London Cocktail Week is nearly back baby! And this time there's a whole freakin' month of bargain cocktails, mega masterclasses, epic events & general tomfoolery. We've given you more details here & you can buy your tickets here. Wondering how the hell to make the most of it all? Don't worry, we got your back with this roundup of the best things to do, see and - of course - drink.
TAKE A COCKTAIL TOUR
What: Trying some of London’s best cocktails at a bargain price
Where: All over, baby!
When: Throughout October
Look, if you’re not leaving London for a while then you might as well make the most of this fair city. And when we say ‘make the most’ we mean ‘try its best cocktails'. One of the joys of London Cocktail Week is hitting up ace bars (some of the best in the world, FACT) & trying their serves for a mere £6. Hallelujah. Get mileage out of your wristband by hitting up as many of the 200 bars taking part as possible with a self-guided cocktail tours. Always fancied getting your drink on at The Artesian, Lyaness & Sketch? These are all included. Hell yeah.
GET FIZZY-CAL
What: Pimping things up with Moët & Chandon Champagne cocktails at LCW for the very first time
Where: All over the city, dahling
When: Throughout October
Well, la de da, who wants to level up the luxe? BarChick’ll never say no to bringing on the bubbles & quite frankly why should we? LCW is a celebration of everything mega about the hospitality booze industry so cheers to that. For the first time ever, a collection of venues will be serving a £9 Moët & Chandon cocktail as part of The Cocktail Tours. Ace. Every Thursday join us in toasting to London Cocktail Week at 17:43. Why this random time? Cos it's a tribute to the year the House was first founded. There will even be a chance to receive a complimentary champagne cocktail in one of the Moët & Chandon partner bars, including City Social, Disrepute and Coupette. Cheers to that.
BEGIN WITH A BANG
What: An afternoon of complimentary cocktails & canapes, followed by an evening of rum-soaked fun.
When: 1st October
Start LCW as you mean to go on - with one helluva party! One of the World's Best Bars (& one very close to BarChick's heart) Swift is partnering with St Germain to deliver an opening party that's gonna set the sensational tone of the festival. Places are limited so RSVP is essential. Then if you wanna keep the party going, head to Black Tot where they're kicking off the festivities with a Caribbean-rum-infused celebration. Start as you mean to go on as they say...
HAVE A (WHISKY) HOUSE PARTY
What: Epic experiences, events and masterclasses at The Whisky House
Where: Brand-new food, drink and music hub at Goods Way in Kings Cross
When: Throughout October
No, we’re not talking about rolling up to your mate’s student digs clutching a half bottle of Chivas you pinched from behind your nan’s bureau. Times have changed & so have you! Bring the house down by heading to the new amber-hued hub of LCW: Whisky House at Goods Way. This is where the whisk(e)y magic happens. Learn how to make sick drinks for your lockdown fam with bookable masterclasses from ‘World Class Drinks at Home’, plus interactive experiences at the ‘Whiskey Rock’n’Roller’ and the ‘The Malts Locker’ pop-ups (and yes, there will be whisky donuts...).
A BIT OF WHAT YOU FRENCH FANCY
What: French-themed cocktails & experiences
Where: Sea Containers & Coupette
When: Throughout October
Well Ooh La La. Missed your holiday to France cos of the big C? Here’s your chance to recreate the magic courtesy of St Germain liqueur, Noilly Prat vermouth and Grey Goose vodka. Shimmy over to Sea Containers for Destination Grey Goose, where you can enjoy a limited edition menu that pays homage to the vodka's wheat sourced directly from the Picardy. Or get yourself over to Coupette and channel the Joie de Vivre as they showcase the finest French spirits at Pavillion Bleu. French-inspired cocktails and plates from Spirtzes, Oysters and an exclusively created L'Apéritif menu = who's up for keeping summer going into October?
HAVE A (VIRTUAL) HIGHLAND FLING WITH Laphroaig
What: Get swept away to the beautiful island of Islay via a Virtual Reality headset.
Where: Oriole
When: Throughout October
A library... during London Cocktail Week? You heard right. Enter the Laphroaig Library and let their Librarian transport you into a world of smoky peaty cocktails, drams and a one-off Virtual Reality experience. Fly over the beautiful hollow by the broad bay on the island of Islay and into the Laphroaig distillery. All with a delicious Laphroaig dram in your hand, natch.
THE ULTIMATE MEXICAN BOOZY BRUNCH
What: An awesome authentic Mexican brunch alongside 3 different cocktails made with Ilegal Mezcal
Where: Hacha
When: 3rd October
Start the first weekend of LCW strong by rocking up to acclaimed mezcalaria Hacha. One of our fave bars for all things agave has paired up with Ilegal Mezcal to bring you a brunch to remember. A traditional Mexican breakfast of chilaquiles alongside a Bloody Maria, a Breakfast Margarita & a Minted Mexican Mule. The stuff brunch dreams are made of.
GET JIGGY WITH JAPANESE WHISKY
What: A guided tasting through six of Suntory's kickass whiskies
Where: The Mandrake Hotel, Fitzrovia
When: Every Wednesday 7.30pm
Whether you're a whisky connoisseur or just wanna explore some of the finest drams in the world, this masterclass is where it's at. Begin with Suntory Toki, before tasting a selection of drams from Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chita and Hibiki, paired with a selection of exotic dishes.
WE'RE GOING TO MIAMI
What: Enjoy Miami vibes in Shoreditch
Where: London Shuffle Club
When: Throughout October
If Will Smith + Jazzy Jeff were kicking it in London, this is where they’d come to get fresh. London Shuffle Club is bang in the heart of Shoreditch & has tons of indoor & outdoor space, making it the ideal hotspot for when the sun is shining. You'll find the likes of Jack Daniel’s Woodford Reserve & Fords gin bringing the party, & there's even a silver air-stream to set the Miami mood. On 11th October Don Papa Rum takes over for an afternoon in Sugarlandia - expect chilled vibes, chilled beats, chilled cocktails & good times. Who said a trip Stateside was off the table this year?
MASTER YOUR RUM GAME
What: Learn all about rum (& drink some too) at the Bacardi & Santa Teresa 1976 Mega Mix Masterclass
Where: Callooh Callay
When: 28th October
By this point in the month, you might need a bit of chillaxing time - and this masterclass is the perfect opportunity! Come relax with some tracks, discover amazing Rum cocktails and learn the basics of mixing your own.
GET SHUCKING WITH FORDS GIN
What: Oysters and Martinis = the perfect pairing
Where: A whole variety of bars including Callooh Callay, The Hide Bar and Homeboy
When: Various days throughout October
Ice-cold Martinis & complementary freshly-shucked oysters? Try and keep us away. Luckily Fords Gin is giving us plenty of chances to get involved with this deliciously decadent pairing. They're popping up all over London throughout the month, starting with Callooh Callay on October 1st, then swinging to Victory Mansion on the 7th, Sager & Wilde on the 18th... & loads more! Check the website & don't forget to mention Oysters + Martinis when booking y'all...
WARM YOUR COCKLES WITH WHISKY
What: Get cosy with these warm cocktails at the Aberfeldy Hot Toddy Terrace at Boisdale
Where: Boisdale Belgravia
When: Throughout October
As the weather gets cooler, the drinks get hotter! That's the case at this Scottish-inspired terrace at Boisdale. Enjoy a selection of world-renowned whiskies on a snug heated terrace and ignite your senses with a soft, honey hot toddy. There's no way autumn's slowing down our al fresco fun.