Raising the Bar Northwest

Raising the Bar Northwest We connect people to history through interactive cocktail-themed classes and unique shopping. Our business is chic and swanky one-of-a-kind barware.

We sell quintessential bar tools and iconic glass sets - from shakers to stirrers, coupes to Collins - and customized upcycled bars for home and travel. Raising the Bar has everything you need to create the perfect imbibing experience. Our passion is the stories behind the barware. Our curated vintage and mid-century wares connect us to the history and stories of cocktail culture in America. We lo

ve to show you in our shop and at our hands-on classes and walking tours. We popup at fairs, markets, and events around the Pacific northwest in our mobile shop - a repurposed 1959 travel trailer. Info about events and classes are at our website: https://raisingthebarnw.com

Cocktail historian, Renee Cebula, began Raising the Bar in 2013 as an extension of her research about cocktail culture in America. This research led to investigations into the development of specialized tools, equipment, and glassware for mixed drinks. Cebula's research has led her from archives at the Library of Congress to repositories in her hometown of Spokane, Washington. Her history of drinking presentations have been to local groups and at national history conferences. Read more about Raising the Bar at http://www.inlander.com/spokane/glass-on-the-go/Content?oid=2364286 and http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/may/13/classic-concoction/. General Information
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Member: National Council for Public History
Organization of American Historians
Certified Program Evaluator
Certified History Educator

Greetings from Helsinki, where I’ve been learning about Prohibition in Finland. Yes, Finland. Prohibition wasn’t just a ...
05/25/2026

Greetings from Helsinki, where I’ve been learning about Prohibition in Finland. Yes, Finland. Prohibition wasn’t just a U.S. phenomenon. Many of the same forces that pushed & pulled Prohibition in the U.S. were at play worldwide in the early twentieth century.
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​Some of the stories sound similar — like bootlegging & data on how much people drank — with varying degrees of accuracy. And some, like the outcomes of Prohibition, are very different in Finland compared to the U.S. But I’m still learning.
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​Also, I enjoyed a refreshing spritz made with Finnish pink gin, rhubarb cordial, and bubbly. Gin is having a moment here in Finland, as it is across Nordic countries.
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Meet the whiskey team for a special cocktail class at on Wed, June 3rd.​​Make cocktails showcasing local spirits and en...
05/18/2026

Meet the whiskey team for a special cocktail class at on Wed, June 3rd.
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​Make cocktails showcasing local spirits and enjoy guided spirit tastings with Kaiti from and David from . I’ll share the story of American whiskey, and Al will guide you through the techniques at your prepped bartending station. Savor appetizers from
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​Shake, stir, and sip through whiskey history with Spokane spirits. 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒚 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒔 & 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒚 is part of Spokane Cocktail Week — 🙌
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​Limited seating —> grab your ticket today. Details & tickets in profile link.

Ready for summer? We’re ready for CAMP!​​Join us at Camp Cocktail, where we’ll dive into the stories & drinks of Prohibi...
04/30/2026

Ready for summer? We’re ready for CAMP!
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​Join us at Camp Cocktail, where we’ll dive into the stories & drinks of Prohibition! This year, our camp theme explores the journey to “last call” at bars across the country, to the years filled with bootlegging and moonshining, culminating in the march to repeal.
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​Hands-on classes with captivating stories, rich history, and, of course, delicious drinks!
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​Tickets for this year’s Camp Cocktail classes will be available soon, so stay tuned to secure your place at the bar.
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​Yeah, we hats and stuff.😁

04/27/2026

The origins of spirits, their contributions to cocktail culture, the drinks — that’s our current class vibe. Grateful for and spirit wizard for a great start to this year’s classes. And to our cocktail class community — you’re amazing. We look forward to our afternoons together at the Den. 🥂 Summer’s coming with Camp Cocktail. Details s👀n.

There’s a story behind every drink, and the history of drinking spaces tells the larger stories of the past. Cheers! 🥂
12/20/2025

There’s a story behind every drink, and the history of drinking spaces tells the larger stories of the past. Cheers! 🥂

As Ari Nordhagen was roaming around town researching The Spokane Drinks Book — a book she never intended to actually write — one name kept popping up in interviews: Patty

What a night! Sold out event for a little Gilded Age drinking history at the museum. Tacoma, you rock! 225+ people, del...
11/12/2025

What a night! Sold out event for a little Gilded Age drinking history at the museum. Tacoma, you rock!

225+ people, delish historic cocktail, great exhibits, and I didn’t put too many people to sleep. 😆

Thank you to the great staff at our state history museum! 👏 Thank you to everyone who came out on a rainy night!

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Spokane, WA
99203

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