Unmissable LCW events for the trade
As London Cocktail Week (LCW) returns for another year, SB takes a sneak peek at what’s in store…
London Cocktail Week returns for its seventh yearThe UK’s biggest drinks festival will transform London’s bar scene next week when it returns with a plethora of pop-ups, parties and workshops.
Back for its seventh year, LCW will take place from 3-9 October in celebration of the bars, brands and, of course, drinks that make up the city’s vibrant spirits scene.
Last year, the party debuted the London Cocktail Week Village for the first time at Old Spitalfields Market in London. The maze of pop-up bars, some disguised as trucks, vans and bicycles, live music, and street food stalls is now the festival’s centre, making the Village the biggest cocktail market the city has ever seen.
The festival’s ever-popular self-guided cocktail tours will return for 2016, mapping out a selection of more than 250 hot handpicked bars in areas from Soho to Shoreditch, each serving up something special for just £5.
However, there’s much more on the schedule than cocktail sipping alone. Activities range from masterclasses to tutored tastings, supper clubs, meet-the-maker evenings, parties, pop-ups and more, with something for everyone, whether amateur or expert.
“Having attracted more than 20,000 wristband wearers and 40,000 visitors last year, London Cocktail Week continues to be the biggest cocktail festival of its kind in the world,” said festival director Siobhan Payne.
“We love creating the most unique and exciting opportunity for thousands of cocktail lovers to taste and learn about new drinks and visit great bars they’ve not been to before; and are thrilled to be back for the seventh year running!
“This year will see us present the most incredible London Cocktail Week to date, with our brand new West End World Class House and Shoreditch-based Cocktail Village, visitors can expect to immerse themselves in cocktail capital of the world’s diverse drinking scene.”
Wristbands cost £10 and are available from Londoncocktailweek.com.
Read on to see our pick of the most unmissable events taking place for London Cocktail Week 2016.
Patrón Cocktail Lab
The Cocktail Village, Old Spitalfields Market, London, E1 6EW
Patrón Tequila has invited seven acclaimed international bartenders from Miami to Münich and San Juan to Singapore to create and serve cocktails inspired by their city in the Patrón Cocktail Lab.
Based on a web platform launched this summer, the virtual Patrón Cocktail Lab helps consumers discover Patrón’s versatility through Tequila cocktail recipes and tailored recommendations based on their favourite flavours.
Fans can experiment from home at here.
Masterclass: Sustainability From Brands To Bars
JUJU Bar and Stage The Old Truman Brewery, Ely’s Yard, 15 Hanbury Street, London, E1 6QR
This one-off panel session on Tuesday 4 October will see industry professionals discuss the importance of sustainability across the entire drinks sector.
The expert line-up includes Tequila icons Tomas Estes and Julio Bermejo; Cognac Maestros Nicolas Faith and Phil Duffy; and bartending legends Jacques Bezuidenhout and Iain Griffiths.
The event will be hosted by Megs Miller and Matthias Lataille with Olmeca Altos and Martell Cognac.
Diageo World Class House
World Class House, 4-6 Glasshouse Street, London, W1B 5DQ
This year the festival will welcome the World Class House to Piccadilly Circus – a multi-storey immersive town house run by Diageo’s World Class bartenders. Here, cocktail lovers can participate in workshops and classes hosted by experts, and sample a variety of drinks made from Diageo’s premium Reserve brands.
The space boasts two bar areas – Retro and Future – where eight World Class cocktails from two seemingly similar menus will be on offer.
Curated by World Class UK Bartender winners, Aidan Bowie and Ali Reynolds, the Retro bar menu celebrates the “history and nostalgia” of the classic cocktail, while the Future bar immerses guests “into the unknown future of cocktail craft”.
The five-storey venue will also feature immersive brand experiences – such as Tanqueray No. Ten Future Forest and the #LOVESCOTCH Movement – which will allow guests to discover a range of delicious drinks through interactive cocktail making masterclasses.
Masterclass: Shims, the Benefits and Creative Challenges of Low Abv Drinks
The Cocktail Village, Old Spitalfields Market, E1 6EW
On Wednesday 6 October the team from legendary Edinburgh bar, Bramble, will present a masterclass to explore the growing trend of low-alcohol drinks – focussing on fortified wine as a base in cocktails, rather than a modifier.
