9 cool, tasty and interesting events to check out at London Cocktail Week 2019

Every year for the past decade, the capital’s best-known bartenders have marked the start of October with London Cocktail Week; a series of collaborations, guest residencies, drinks offers and unique ways to learn about booze.

The week-long event is a celebration of cocktail culture, offering a chance to try some of the capital’s best drinks at London’s top bars at discounted prices, encouraging new audiences to switch from their usual drinks order to something a little more complex.

Drinkers can get a LCW pass from events group DrinkUp’s website for £10, which entitles them to offers at bars, masterclasses, parties, and pop-ups around the city, as well as unlimited entry to the Cocktail Village — the event’s headquarters at east London’s Old Truman Brewery.

LCW kicks off at the Old Truman Brewery from 9-13 October, where 40 pop-up bars will be serving cocktails.

London Cocktail Week allows bartenders and bar owners to sell cocktails short and long on their drinks lists for just £6 to anyone with a pass.

The event has expanded rapidly during its 10-year run, this year including more than 300 bars across the capital, compared to just 50 when it launched.

We’ve rounded up our pick of the parties, masterclasses and activities you need to seek out this year.

From sober serves to sweet deals, this is the drinks business‘ 2019 London Cocktail Week hitlist.

The first one

What is it?

London Cocktail Week is kicking off with a launch party at Stoke Newington haunt High Water, courtesy of whiskey label Maker’s Mark.

Maker’s Mark has also teamed up with Crosstown Doughnuts for the week to produce some delicious treats (more on that in a second), so expect Bourbon cocktails, doughnuts and good vibes.

The first drink is on the house, FYI.

When is it?

Friday 4 October, 6pm-1:30am

Where is it?

High Water, 23 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 8BJ

How much is it?

Free entry

The vaguely scientific one

(Photo: LEC/Drinkup)

What is it?

Mixer maker The London Essence Company will host The Essence House – an “interactive journey of flavour discovery.”

Curated by gastronomy expert Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart, The Essence House is a three-day consumer experience which will pair the science of palate profiling with cocktails made by industry heavyweights such as The Savoy’s head bartender Maxim Schulte, with booze supplied by Diageo’s Reserve portfolio. Guests can get their hands on botanicals, flavours and aromas to sample, before being served a alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail that has been scientifically matched to your palate by one of the bartenders.

When is it?

Thursday 3 October – Friday 5 October, 12pm to 10pm

Where is it?

5 Great Newport Street, London, WC2H 7JB

How much is it?

£10, to book tickets, click here.

The geeky one

(Photo: LCW)

What is it?

An in-depth look at the history of soda and carbonation, hosted by the founder of Three Cents tonic, George Bagos.

Think there’s not much to know about fizzy water? Think again, pal.

‘The Science of Long Drinks’ masterclass takes a deep dive into the history of carbonation and sodas, which stretches back to the late 1700s, when it was commonly believed that drinking effervescent mineral waters could improve your health, libido and overall well-being.

This event is great for anyone who wants to get their geek on at the start of the week, before getting stuck into the discounted drinks later on…

When is it?

Friday 4 and Saturday 5 October, 3pm-3:45pm

Where is it?

London Cocktail Week Pop-Up, 5-7 Grape Street, London, WC2H 8DW

How much is it?

Free, click here to book.

The multi-sensory one

(Photo: Franklin & Sons)

What is it?

Franklin & Sons have set up their own answer to the Tate Modern’s Olafur Eliasson exhibition in the form of a “Flavour Maze.”

Wristband-holders are invited to choose their own flavoured tonic through a blind smell-test, before picking their garnish of choice from a wall planted with herbs that compliment the respective mixers. Participants can then take a token from the shelf of their gin of choice, which they redeem at the bar.

When is it?

Friday 4 October – Sunday 13 October, 12pm until 10pm

Where is it?

Rockwell At The Trafalgar St James, 2 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2TS

How much is it?

Free entry.

