Three Paris of the Plains events you should plan on attending

The five-year-old Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition has grown into the Paris of the Plains Cocktail Festival, a weeklong celebration of KC’s revitalized cocktail culture. Three can’t-miss events from the lineup:

* If you’ve seen any of that revitalization up close, you’ve recently had a drink made with bitters. But it’s a talented chef who can figure out how to work bitters into a four-course dinner. You’re in good hands with chef Howard Hanna, who co-owns the Rieger (1924 Main) with Ryan Maybee. The restaurant’s Angostura Bitters Dinner ($90) is from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.