Raising the Bar

NW Flower and Garden Festival
2022-02-09 09:00 - 2022-02-13 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | washington conventions center, seattle, WA, 705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
It’s Back. It’s Amazing. And we’re thrilled to have our Vintage and Badass Barware Boutique at the show!
Find us in the North Hall in the Vintage Market, booth #2110.
Five full days of wonderment, Wed., 2/9 through Sun., 2/13 at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. Ticket information and full details are HERE.

Classic New Orleans Cocktail Class
2022-02-27 15:00 - 17:30 | Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave, Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
Experience the drinks that made New Orleans the cocktail cradle of America. Learn the history of New Orleans cocktail culture, and create and taste the magic of the Big Easy’s triumvirate of libations. This is a great way to up your Mardi Gras celebration.
This interactive cocktail class combines history and mixology. Hogwash master mixologist, Simon Moorby walks guests step-by-step through the making of 3 drinks. Cocktail historian, Renée Cebula of Raising the Bar, tells the stories of how these ingredients came together in New Orleans.
Class set-up includes bartending stations with all the necessary tools, fresh-made and prepped ingredients, and vintage glassware. Shake, swirl, and sip in style as you hear the stories, learn the techniques, and develop your palate.
Tickets are $60 per person. Must be 21 and over. Class is limited to 24 guests.
Ticket includes three crafted drinks, mixology and history lessons, appetizer, and souvenir recipe booklet. Kick-off your Mardi Gras celebration in the ambiance of Hogwash Whiskey Den.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE!
COVID-19 POLICY: To ensure the health and safety of our staff and guests, all patrons will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours from the time of the event to attend this class.
Masks will be required at all times in the building while not eating or drinking.
We thank you for your cooperation and understanding. If you have questions, please email Renée at owner@raisingthebarnw.com.
Find us on Instagram: Raising the Bar
Check us out on Facebook: Hogwash Whiskey Den

Private Cocktail Class
2022-04-30
Our private cocktail classes are perfect for your special celebration or company event. Interested in booking a class? Email us for all the details.

Bartending Stations

Mixology Lessons

Pour Like the Pros

Prepped Ingredients

Customized Booklet

Tiki Drink Talk at Art of the Aloha Shirt Reception
2022-08-18 18:00 - 20:00 | washington state history museum, 1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA, 98402, United States
Join us for a lively evening with a fast-paced gallery tour, Tiki cocktail talk, and presentation from a local vintage Aloha shirt collector, plus refreshments!
Dr. Linda A. Bradley, Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, will lead a fun gallery tour of our newest exhibit Art of the Aloha Shirt. She’ll share an overview of the roots of aloha attire and provide insight into the broader cultural and historical significance of this style. Dr. Bradley conducts research into textiles and clothing as material culture and examines the social, cultural, historic, and psychological aspects of dress.
Local collector David Bader will share examples of aloha shirts from his extensive collection, while providing participants with a deeper understanding of how the style has changed over time.
And learn all about “The Origins of Tiki: The Drinks Behind the Shirts,” with cocktail historian Renée Cebula. The history of tiki cocktails is a global story involving the Caribbean and Los Angeles more than Tahiti and Honolulu. Like the popularity of the aloha shirt, tourism also ushered in changes in what people drank on the islands.
Enjoy a tropical mocktail while you take in the stories and history!
source: https://www.washingtonhistory.org/event/aloha/
This event is FREE.

THING NW Market
2022-08-26 - 2022-08-28 | Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA, 98368, United States
We are thrilled to be back at the PNW’s newest and coolest music festival.
The Market is magical and we cannot wait. There’s music, art, yoga, and BADASS BARWARE! We’re talking 1950s travel bars and everything else to support and enhance your imbibing experience. Market hours are Fri., Sat., and Sun., noon to 8pm.
What is THING NW?
“THING” is a 3-day festival of music and arts taking place August 26-28, 2022 at historic Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA. The event features a tightly curated lineup of diverse performers with an emphasis on fresh discoveries and a vision to create an environment where all are welcomed and represented. This includes a distinctive mix of music, comedy, visual arts, speakers, and highlights from STG’s signature education and community programs. Fort Worden is a former military base (and filming location of An Officer and a Gentleman) encompassing 434 acres with 12 miles of forested hiking trails, 2 miles of walkable saltwater beaches and commanding views of the Puget Sound. The historic property has evolved into a lifelong learning center in the magnificent setting of Port Townsend, WA- dubbed “the Paris of the Pacific Northwest” by Sunset Magazine. The festival features 4 stages including 2 outdoor stages, McCurdy Pavilion (former balloon hangar converted into a theatre) and the Wheeler Theatre (intimate art deco venue). The festival sold out in its inaugural year (2019) garnering a warm response from the community.
“A pretty relaxed affair, and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, that’s part of the allure.” –The Stranger
This requires a ticket and some planning. There’s camping and accommodations in beautiful Port Townsend. ALL THE DETAILS ARE AT THE FESTIVAL WEBSITE HERE!

