What Really Went Down at Yerevan Cocktail Week 2025: Koji, Kvass & Unfiltered Chaos
Fermentation, cocktails & unforgettable hospitality—a recap of yerevan cocktail week
Yerevan Cocktail Week 2025 was an absolute triumph—a week of bold flavors, wild creativity, and the kind of warm, generous hospitality that makes Armenia so special. The energy was electric, the drinks were next-level, and the people? Some of the most passionate and welcoming I’ve ever worked with.
One of the highlights for me was the "Fermentation in Desserts" workshop I led alongside the brilliant pastry chef Irina Koroleva at Bar Phoenīx. We dove into how fermentation can transform sweets, turning familiar desserts into something deeper, brighter, and totally unexpected. The star of the show? Cherimoya Amazake Zephyr—a fluffy, marshmallow-like treat where the natural fermentation of amazake brought out the fruit’s tropical pofile while adding a subtle umami depth. The crowd loved it, and the best part was seeing how excited everyone was to experiment with these techniques in their own kitchens and bars.
Armenia’s Unmatched Hospitality & Flavor
We need to take a moment to praise Armenian food culture because—wow. The way this country celebrates flavor is just incredible. The bartenders, chefs, and producers we met weren’t just talented—they were generous, curious, and innovative in their craft.
Huge thanks to:
Gegam Kazarian, the visionary founder of Yerevan Cocktail Week, for creating something truly special. (And for foraging the local pine needles that went into the most delicious fermented pine needle soda I’ve ever tasted—fermented by the wizard Pavel Barkov)
Tigran Avetisyan and the whole Bar Phoenīx crew—you made us feel right at home, and chef Arman Ghonaghchyan was an absolute legend in helping us prep for the workshop.
The team at Blue Gold Bar for hosting my guest shift, where I got to mix cocktails some ferments like kvass, bubble gum water kefir, and that unforgettable pine needle soda.
This festival was a massive success, not just because of the drinks and events, but because of the people behind them. Armenia’s bar and food scene is on fire right now, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
To everyone who came out, asked questions, shared a drink, or just geeked out over fermentation with us—thank you. You made this one of the most memorable trips of my career. Until next time, keep those ferments bubbling and those cocktails shaking!
If you’d like to get the recipes we tought at the “Fermentation in Desserts” masterclass - just click the link below and download our FREE guide:
Fermentation in Desserts – A New Era of Flavor and Texture
The Fermentation in Desserts guide is now out—a practical, recipe-driven resource that invites both beginners and professionals to explore how fermentation can redefine sweetness, texture, and depth in modern dessert and cocktail creation. Born out of a collaborative workshop between pastry chef
connect with us on Instagram:
Denis Pashkov
cosmos society