Cocktails are a weakness of mine, with my favourites being a traditional Strawberry Dacquiri (frozen, preferably) or a creamy Pina Colada. However, there’s something typically ‘holiday’ like about these concoctions and rarely do we have an excuse to drink them otherwise – so when I heard on the grapevine that London Cocktail Week was coming to town, I heard a whisper of delight from those in the same boat!
An array of pop-up bars, master-classes and cocktail parties will be springing up in and around London from the 6-12th October, with ‘tours’ starting at just £4. And it’s not just an excuse to start drinking either – the week’s aim is to educate and entertain Londoners about cocktails – taking us back to the history of the infamous drink, right down to how some of the best cocktails are concocted.
Wristbands can be purchased from the official website (here), for £10 – which then subjects you to discounts in over 200 London bars. All three of Dirty Martini’s premium cocktail bars in Covent Garden, Hanover Square and Bishopsgate are taking part – with their signature cocktail standing as Lady in Red – a tempting blend of 35ml Beefeater Gin, 15ml Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, 15ml lemon juice, 15ml homemade strawberry syrup and 15ml egg white. It’s the best £10 you’ll ever spend!
With Belvedere Vodka among the sponsors – and Chelsea’s Bluebird café standing as one of the main ‘hubs’ it’s set to be a fairly formal affair – with a few celebrity appearances, however if you’d prefer to explore the cocktails of the city in your own way – why not see if you can scout out your favourites of these:
– Vanilla and Passion fruit martini
– Pina Colada
– Watermelon Martini
– Chocolate Orange
– Coconut Cream
Even if you’re not a London local, you could still get involved by setting up your own little cocktail party at home. Shakers can be picked up from home-ware stores such as The Range for under £10 – and if you ask guests to bring the ingredients to their favourite cocktails, a party could be created on a budget in no time!
What’s your favourite cocktail? Will you be celebrating London Cocktail Week?