Pacific Northwest History Conference
2022-09-30 - 2022-10-01 | Red Lion Columbia Center, 1101 N Columbia Center Blvd, Kennewick, WA, 99336, United States
From the conference website (link to full details below):
We are excited to welcome you to Tri Cities, Washington for the 68th annual Pacific Northwest History Conference, hosted by the Washington State Historical Society in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society. The conference is a forum for exchange among historians, scholars from other disciplines, museum professionals, educators, archivists, historic preservationists, graduate students, history enthusiasts and community members.
Join Renée on Friday evening as she presents about using cocktail histories to tell the stories of America. It’s history education outreach with a twist (see what we did there?).

Private Cocktail Class
2022-10-08 17:00 - 20:00
We’re excited to do a cocktail class about Spokane, the northwest, and the rise of American whiskey. Our classes have REAL history and REAL drinks. Email us if you want to learn how you can have a class.

NW Flower and Garden Festival
2023-02-15 - 2023-02-19 | washington conventions center, seattle, WA, 705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Yipee! We’ll be at the NW Flower and Garden Festival, our first retail event of 2023.
Find us in the Vintage Garden Market all 5 days — Feb. 15-19 in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center.
Details and ticket info at the festival’s website: https://www.gardenshow.com/

Camp Cocktail: Paris
2023-07-09 17:00 - 19:30 | Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave, Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
At the height of America’s Golden Age of Cocktails, Prohibition shuttered the doors of drinking establishments. That golden age had fueled the rise of a cadre of professional bartenders. What happens when your career abruptly ends? Thousands of bartenders went abroad to continue their profession. They continued to stir and shake, but more importantly, to preserve and expand American cocktail culture creating new classics that, today, are part of America’s cocktail canon. Let’s learn the stories and taste these drinks!
We had so much fun at last year’s Camp Cocktail that we had to make it a tradition. Continuing the theme of great cocktail cities, we decided this year’s theme would be the history and stories of three great cocktail cities during Prohibition. July’s camp is about the story-worthy cocktails invented in Paris.
Join us for this hands-on interactive class on Sunday, July 9th, at 5 pm (our summer classes start later). Camp activity is stirring and shaking classic cocktails and learning the stories behind the drinks. Develop your palate and practice the mixologist’s techniques. Enjoy appetizers, and take home your Camp Cocktail booklet to continue your mixology adventures at home. Hogwash Whiskey Den’s master mixologist, Simon, guides you through the use of tools and techniques. Raising the Bar’s cocktail historian, Renée, tells the stories behind the drinks.
Class set-up includes bartending stations with all the necessary tools, fresh-made and prepped ingredients, and vintage glassware.
Tickets are $75 per person. Purchase TICKETS HERE!
Your ticket includes the following:

Three crafted drinks
Mixology and history lessons
Appetizers
A Camp Cocktail recipe booklet

MUST BE 21 and over. The class is limited to 30 guests.
If you have questions, please email Renée at owner@raisingthebarnw.com.
Find us on Instagram: Raising the Bar
Check us out on Facebook: Hogwash Whiskey Den

Camp Cocktail: Havana
2023-08-06 17:00 - 19:30 | Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave, Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
At the height of America’s Golden Age of Cocktails, Prohibition shuttered the doors of drinking establishments. That golden age had fueled the rise of a cadre of professional bartenders. What happens when your career abruptly ends? Thousands of bartenders went abroad to continue their profession. They continued to stir and shake, but more importantly, to preserve and expand American cocktail culture creating new classics that, today, are part of America’s cocktail canon. Let’s learn the stories and taste these drinks!
We had so much fun at last year’s Camp Cocktail that we had to make it a tradition. Continuing the theme of great cocktail cities, we decided this year’s theme would be the history and stories of three great cocktail cities during Prohibition. The final Camp Cocktail is about the story-worthy cocktails invented in Havana.
Join us for this hands-on interactive class on Sunday, August 6th, at 5 pm (our summer classes start later). Camp activity is stirring and shaking classic cocktails and learning the stories behind the drinks. Develop your palate and practice the mixologist’s techniques. Enjoy appetizers, and take home your Camp Cocktail booklet to continue your mixology adventures at home. Hogwash Whiskey Den’s master mixologist, Simon, guides you through the use of tools and techniques. Raising the Bar’s cocktail historian, Renée, tells the stories behind the drinks.
Class set-up includes bartending stations with all the necessary tools, fresh-made and prepped ingredients, and vintage glassware.
Tickets are $75 per person. Purchase TICKETS HERE!
Your ticket includes the following:

