LCW’s Bartender Knowledge Exchange programme returns
London Cocktail Week returns for its 16th year this week, and featuring once again for its third year is the Bartender Knowledge Exchange – a programme of peer-to-peer learning opportunities for bartenders. Here’s what’s on offer for the industry from 9 to 19 October.
Curated by festival co-founders Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne, the Bartender Knowledge Exchange is completely unique to London Cocktail Week, and is all about showcasing homegrown talent. The sessions offer unrivalled opportunities to go behind the scenes at some of the world’s best venues, and learn from some of the greatest operators within their own bars.
Tickets are free but extremely limited, allocated via ballot at www.londoncocktailweek.com.
Keep scrolling to find out what opportunities are available this year, and for a preview of other events at this year’s festival, click here.
The ultimate ‘stage’ opportunity
Where: Kwānt
When: Available daily
Erik Lorincz provides an exclusive stage for only one bartender per day, during which he showcases how he preps and delivers his acclaimed five-course omakase experience.
Pick your battles: An intro to hand-cracked ice
Where: Swift Borough and Swift Shoreditch
When: Available daily
A hands-on session on hand-cracked ice, learning precision techniques as well as perfect presentation and workflow.
Behind closed doors
Where: Lyaness
When: 9 October – 4pm
The senior team dive deep into the bar’s Collaboration menu, showcasing how narrative, flavour and theatre combine to create globally influential serves.
Cocktail inspiration and design
Where: Soma
When: 9 October – 3pm
Exploring unusual ingredients from South Asia and beyond, learning modern bartending techniques to extract maximum flavour using more affordable bar and kitchen equipment.
Exploring modern classics
Where: Happiness Forgets
When: 13 October – 12.30pm
Join the team as they deconstruct their much-loved modern classics before challenging participants to create their own in a mystery box competition.
Layering flavours and achieving perfect balance
Where: The Donovan Bar
When: 13 October – 1pm
This exclusive session explores the intersection of gastronomy and mixology, presented by two of the industry’s most respected professionals: chef Adam Byatt and Federico Pavan.
Behind the scenes at The Connaught Bar
Where: The Connaught Bar
When: 14 October – 2pm
Step behind the scenes of one of the world’s most-awarded bars to see its meticulous pre-service ritual and taste its famed Martini.
The preliminary course
Where: A Bar With Shapes For A Name
When: 14 October – 1pm
A look into the Bauhaus Curriculum to learn about the basics of taste, aroma and flavour, investigating the iconic school’s approach to design and how the team uses this mindset to build drinks.
Bar ownership: What it really takes to open your own bar
Where: Dram
When: 14 October – 1pm
Owners Chris Tanner, Martyn ‘Simo’ Simpson and Jack Wallis share the realities of bar ownership, from concept and brand building to managing teams and day-to-day operations.
Drinks creation workshop
Where: Cocktail Trading Co
When: 14 October – 2pm
Join Elliot Ball for a fast-paced, top-to-bottom drinks creation workshop based around taking a concept and transforming it into a profitable, operationally sound, and creatively striking drink.
Sip, See, Savour: How different glassware shapes the cocktail experience
Where: Waltz
When: 15 October – 2pm
Gento Torigata explores the impact of glassware on flavour and guest experience, comparing premium Japanese Kimura designs in an immersive tasting.
Pioneering circular economy in bars
Where: Bauhaus Warehaus
When: 15 October – 11am
Join Maria Kontorravdis of A Bar With Shapes For a Name and Bauhaus Warehaus, alongside Vasilis Kyritsis, the owner of Line Athens and The Clumsies, for a session on integrating sustainable practices that are both ecological and economically innovative, from sourcing and operations to creative bar design.
Celebrating the joys of inconsistency
Where: Sprout
When: 15 October – 3pm
Led by bar director Will Meredith and bar manager Dominic Royle, this session explores how differences in ingredients, from the sweetness of tomatoes to the intensity of seasonal herbs, can inspire creativity rather than be corrected.
Flavour Extraction 101 with Laurie Howells
Where: Archive & Myth
When: 16 October – 2pm
Laurie Howells breaks down five essential flavour extraction techniques, from cold infusion to pressurised methods, with practical takeaways for modern bartenders.
A deep dive into creating a vibrant cocktail offering across continents
Where: Hawksmoor Spitalfields
When: 16 October
Group head of bars Liam Davy shares insights from running cocktail programmes across 13 restaurants in seven cities, balancing creativity with commercial realities.
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