The novelty one

(Photo: LCC/Drinkup)

What is it?

Shoreditch-based London Cocktail Club want you to pour over the shelves of a makeshift supermarket for household goods you could repurpose to consume alcohol, from Angel Delight to Coco Pops.

Perfect for large groups and an impromptu work-bonding exercise, teams of 10 people will be handed a cocktail on arrival, before being passed a shopping basket and challenged to whizz around LCC’s pop-up convenience store to look for ingredients.

Finally, guests will be able to make their own cocktail from JJ Goodman’s recipe book ‘Kitchen Cocktails’.

When is it?

Friday 4 October – Sunday 13 October, 3:30pm to 9pm

Where is it?

London Cocktail Club Shoreditch, Unit 12, 29 Sclater Street, London, E1 6HR

How much is it?

£10 per ticket (groups of fewer than 10 will be paired up with other small teams). To book email reservations@londoncocktailclub.co.uk

The important one

What is it?

A workshop on how to make your venue into a safe space.

London Cocktail Week can be a chance to experience some very fun activations and rare treats, but it also provides bar owners and industry workers with a chance to learn from each other and improve their offering.

Canadian bartender Chantelle Gabino is an active board member of “The Dandelion Initiative”; a non-profit organisation that aims to eliminate sexual violence in the workplace.

In Fundamentals: Creating Safer and Inclusive Spaces, Gabino and bartender Lauren Mote from Bittered Sling, will host a talk where they will cover a list of fundamentals, tools, techniques they’ve garnered from industry professionals and survivors, to help lay a foundation for safer and more inclusive space in your premises.

When is it?

Friday 5 October, 12pm to 3pm

Where is it?

London Cocktail Week Pop-Up, 5-7 Grape Street, London, WC2H 8DW

How much is it?

Free entry. To book, click here.

The healthy one

What is it?

La Maison Wellness, headed up by Claire Vidal, is setting up The Well, an alcohol-free bar opening for just one day in Covent Garden.

Throughout the day guests will be able to discover different low-and-no products from Atopia – the ultra low alcohol natural spirit and sister brand to Seedlip, Caleño – a new tropical free spirit, Everleaf – a none alcoholic bittersweet aperitif, Lyre’s full range of non-alcoholic spirits, OTO’s cocktail bitters infused with high-strength CBD oil, and a low ABV English sparkling wine by Wild Life Botanicals through one-off masterclasses.

When is it?

Sunday 6 October, 12pm to 11pm

Where is it?

5-7 Grape Street, London, WC2H 8DW

How much is it?

Free entry to the bar and free masterclasses,| One talk, £4 | Unlimited Talks, £6

The gin one

What is it?

This one’s for the gin fiends. This session will give you the chance to learn all about how gin is made and how different flavours and botanicals impact the spirit’s flavour.

Then, get ready to create your own unique blend of botanicals and creating your personal gin.

The ticket includes your own 350ml bottle of bespoke gin to take home, plus enough left over to enjoy a G&T after the session.

When is it?

Wednesday 9 October, 6:30 to 8pm

Where is it?

Boisdale Canary Wharf, Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4QT

How much is it?

£20 per ticket, click here to book.

The sweet one

What is it?

A cocktail-meets-doughnut van in the Cocktail Village.

Maker’s Mark and Crosstown Doughnuts have partnering to launch Bourbon & Bites, a van serving Bourbon & Butterscotch doughnuts and whiskey cocktails in the heart of Old Truman Brewery.

Visitors to the pop-up will also have the chance to get creative at the ‘make-your-own Old Fashioned’ station, and put their own twist on the classic cocktail, before enjoying it with a mini doughbite.

When is it?

Thursday 10 October – Sunday 13 October, 12pm to 10pm

Where is it?

The Cocktail Village at London Cocktail Week (Brick Ln, E1 6QL)

How much is it?

Doughnuts cost £3.95, mini dough-bites cost £2, while cocktails come in at £7.

The DIY cocktail experience can be booked for £10.