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Feature
Preview: London Cocktail Week 2024
After 15 years of takeovers, parties, signature cocktails and spirited activations, London Cocktail Week (LCW) has become as synonymous with October as pumpkin spice lattes and cosy sweaters.
But how, in this milestone year, are organisers Siobhan Payne and Hannah Sharman-Cox going to keep the festival feeling fresh while continuing to celebrate the city’s reputation as a global capital of cocktail culture?
“London’s cocktail bar scene is so dynamic and ever-changing, so we’re always trying to ensure that we capture that through LCW,” the duo tells me. “We have a whole programme of events this year, ranging from bar takeovers and parties to tastings and masterclasses.”
Taking place across London from 3 to 13 October, all events will be available for wristband-holders to book, including the popular mainstay of LCW since its inception – the Curated Cocktail Tours – which will see hundreds of bars in the city offering £8 Signature Cocktails and £6 non-alcoholic Signature Cocktails, all specially created for the duration of the festival.
However, following feedback from consumers, Sharman-Cox and Payne have made one amendment to the Curated Cocktail Tours for 2024: “The biggest piece of consumer feedback was that they would like to see the Signature Cocktails printed within the guidebook. This is obviously a much bigger undertaking than most people realise – but each and every bar met our deadlines and we’re delighted to say we’ve achieved the request. All 200 bars will be listed in print with their address, a short review, and their alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails listed.”
This year, the duo announced that last year’s festival was actually the ‘soft launch’ of a new not-for-profit model for LCW. So what will this year’s ‘hard launch’ look like?
“The bars participating in LCW have always retained 100% of the price of their Signature Cocktail, but now they’ll also be able to sell wristbands for the festival on site and retain the full £20 ticket fee. We’ll be giving every bar participating 100 wristbands, which – with 200 bars signed up – could mean up to £400,000 going directly to the bars.”
The duo notes that supporting the bars “that make London’s cocktail scene so brilliant” has always been a fundamental pillar of what they do. “We founded LCW to celebrate them and their work. Essentially, the transition to not-for-profit means those bars will be able to get even more out of participating in the festival, which is so important to us.”
In addition, the pair will also redirect any additional funds from the festival overall into worthwhile partnerships. This year, that means a collaboration with Equal Measures – the UK’s leading non-profit dedicated to delivering intersectional diversity in the drinks and hospitality industries – as part of the pair’s long-term commitment to contributing to a fundamental change in the UK hospitality industry.
With the industry and its workers always in mind, Sharman-Cox and Payne have made further amendments to the running of the festival this year. “We take feedback from our bar partners incredibly seriously – this festival exists to benefit them, so it’s important we listen. We have already implemented some of the suggestions that came up at the Futureproofing London Bars event we hosted in July. A big part of that day was hosting group discussions about LCW, and what changes we could make so that it could benefit its bar partners, such as more information available on the trade pages of our website, and the creation of a WhatsApp community for all the bartenders involved (not just the lead contact) so everyone feels part of the festival.”
Learn from the best
The hugely popular Bartender Knowledge Exchange programme will return for a second year, giving bartenders visiting the city from around the world the chance to learn from some of “the very best in the business”. The series offers experiential learning on-site at some of London’s most celebrated bars, with back-of-house tours, exclusive tastings and talks, and a Seat at the Bar – a bar seat at top-tier venues that is bookable exclusively for bartenders, to allow them to watch their peers at work.
While in previous years wristband holders could visit LCW’s centralised Cocktail Village, or a number of mini villages dedicated to spirits brand activations, for 2024 the focus remains solely on the bar partners. “We wanted to focus our full attention on championing all of the participating bars, and not going ahead with the Cocktail Villages will allow us to do that. We hope that it will also encourage guests to explore London’s thriving cocktail scene and discover new bars that will soon become their favourites, driving opportunities for the bars to generate higher revenue from the festival in turn.”
In addition to the Signature Cocktails, The Connoisseur’s Collection – a schedule of exclusive, reservation-only experiences at some of London’s most prestigious bars – will return. “This year we’re working with hotel and luxury bar expert Anna Sebastian to curate this list – and it’s an unbelievable collection of experiences that really celebrate this truly unique and unrivalled side of London’s cocktail scene,” the pair say, citing a one-off tasting menu at Lyaness, an exclusive tasting of the classic Hanky Panky cocktail made with 1970s Bombay Sapphire gin at The Savoy, and an exploration of ‘vintage’ macerated spirits and liqueurs at Nipperkin as their top picks from the line-up.
Meanwhile, we’ve examined the roster of events for this landmark year, and selected our own top picks for the 11-day celebration.
Takeovers
Agave A Go Go takeover at Side Hustle, 3 October
Four of the world’s most renowned agave bars will join forces, as Side Hustle at Nomad London plays host to Licorería Limantour from Mexico City, Candelaria from Paris, and Leyenda from New York.
The Dead Rabbit x Lyaness takeover, 6-7 October
New York City’s celebrated Irish bar The Dead Rabbit will be heading to the South Bank for two nights of live music, its Irish Coffee, Guinness on tap, and Taytos on the back bar.
Archive & Myth x Panda & Sons, 12 October
Hidden speakeasy Archive & Myth is set to host Edinburgh cocktail bar Panda & Sons as both bars align in their quest for innovation, with the latter bringing their exploration to Leicester Square.
Masterclasses and tours
Hand rolls and Highballs at Ukiyo, 3 October
Two cornerstones of Japanese culture meet. Join Nikka brand ambassador on a tasting of its whiskies, while Ukiyo’s head chef demonstrates the art of hand roll-making.
Beluga Vodka x caviar masterclass, 7-8 October
In a luxurious evening at Piccadilly’s Caviar House, Beluga Vodka will take guests through an exclusive pairing masterclass, featuring three expressions of the premium Montenegrin vodka.
The Pinnacle Guide Bar Tour, 10 October
Join Sharman-Cox and Payne for a tour of three London bars listed in their guide to the best bars in the world.
Parties
Opening party at Dram Bar, 3 October
Soho’s Dram will mark the start of LCW with a four-bar takeover that will bring together some of the world’s leading bartenders to create “the perfect Martini”.
Bar Illegal residence at Viajante87, 13 October
An experiential showcase of Café No Sé in Guatamala, the original home of Ilegal Mezcal, Bar Illegal will bring the bar’s high energy to Notting Hill for one night only.
Related news
London Cocktail Week becomes non-profit