Having over indulged in the world of craft beer (and many other things) I have neglected my love for one of my other favourite tipples in my life. Cocktails. There is nothing better than a cocktail with quality ingredients made with the right proportions. These days, my personal favourites are a Negroni, with just vermouth, gin and campari, there’s nowhere to hide; only top quality spirits will do. A well balanced fruity, strong and sweet cosmopolitan gets me in the mood for a fun evening of frolics while an Old Fashioned warms me up on cold evenings.
Next week celebrates the capital’s cocktail culture in London Cocktail Week. Over seven days London Cocktail Week will give you access to the huge amount of free sampling and cocktail demonstrations, as well as self-guided Cocktail Tours. There are 250 bars taking part from across London (Mainly in zone 1) and each are offering bespoke cocktails for just £4 each all week. However you’ll need to have a wristband, it is a festival after all and these cost just £10 if booked in advance or £15 once the week begins.
There are also some great events and masterclasses focusing on spirits and here are a few of the events that caught my eye:
Cuervo’s Hacienda at The Hoxton
Jose Cuervo tequila is partnering with The Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch and will be hosting a pop up tequila garden for the whole of London Cocktail Week.
The Hoxton’s atrium will be transformed into the famous Cuervo’s Hacienda and will be adorned with glorious fresh fruit, flowers and plants, transporting you to Mexico. During the week you will be able to learn about the amazing history of tequila, make drink concoctions of your own and the best part of course, drinking them! At the end of the week there will be an all day-all night fiesta on Saturday 11th October where you can try new Cuervo inspired cocktails and dance the night away to Latino beats.
Cuervo’s Hacienda will be open from Monday 6th-12th October and will be open to the public. Times and more information can be found here
For a truly tantalising tequila experience Jose Cuervo will be hosting an Introduction to Tequila Masterclass on Thursday 9th October where you can sample 13 different tequilas and create classic margaritas. Tickets will be £10; click here to buy tickets and for more information
The Spice is Right, The Pink Pigeon at Barrio Central
Taking over Barrio Central in Soho will be The Pink Pigeon, makers of the vanilla spiced, Mauritian rum. They will be hosting a masterclass about using spices in cocktails. You will be able to hear from spice guru, Pritesh Mody of World of Zing and rum expert, Peter Holland from The Floating Rum Shack who will take you on a journey of exploration in rum and spice.
Tickets are just £5. Click here for more information
To buy your wristband for London Cocktail Week visit their website
Need more convincing? Here’s the latest Tweets about Follow @LDNCocktailWeek
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