London Cocktail Week is back in October – and, even better, it’s now accessible nationwide.
This year the 11th annual festival has been extended to a whole month for the first time. Just what 2020 needs.
Known for £6 drinks and immersive experiences in partnering top cocktail bars, it’s set to be a Covid-compliant celebration of the best drinks in town for ticket holders.
Laura Millar chats to founders Siobhan Payne and Hannah Sharman-Cox to hear how they did it.
Did you think LCW might have had to be put on hold this year?
Siobhan Payne: Not doing it actually never crossed our minds. It was looking increasingly likely that the Cocktail Village, which has lots of pop-up bars, stands and activities in one space, wouldn’t be feasible, so we tried to work out what we could actually do.
We have a formidable platform and we wanted to help anyone we could – bars, brands etc. Cancelling would have been bad for morale.
How has it been to organise?
Hannah Sharman-Cox: Well, this will be our 11th year, and we never thought we’d be rolling our sleeves up and doing it from scratch.
SP: It was similar to the early days, when it was just Hannah and me, in her flat, coming up with ideas. We had new questions to answer, different problems to solve, but as soon as things began reopening we felt positivity starting to come back.
So, what’s different about this year?
SP: Firstly, the plan is to run for the whole of October, to give people more time to experience it. We’ve got around 250 bars who’ll all be offering a signature serve for £6 – we want to give people the confidence to go out to new bars and try new drinks.
HSC: Our website will have very clear information about things like which bars have staff wearing masks, or which places require a reservation, to reassure customers.
SP: Some amazing new places have signed up this year, including Artesian at The Langham, The Blue Bar at the Berkeley Hotel, Nightjar, Lyaness… the venues need people’s support right now.
What about people who don’t live in London?
SP: A number of the signature serves will be available for home delivery as well, so you can still drink the best cocktails the city has to offer from wherever you are.
HSC: Our partners will also be putting on digital events, like tastings, masterclasses and demos. All the delivery cocktails will have an accompanying video with the bartender explaining the drink.
Are you still offering cocktail tours?
HSC: Yes – we’ll have LCW-branded taxis. But generally it’s self-guided, so you can spend the evening in one place, or try three bars in one area, or try bars close to home, and now that it’s going on for a month, people will have a lot more opportunity to explore at their own pace.
It might be hard to go back to just a week after this!
For more details and how to buy a wristband guaranteeing £6 cocktails, visit the website.
The inside scoop
■ Fancy a waffly good brunch? Head to Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard where they’ve introduced Waffle & Bellini hour, from 11am to noon every Friday to Sunday. Yes, they do them with bacon, but also with addictive, truffle-infused maple syrup. Or, for the sweet-toothed, with cloudberries and cream. And the bellini is made with peach and strawberry. Hangover heaven.
■ For a night in that feels like a night out, check out the regular monthly changing menus of Dishpatch. Put together by top UK chefs and available for delivery nationwide, September sees a veggie Middle Eastern feast from Bubala, a Thai tasting menu from Farang and a delicious Soho Supper by Andrew Edmunds. They do all the work, you just heat it up.
From £45 for two.
■ Michelin-starred Birmingham restaurant Carters of Moseley celebrates ten years in November, and has just added a Chef’s Table experience that will epitomise its much-celebrated experimental approach to dining. Chef/owner Brad Carter has also just published the second version of his acclaimed cookbook, Staff, with additional recipes.
Got a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
MORE: Five Guys has just launched a Lotus Biscoff milkshake
MORE: Teen reckons she’s found the world’s smallest Wotsit which measures a tiny 1cm
MORE: Rowntree’s changes Fruit Pastilles recipe as whole range goes vegan for first time
Source: Read Full Article