Three crafted drinks
Mixology and history lessons
Appetizers
A Camp Cocktail recipe booklet

MUST BE 21 and over. The class is limited to 30 guests.
If you have questions, please email Renée at owner@raisingthebarnw.com.
Find us on Instagram: Raising the Bar
Check us out on Facebook: Hogwash Whiskey Den

Whiskey, Mixologists, and the Pacific Northwest
2023-10-24 18:00 - 20:30 | 18607 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011, 18607 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011, Bothell, WA, 98011, United States
McMenamins and Bothell Historical Society Present
Whiskey, Mixologists, and the Pacific Northwest

About Whiskey, Mixologists, and the Pacific Northwest

As America changed and expanded west, so did drinking traditions. The barkeep deserves a place alongside explorers and farmers in Western narratives. Hear the stories about how what people drank and who served them changed as the nation grew.
This wide-ranging presentation will cover the rise of American whiskey, early drinking culture in the Pacific Northwest, and the first “golden age” of American cocktails. Learn how cocktail culture intersected with the rise of cities like Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. Cocktail historian Renée Cebula will explore the many functions of the late 19th-century saloon, from workers’ ethnic enclaves to gentlemen’s retreats and the controversies that arose around saloon culture.
Anderson School – Haynes’ Hall
6 pm doors, 7 pm program — $6 advance, $7 at the door — All ages welcome
FIND ALL THE DETAILS AND TICKET INFO HERE!
About Renée Cebula
Renée Cebula is a cocktail historian with over 20 years of experience as an educator. Cebula and her companies, Raising the Bar and Badass Bitters, connect people to history and inspire curiosity about American cocktail culture’s roots and stories through interactive cocktail-themed classes, hands-on DIY kits, and unique shopping experiences.
A special selection of Renée’s favorite cocktails will be available at the bar.

About History Pub

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It’s like being back in the classroom – except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

BrrrZaar Winter Market
2023-12-16 10:00 - 20:00 | Riverpark Square, 808 W. Main Ave., Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
Find our Badass Bitters DIY Cocktail Bitters kits at BrrrZaar!

SPOKANE’S LARGEST, ALL-LOCAL WINTER ART MARKET!
WHEN: December 16th, 2023 • 10am – 8pm
WHERE: River Park Square
One-stop shopping (Terrain Style) in the wintery time of year! BrrrZAAR takes place on all three floorsof River Park Square and features THOUSANDS of swoon-worthy gifts (think jewelry, leather goods, clothing, home goods, original artwork, skin care, candles, mugs, tea, and more!) from 70+ local vendors as well as… CLICK HERE.

Urban Craft Uprising Winter Show + Preview Night
2024-12-06 - 2024-12-08 | Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 301 Mercer St, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
Find our Badass Bitters DIY Cocktail Bitters Kits at Urban Craft Uprising’s Winter Show, Dec. 6-8 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.
Our kits are the perfect gift for the cocktail enthusiasts on your gift list. We learn best by doing and making bitters is a great way to learn about American cocktail culture and the science of mixology. Learn more about Badass Bitters here.
Urban Craft Uprising is Seattle’s favorite craft show, established in 2005. At UCU, fans can choose from a wide variety of hand-crafted goods, including clothing of all types, jewelry, gifts, bags, wallets, buttons, accessories, aprons, children’s goods, toys, housewares, furniture, paper goods, candles, kits, geekery, art, food, and much, much more.
Each show is carefully curated and juried to ensure the best mix of crafts and arts, along with quality and originality. This bi-annual show features over 150 vendors excelling in the world of craft, art and design. Over the course of its 20 years, UCU has garnered such a following attention that nearly 15,000 fans swarm to the show over the course of the weekend.
Hundreds of fans are lined up before our doors open to receive our famous swag bags full of goodies from our vendors and lovely sponsors. This show is free and fun for the whole family! We look forward to seeing you!
This winter marks Urban Craft Uprising’s 20th Anniversary Show!!! FIND ALL DETAILS HERE!
SHOW HOURS:

Friday, Dec., 6, 5-9 pm PREVIEW NIGHT
Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, Dec. 8, 10 am to 5 pm

