Jamie Gray prepares a cocktail at red‘s upstairs lounge bar. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

There’s a party going on in Red Bank over the course of the next week, and it’s going to be a bit of a booze-filled frenzy.

At the kickoff of Cocktail Week Sunday night, bartenders prepared specialty drinks made with Leaf vodka, just one of several sponsors for the event organized by Red Bank Flavour.

Bartender Jamie Gray of red restaurant on Broad Street squeezed fresh limes for the Thai basil martinis while Matt Monaco was busy muddling mint for the Hendrick’s Gin mojitos served with cucumbers.

Servers offered attendees Thai basil martini samples. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

red supplied tasty appetizer tidbit platters, including its signature sliced filet steak over creamed spinach on garlic toast, crudite with tiny heirloom tomatoes,  and bitesized crab cakes with a sriracha-infused mayonnaise.

DJ Atom Worth kept a loud and lively beat going while partygoers sipped, snacked and schmoozed. Flipping Fun Books was in attendance to add a little hilarity and sponsorship as well. Proceeds from the kick-off party supported the Brick-by-Brick Campaign at the Count Basie Theatre.

Cocktail Week continues with events in different venues in Red Bank all week, long including a Laird’s Applejack mix-off on Tuesday at Taste in the Galleria on Bridge Avenue. A $5 donation is requested at the door to benefit Lunch Break. For more information about Cocktail Week click here.

Here’s the map of participating bars and restaurants: