What’s on in June
With a four-day weekend in the UK kicking things off early doors, and the return of one of the biggest rum festivals to NYC, June is already shaping up to be a hot one, and we haven’t even checked the weather forecast yet.
You can’t celebrate a Jubilee without a themed cocktail, and London’s bars haven’t held back when it comes to creating special menus for the occasion. Meanwhile in Dublin, summer’s arrival is being celebrated with a series of whiskey-laced dinners, all shining a light on Irish ingredients.
Looking to enjoy a taste of Italy on your lunch break? Sanpellegrino have brought a taste of the Amalfi Coast to The City of London, while the flavours of Japan (with a bit of Peckham influence) are arriving on London’s Southbank for a Lyaness takeover.
Wherever it is you want to go this June, make sure you keep scrolling for the best events going down in the world of spirits this June.
The Whisky Exchange Presents… Secret Islay Whisky Bar – 2-4 June
Of all the things The Whisky Exchange’s Secret Islay Whisky Bar is, secret is not actually one of them. But that’s okay, because it would be a shame to miss the Islay whisky pop-up hidden beneath the retailer’s London Bridge store just because someone took its name too seriously.
The Secret Islay Whisky Bar will offer lovers of the smokier malted spirit the opportunity to choose from more than 100 of Islay’s finest drams curated by The Whisky Exchange founder and renowned Islay whisky connoisseur Sukhinder Singh. With prices from £5 to £250 (per 25ml), there’s a little something for any budget (and every overdraft).
Tickets are £10 (US$12.65) each from The Whisky Exchange website, and booking is essential.
Jubilee celebrations – 2-5 June, London
Whether you’re celebrating HRH’s monumental 70-year reign on the throne, or the fact that she’s given you an extra day off from work, you won’t be short of ways to spend the long bank holiday weekend this June.
If you’re planning on paying Her Majesty a visit over the weekend (and by that, we mean taking a flag-waving selfie outside the gates of Buckingham Palace), you won’t be far from the St James Bar where the team have brought together a commemorative collection of Jubilee cocktails to mark the occasion (available until Sunday 12th June) including the Lilibet Fizz made with Pimm’s No.1 Cup and Bollinger Champagne.
If a Right Royal House Party sounds more like your cup of Earl Gray, the flatmates of The Little Yellow Door in Notting Hill are hosting a royal knees up on 2 June, complete with DJs and themed cocktails. Expect the Ju-Bellinis to be flowing, and make sure you stick your pinkie out when sipping from The Queen’s Teapot spiked with Hendrick’s Gin, à la Queenie.
Alternatively, you could choose to party with a different kind of royalty at the W Hotel, where on 1 June its Perception Bar will be hosting a one-night-only Drag Party and celebrating the launch of its Yas Queen cocktail menu which will be available throughout the month. For those feeling particularly majestic (and flash), the Pass The Crown cocktail priced at £300 (US$379) offers the ultimate taste of how the other half lives, with Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Hennessy Paradis Imperial, a brown sugar cube, and gold leaf.
Prefer to celebrate the Jubilee at home? These brands have been marking the occasion in the best way they know how: limited edition releases.
Silverleaf x Overstory takeover – 5 June
Since opening its doors in February, Silverleaf at the Pan Pacific hotel has made quite the impression on London’s drinkers. Now its about to show New York what its all about as the team travels over the pond to take over Overstory, located on the 64th floor of 70 Pine Street in Manhattan’s financial district.
Sponsored by premium Japanese spirits, Haku Vodka, Roku Gin and Toki Whisky, the takeover will bring together two likeminded teams who together will present cocktails that showcase the bar’s ingredients-focused styles that are both complex yet approachable wth beautiful minimalist presentation.
Sanpellegrino pop-up piazza bar – Eataly London
To celebrate the launch of its new mixers range, Sanpellegrino has brought a taste of La Dolce Vita to London’s Liverpool Street with a partnership that has seen the launch of a new Piazza Bar in the heart of the Italian food destination and restaurant concept, Eataly London.
The six new premium mixers have been designed to uplift shared drinking occasions, so if ever there was an excuse to gather your group and enjoy some effervescent aperitivos, this two-month long pop-up is it.
The Art of Surprise with Bombay Sapphire – 11 June
Bombay Sapphire is marking World Gin Day (11 June) with a new workshop series, The Art of Surprise. The new creative partnership and masterclass series is a collaboration with Master Peace, designed to bring together gin and creativity alongside gin and tonics served upon arrival at the venue.
There will be four sessions running weekly throughout G&T month (June), with each session focusing on a different art form inspired by one of the expressions from the brand (Bombay Sapphire, Bombay Sunset, Bombay Bramble and new Bombay Citron Pressé). The surprise element means that those who secure one of the 10 tickets for each class will be asked to take a leap of faith, as the details of the class will only be revealed 24 hours before. Tickets are available directly on the Master Peace website.
Roe & Co Whiskey pop-up series – until 12 June
Roe & Co Whiskey Distillery is bringing a summer of flavour to Dublin and celebrating the best of modern Irish cooking with a series of limited pop-ups. The series will run until 21 August with four months of exciting cooking paired with specially curated whiskey cocktails, all focused on celebrating modern Irish food and international flavours, hosted in the Cocktail Garden at Roe & Co distillery.
It wouldn’t be a Dublin summer without a feed of seafood, so Roe & Co is kicking things off with Niall Sabongi’s Salty Buoy. Available until 12 June, Salty Buoy is excited to be back at Roe & Co for a very special seafood summer menu featuring some of The Salty Buoy’s signature tastes like Irish oysters, Lambay Island crab, grilled lobster and chips. To top it all off, everything pairs perfectly with Roe & Co cocktails.
Sunday Lyan x Kanpai sake – 12th June
You know what they say: the weekend ain’t over ‘til the last cocktail of a Sunday Lyan sesh is finished, and in June, those cocktails will be laced with saké from the UK’s first saké brewery, Kanpai.
On 12 June, the Southbank bar in collaboration with Fever-Tree, will be playing host to the Peckham-based brewery and showcasing some traditional Japanese techniques alongside the classic Lyaness hospitality. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are aways welcome.
Bar Convent Brooklyn 2022 – 14-15 June
Bar Convent Brooklyn is returning on 14-15 June, and after hosting its biggest year to date in 2021, 2022 will see the event given a brand new home, allowing more space for exhibitors to bring their brands to life.
The new venue, the historical creative hub of Industry City, will bring together the premium brands driving the cocktail movement alongside the pioneers of the bar and beverage community. Expect to sample some of the best spirits from around the world, attend masterclasses and educational talks, and gain insights into the latest trends.
The Spirits Business Summer Party – 15 June
It’s been tipped to be the party of the year (yes, by us) and now The Spirits Business Summer Party is on the horizon. Celebrating 150 issues of The Spirits Business magazine, and 15 years of The Global Spirits Masters, the event will take place at the recently rebranded 58 and Co in east London.
Music will be provided by a DJ set by British rapper and Kamo vodka owner, Lady Leshurr, and masterclasses will be hosted by The Lost Explorer Mezcal. Meanwhile pre-mix cocktails from Soho Street Cocktails and a welcome drink from White Claw will keep thirst at bay, and the Showtime Photo Booth will be on hand to capture the magic in its Gif Photo Booth.
NYC Rum Festival – 18 June
Returning for its fifth year, the New York Rum Festival will see more than 40 rum brands in attendance, offering at least four expressions from their portfolios to rum-lovers in attendance. Not sure how to get the most out of a tasting? Professionals will be on hand to teach specific techniques for tasting and smelling rum, following the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) method.
Alongside tastings there will be a schedule of seminars with talks from industry experts covering topics such as Mexican rums and ‘Yet to be Discovered Rums’. If you want to learn about and taste rums that are under consideration for release, that’s the one you want to go to.
The festival will be split into three sessions, including a trade and media tasting from 2pm to 3.30pm (US$45), a VIP tasting session from 2pm to 7.30pm (US$95) and general admission entry from 4.30pm to 7.30pm (US$75).
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