BrrrZaar: Spokane's Largest, All-Local Winter Art Market!
2024-12-14 10:00 - 20:00 | Riverpark Square, 808 W. Main Ave., Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
Find our Badass Bitters DIY Cocktail Bitters Kits at BrrrZaar by Terrain Spokane, Dec. 14 at the Spokane’s Riverpark Sqaure.
FIND US ON THE THIRD FLOOR.
Our kits are the perfect gift for the cocktail enthusiasts on your gift list. We learn best by doing and making bitters is a great way to learn about American cocktail culture and the science of mixology. Learn more about Badass Bitters here.
WHEN: December 14th, 2024 • 10am – 8pm
What is BrrrZAAR? FIND ALL DETAILS HERE!
One-stop shopping (Terrain Style) in the wintery time of year! BrrrZAAR takes place on all three floors of River Park Square and features THOUSANDS of swoon-worthy gifts (think jewelry, leather goods, clothing, home goods, original artwork, skin care, candles, mugs, tea, and more!) from 70+ local vendors as well as:

Live music

Family-friendly

Kid’s Activities provided by Art Salvage (noon-5pm)

Holiday cheer!

Seattle Cocktail Week: Bartender's Circle & Carnival of Cocktails
2025-03-03 - 2025-03-10 | Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
FIND Renée at Seattle Cocktail Week: March 2-8

We’re kicking off Seattle Cocktail Week with the 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 3/3-5, an industry event for professionals.
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I’ll speak on Tuesday at 3:30 about the Myths of Cocktail Culture in the PNW.

From the territory days to statehood, was it just glasses of whiskey and beer at the hundreds of drinking establishments in Washington?

While the Golden Age of Cocktails was happening east of the Mississippi, did it affect drinking culture in the PNW?

What events collided in the early twentieth century that exploded into the deep divisions of wet versus dry?

On Saturday, 3/8, the 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 welcomes everyone to taste, learn, and experience over 100 brands.
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Find me at the 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐛 at 1 p.m. to learn how bitters went from the medicine cabinet to the cocktail glass and why you should make your own. You can also find Badass Bitters DIY Bitters Kits, dozens of distilleries, and more.
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Saturday will be a not-to-be-missed event, from live performers and tastings to hands-on experiences and the learning lab.
We’re bringing DIY Cocktail Bitters Kits PLUS some special Mid-century vintage glassware sets. See you Saturday, March 8th, Noon to 7 pm.

History After Hours: Dressing the Gilded Age
2025-11-06 19:00 - 21:30 | washington state history museum, 1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA, 98402, United States
Thursday, November 6, 7:00 to 9:30 PM
$20 for members; $25 pre-registration, $30 at the door
Register here
Join us at the Washington State History Museum to explore the luxurious world of the Gilded Age at this fun-filled event! Guests can take a guided tour of the exhibition Dressing the Gilded Age: Fashion from the 1870s to 1910s, and Raising the Bar will discuss Gilded Age history and lead an interactive cocktail-making demonstration.
This evening of fun and history is a 21+ event, and IDs are required. Admission includes two drink tickets.

Renée Cebula

Raising the Bar is a project by northwest native, Renée Cebula. A former history educator, her research focus turned to cocktail culture in America during the World Wars. The deeper into this topic, the more her intellectual curiosities expanded to include America’s drinking history, the development of specialized tools and equipment, and the stories of mid-century decorative artists.

BrrrZaar Winter Market at River Park Square
2025-12-13 10:00 - 20:00 | Riverpark Square, 808 W. Main Ave., Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
Come shop our Badass Bitters DIY Cocktail Bitters Kits just in time for all your gift-giving.
Badass Bitters are more than just DIY kits. Our educational kits introduce you to the history and craft of cocktail bitters. The kit guides you through the process, explains the history, and includes recipes to get you mixing. Bitters are flavored by nature. At the heart of each kit is a curated selection of botanicals that tell the stories of the places we love.
And what will you find at BrrrZaar? Here’s the deets from their website:

SPOKANE’S LARGEST ALL-LOCAL WINTER ART MARKET!

As the winter counterpart to our summer art market, Bazaar, BrrrZAAR brings that same community energy and local spirit—but with a festive holiday twist! Held inside River Park Square, you’ll find thousands of swoon-worthy items, making you the hero of the gift-giving season—while also giving artists the gift of financial freedom. Talk about a win-win!
What to expect:

80+ booths across all 3 floors of RPS!

Most items $100 or less!

Live music!

Family-friendly activities!

Immense feelings of joy and community!
