London Cocktail Week: Dates, tickets and everything you need to know

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Ailis Brennan27 September 2019

Whether you’ve got a passion for pina coladas or are longing for a Long Island Iced Tea, London is the right place to be next week.

There'll be mixology maestros to the right and cocktail connoisseurs to the left, and they're all going over and above for the return of London Cocktail Week.

The drinks festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and promises to be bigger and better than ever when it kicks off this month.

From discounted drinks in the capital’s top bars to mixology masterclasses and musical extravaganzas, here’s how to get involved in London Cocktail Week.

What is London Cocktail Week?

London Cocktail Week is a city-wide festival run by DrinkUp London, which sees bars come together to celebrate the capital’s mixology scene. More than 300 bars will be taking part this year, each offering festival pass holders cocktails for just £6. Venues across the capital will also be hosting events throughout the week, including international collaborations, tastings, masterclasses and parties.

When and where is it?

In celebration of its big birthday, London Cocktail Week will boast an extended run of 10 days this year, taking place largely from October 4-13, with some events happening in the days before. There is no single location for the festival – its premise sees it embrace bars across the capital – but there are some key cocktail hubs you should know about.

Shoreditch’s Brick Lane will play host to The Cocktail Village (164 Brick Lane, E1 6QR), where more than 40 bars will serve up drinks priced at the obligatory £6. This year, the festival has collaborated with Street Feast to feed visitors, while the village will also host music nights from Sink the Pink and Ultimate Power.

Over in Covent Garden, festival-goers can visit the London Cocktail Week Pop-Up (5-7 Grape Street, WC2H 8DW). Masterclasses and demonstrations will be the focus of the venue, alongside a book and equipment store and a downstairs Speakeasy.

How can you get tickets?

Festival passes can be downloaded digitally, either online at DrinkUp.London, or on their official app. They cost £10, and give holders access to the £6 cocktails at any of the participating bars, as well as entry to the Cocktail Village and Pop-Up.

Many of the London Cocktail Week events require additional tickets, which can also be purchased online.

What bars are taking part?

Drink up: Bar Americain, one of the hundreds of bars taking part in London Cocktail Week 

In short, quite a few. More than 300 bars across London will be serving up the signature £6 cocktails. That’s a few too many to list all for you now (you can see the full selection here), but take a look condensed list of some of the highlights:

  • The Little Yellow Door 
  • Seymour’s Parlour at Zetter Townhouse
  • Mark’s Bar at Hix Soho
  • Opium
  • 68 & Boston 
  • Rockwell at the Trafalgar St James 
  • The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury Hotel 
  • Eneko Basque Kitchen and Bar 
  • Lyaness
  • Oriole
  • Tayer + Elementary
  • Nine Lives
  • Happiness Forgets 
  • Bull In A China Shop 
  • Little Mercies 
  • Behind This Wall 
  • Ask For Janice
  • Murder Inc
  • Bar Americain 
  • Trailer Happiness 

What other events are happening throughout the week?

Again, there is just too much fun going on for us to list all of it here. From parties to collaborations via events dedicated to your favourite alcohol brands, London Cocktail Week counts dozens of happenings across the capital. We've picked out some of our favourites below, or you can check out the full schedule here.

Davies and Brook takeover

Ahead of the launch of Daniel Humm's highly anticipated Claridge's restaurant Davies and Brook, the bar team will be giving a taste of what's expected drinks-wise at Claridge's. New York-hailing bar Leo Robitschek and Pietro Collina will be taking over the bar at the hotel from 9pm till midnight, giving cocktail keenos an exclusive preview of drinks that will be served at the restaurant when it opens in November.

October 5, Brook Street, W1K 4HR

Bloomsbury Double Bar Takeover

At the Bloomsbury Hotel, both The Coral Room and the Club Bar will welcome takeovers from internationally acclaimed bars. The Bloomsbury Club Bar will host The Old Man, a Hong Kong bar serving Hemingway-themed cocktails, while The Coral Room will be home to the team from Barcelona’s Paradiso.

October 4, 16-22 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NN

The Whisky House at Black Rock

Black Rock is already a bar dedicated to all-things whisky, but the five story venue will transform into The Whisky House for London Cocktail Week. The spot will host events run by whisky producers from all around the world, including Bulleit, Talisker and Copper Dog.

October 4-12, 9 Christopher Street, EC2A 2BS

Lyaness x Fancy Free

Ryan Chetiyawardana’s bar Lyaness is teaming up with Melbourne-originating bar Fancy Free to throw the next bash in its House Party series. They’ll be mixing cocktails with a focus on Australian ingredients, including mandarin sherry and Dewar’s Scotch whisky.

October 2-3, 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD

The Queens, The Pickle and The Police at Fitz’s Bar

Indian gin Stranger & Sons is heading to Fitz’s Bar to host an immersive cocktail party. It will celebrate women in the drinks industry (“The Queens”), serve homemade pickles with its canapes (“The Pickle”) and tempt you to sneak into a hidden bar without being caught by “The Police”.

October 6, Russell Square, WC1B 5BE

The House of Suntory Masterclass and Cocktail Karaoke

Japanese spirit experts The House of Suntory will be hosting a cocktail masterclass at Roka Charlotte Street’s Shochu Lounge, while the bartenders will also be serving up “cocktail karaoke” – name your favourite karaoke song and they’ll mix you a drink to match.

October 7-8, 37 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RR

The best bars in London

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