Celebrating the city’s revered reputation as a global capital of cocktail culture, London Cocktail Week will return from 3-13 October 2024. Now in its fifteenth year, the immersive takeover is one of the world’s greatest celebrations of all things cocktails, which sees London’s greatest bars – from Shoreditch speakeasies to five-star saloons – shake and stir their best serves. Whether you fancy learning more about whisky in an expert-led masterclass, or sampling new concoctions in opulent surrounds, here are the best things to do during London Cocktail Week 2024. 

Curated tours and the Connoisseur’s Collection at London Cocktail week

The centrepiece of London Cocktail Week is a programme of exclusive experiences at a handful of the capital’s most prestigious bars. From 3-13 October, sip on limited edition serves from the likes of the Blue Bar at The Berkeley, whose signature menu includes the Sgroppino Affogato (citron vodka, sherry and coffee topped with lemon sorbet and prosecco), and Kol Mezcaleria in Marylebone, serving the Cucumber Americano. Other top bars taking part include Swift, Coupette, Satan’s Whiskers, Silverleaf and Punch Room at The London Edition, as well as brand new bars for this year, Archive & Myth and Dram. Festival goers can also sample a selection of Moët & Chandon champagne cocktails for £12 each, available at more than 20 participating bars including Oriole, Callooh Callay, Disrepute and Hacha. 

A popular mainstay of London Cocktail Week since its inception in 2010, the Curated Cocktail Tours will see more than 200 bars across the city offer £8 signature cocktails, which have been specially created for the duration of the festival. Cocktail lovers will be able to explore and experience the best of London’s drinking scene by making their way through the curated selection of participating bars, with the signature cocktails available to those who show their festival wristband. 

Elsewhere, don’t miss the Connoisseur’s Collection programme: a series of unique events at some of the capital’s best-known bars. The American Bar at the Savoy will host the Vintage Hanky Panky experience, which will include a version of the eponymous cocktail first invented at the bar and made with 1970s Bombay Sapphire gin, and a Whisk(e)y and cheese pairing at Michelin-starred restaurant Hide, serving three whiskey cocktails alongside seasonal cheeses. 

Visit londoncocktailweek.com

Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese, Embankment

A highlight of the the Connoisseur’s Collection programme, critically-acclaimed bar Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese will host the Maestro’s Vintage Cocktail Experience using spirits from Calabrese’s personal collection. Nestled within the five-star Corinthia hotel and running daily throughout the cocktail festival, connoisseurs can expect to be taken on a journey of flavour, education, history and taste via three miniature cocktails. Serves include the robust and tangy Churchill Manhattan, citrusy and dry Daiquiri and the bittersweet Milano-Torino, which can be enjoyed separately or as a trio.  

Visit londoncocktailweek.com

Discount Suit Company, Shoreditch

East London speakeasy bar Discount Suit Company will host a free casino-themed London Cocktail Week party, High Rollin’, on 8 October in collaboration with Kentucky bourbon legend, Angel’s Envy. From 6pm to 12am, enjoy an exclusive menu built around Angel’s Envy bourbon, with the highlight being the Tall Handsome Stranger: sauternes, nectarine, honey, jasmine hops and soda. Country music will be supplied by DJ Kitty Liv and all guests will also be invited to take part in the dice game Threes Away to be in with a chance to win a trip for two to Louisville. Yee haw! 

Visit discountsuitcompany.co.uk

The Sun Tavern, Bethnal Green

Three of Europe’s hottest bars will come together for one night only at The Sun Tavern on 10 October. From 6pm until 2am, drinkers can expect an exclusive menu of eight curated cocktails by Berlin’s Wax On, London’s Three Sheets, Barcelona’s Foco, and The Sun Tavern, who have collectively built a menu around Dewar’s 12-year-old whisky. Signature serves include Stone Fence from Foco, featuring the aforementioned whisky, granny smith apple, cucumber and Manzanilla wine, as well as the Passion Fruit Paloma, courtesy of Wax On. Plus, for those not lucky enough to bag an Oasis ticket, the evening will be soundtracked by Liam and Noel’s older brother, Paul Gallagher, with a psychedelic DJ set.

Visit thesuntavern.co.uk

Archive & Myth, Leicester Square

This October, the globally renowned and multi-award winning team behind Edinburgh’s Panda & Sons is set to take over Leicester Square’s new speakeasy Archive & Myth for the ultimate London Cocktail Week party. On 12 October, mixologists Nicky Craig and Sean Moggach will offer guests a selection of five cocktails from their innovative menu Transcend, showcasing techniques such as sous-pression (using ice to harness flavours). Meanwhile, Archive & Myth’s Jack Sotti and Schweppes Prestige brand ambassador Josh Linfitt have also created a bespoke Schweppes Highball menu available throughout London Cocktail Week, showcasing a selection of bubbly beverages. 

Visit archiveandmyth.com

The Athenaeum Hotel, Green Park

Participating in London Cocktail Week for the first time, The Athenaeum has launched a limited edition cocktail, coined the Atherol Daiquiri. Priced at £8, The Atherol Daquiri is a refreshing citrus sip made with Aperol, house rum blend, green chartreuse, lime and grapefruit. 

The exclusive cocktail coincides with The Athenaeum’s new bar menu, tipping a hat to the good old days when the hotel team served Hollywood’s glitterati, from Elizabeth Taylor to Russel Crowe. Aptly titled Sally’s Signatures – paying homage to former hotel manager and actress Sally Bulloch – discover new recipes including the Princess of Piccadilly, featuring Gusbourne sparkling wine, Campanero Anejo, clarified grapefruit cordial and bitters, and the Duchess of Duke Street, comprising Hayman’s Old Tom gin, St Germain, Aperol, cranberry and lime. 

Visit londoncocktailweek.com

Royal Cocktail Exchange, Fitzrovia

In a West End special takeover, the newly-opened Royal Cocktail Exchange will offer a  limited edition menu for London Cocktail Week. First up on the menu is the Chai-Ball, a playful take on to-go coffee culture. Presented in a glass coffee cup and silicone lid with your name scribbled on it (spelled wrongly, of course), it features Hennessy VS Cognac, Giffard apricot liqueur, chai blend and sparkling vermouth. The second serve is a Royal Kir, made using Moet and Chandon Brut, lychee Manzanilla sherry and honeyed blackcurrant over ice in a sleek wine glass. 

Plus, on 7 October, the West Country will meet the West End as Bristol bar Filthy XIII brings its drinks and hot dogs to the Royal Cocktail Exchange from 5pm. Taking over its downstairs bar, the team will be serving up some London Cocktail Week specials as well as their signature drinks, without a pint of cider in sight. Now that’s how to start the week right… 

Visit londoncocktailweek.com

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