Unmissable for bartenders intent on keeping their finger on the pulse.
Bacardi Brown-Forman activations at The Cocktail Village
The Cocktail Village, Old Spitalfields Market, London, E1 6EW
Bacardi rum, Grey Goose vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin can be found at the heart of the London Cocktail Week village, where they will each partner with a top London bar to offer an immersive, theatrical cocktail experience alongside a series of masterclasses.
Bacardi is teaming up with Rum Kitchen to “bring a taste of Miami to London” with tropical cocktails and a beach chic atmosphere, while Grey Goose and Duck & Waffle will invite vodka lovers and Francophiles to enjoy café culture with extraordinary cocktails.
Meanwhile, Bombay Sapphire has partnered with Cahoots to re-create the bar’s iconic vintage train in the centre of the village. Passengers will sip cocktails while gazing at the surroundings of Laverstoke, rural Hampshire – home to Bombay Sapphire’s distillery.
The brands will also host dedicated trade masterclasses, from Coffee Confidential by Grey Goose which explores a range of drinks inspired by the Espresso Martini; to Bacardi’s Back to the Future, which examines the evolution of the rum classic cocktail from Mojito to Miami Vice.
Martin Miller’s Gin at Opium
Peony room @ Opium & Dim Sum Parlour, The Jade Door 15-16 Gerrard Street, Chinatown, W1D 6JE
This year the brand is boasting a jam-packed events schedule during London Cocktail Week, culminating in the final of its Martin Miller’s Gin UK Cocktail Competition.
Martin Miller’s Gin’s co-founder David Bromige is set to host an intimate talk detailing how the brand started – and the lowdown on its Icelandic spring water – while the brand’s Martini masterclass promises full-on gin geekery as guests learn about differing Martini styles armed with stop watches and thermometers.
At the heart of the festival’s hub, The Cocktail Village the brand will also offer an array of signature serves – the highlight of which is likely to be Negroni Escapade; three short Negronis each paired with a sweet vermouth from around the world.
Chivas Regal: The Blend
Unit 8, The Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QR
Discover the ‘Art of Blending’ at a one-hour experience hosted by a whisky expert at the brand’s unique pop-up ‘The Blend’. Here guests will sample grain whisky and single malts from The Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside and Islay, before learning about the craftsmanship of a master blender and – get this – making their very own whisky.
In addition, International Chivas Regal brand ambassador Max Warner will guide guests through his book ‘Crafted for The Senses’ in a one-off masterclass on Thursday 6 October. Hosted by UK Scotch ambassador Phil Huckle with Chivas 18 Year Old blended whisky, Warner will investigate how different factors can affect and change the spirits’ flavours and aromas.
Drambuie Brass & Crimson
The Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, London N1 6SH
Having toured Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, the Drambuie Brass & Crimson will make its final stop in the capital city to celebrate London Cocktail Week.
Set in The Hoxton Hall on 6 and 7 October, the event is a modern celebration of the 1960’s New York scene, bringing together talent and emerging stars from the world of jazz.
Guests are invited to sip on classic drinks – such as the Rusty Nail, a beloved favourite of the legendary Rat Pack – while enjoying live music from the likes of Brooklyn-based musician Taylor McFerrin and Brazilian jazz-funk trio Azymuth.
The Richmond & Gin Mare
The Richmond, 316 Queensbridge Rd, London, E8 3NH
Just in time for London Cocktail Week – and oyster season – The Richmond has partnered with Mediterranean gin, Gin Mare to offer an exclusive gin & oyster pairing flight menu.
Available individually or as a £10 flight menu, visitors will first enjoy Maldon Rocks oyster with a ‘classic Med’ G&T, before sampling Maldon Kumamoto oyster and a Dirty Gin Mare Martini.
The final oyster shooter is sees Essex Wild Blackwater oyster paired with a Med Snapper – a smoked tomato and basil based cocktail with olive-infused vinegar.
The Belvedere Balance Bar
The Cocktail Village, Old Spitalfields Market, London, E1 6EW
This year Belvedere vodka will be championing “naturalness” with its Belvedere Spritz Collection, a series of refreshing long drinks made from natural ingredients.
