled in cocktails in my first year of blogging. However, it wasn’t until I started making cocktails at home every week that I began to understand what I liked and how easy it was to create a great, well-balanced cocktail.

Join the cocktail challenge for a great all-around cocktail education and to expand your home cocktail bar. Or join just to play more with your favorite mixed drink and see how it changes when you use different simple syrup recipes. You can join at any time and for any number of weeks. But please join us!

How it works

Below is the new list of cocktail challenges for 2023. It’s intended to be broad to get exposure to a variety of common spirits and styles of cocktails. This year’s challenge adds more weeks that are easier for folks making mocktails instead of cocktails.

Are there things missing? Absolutely. But, for example, if you really love a Sazerac, you should be able to find several weeks where you can have your Sazerac.

I should apologize in advance to any readers who are in the Southern hemisphere. That’s because the list has icy cocktails in summer for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. Feel free to adjust the list to your seasons.

And I feel compelled to say, “Please drink responsibly.”

Cocktail of the week

1	January 6	Martini
2	January 13	Rum
3	January 20	Garnish
4	January 27	Mocktail
5	February 3	Clarified Cocktail
6	February 10	Champagne Flute
7	February 17	Tropical
8	February 24	Grapefruit or Other Citrus
9	March 3	Fortified Wine
10	March 10	Non-Martini “Martini”
11	March 17	Baileys Irish Cream
12	March 24	TV or Movie-Inspired
13	March 31	Coffee or Tea
14	April 7	Old Fashioned
15	April 14	Brandy
16	April 21	Lowball (Rocks) Glass
17	April 28	Margarita
18	May 5	Mint Julep
19	May 12	Layers and Floats
20	May 19	Gin
21	May 26	Use the Blender
22	June 2	Simple Syrups
23	June 9	Vodka
24	June 16	Punch
25	June 23	Spritz
26	June 30	Jello
27	July 7	Mojitos
28	July 14	Moscow Mule
29	July 21	Wine
30	July 28	Frozen
31	August 4	Sour
32	August 11	Highball Glass
33	August 18	Berries or Stone Fruit
34	August 25	Amaro
35	September 1	Purple
36	September 8	Tequila
37	September 15	Apple or Pear
38	September 22	Negroni Week
39	September 29	Martini Glass
40	October 6	Manhattan
41	October 13	Liqueur
42	October 20	Pumpkin
43	October 27	Halloween
44	November 3	Whiskey
45	November 10	Infusion
46	November 17	Cranberry
47	November 24	Creamy
48	December 1	Mai Tai
49	December 8	Absinthe
50	December 15	Fire!
51	December 22	Red
52	December 29	Bubbly

FAQs

This 52 weeks of cocktails challenge was first posted January 5, 2022. It was last updated December 26, 2022.

What’s next

Join us! Please feel free to leave a comment here or share a pic with me on Instagram using #uglyducklingbakery and #52weeksofcocktails hashtags!

Need cocktail challenge ideas? Check out some of my favorite cocktails:

• dry martini
• gin espresso martini
• creamy espresso martini with Baileys
• pornstar martini
• pornstar martini mocktail
• cranberry negroni
• aperol negroni
• Aperol soda
• negroni spritz
• passion spritz
• rose syrup French 75
• Water Lily
• sidecar
• cherry Bakewell cocktail
• peanut butter manhattan
• perfect brandy manhattan
• blueberry gin and tonic
• the “Lady Bridgerton” – an Earl Grey and lavender Empress gin cocktail
• jalapeño raspberry bramble
• elderflower Tom Collins
• blue mojito
• lavender gimlet
• spicy margarita or the skinny spicy margarita
• vodka sour with blackberry simple syrup
• Aperol sour
• Frangelico sour

Or check out a range of fun cocktail ideas from the Purple Pumpkin blog!