The cream of London’s bartending crop is coming together to create a unique mini village of 20+ pop-up bars as the iconic Cocktails In The City 2024 Summer Series makes its anticipated return to Bedford Square Gardens. It’s London’s favourite (and best) drinks event of the summer, so make sure you don’t miss out and put all the dates in your calendar!
Following on from last year’s huge success, the alfresco festival will be mixing up summer’s sultry afternoons and golden evenings with three themed events across July, August, and September. Expect world-class cocktails, masterclasses, tastings, and interactive games from some of London’s best bars, alongside live music, and delicious street food, all set within the exclusive confines of London’s best-preserved Georgian private garden.
All the passion, skill and creativity of London’s hottest bartending scene will be on display, with each bar reimagined in pop-up form with its distinct personality, working with a different spirit to create elite and unique serves that give a glimpse of trends to expect for the coming season. Just make sure you have enough time to sample everything the event has to offer. We would recommend getting there as soon as doors open to maximise the fun!
From exclusive five-star hotel bars to secret speakeasies, the latest openings, and industry hangouts, revellers can tour the capital’s hottest spots in just a few short sips – no tubes or taxis necessary.
Cocktails in the City Games Edition 11th – 13th July 2024
Cocktails In The City is kicking off its Summer Series with a winner of a line-up for The Games Edition in July. In celebration of the season’s jam-packed sports schedule, London’s top mixologists will be crafting their signature serves infused with a dash of spirited competition, inspired by people and happenings in the world of gamesmanship. Anyone with a competitive spirit, get ready!
Hop, skip and jump your way from one bar to the next, including The Royal Cocktail Exchange, Café Pacifico, and The Coral Room, and decide who is going to be your gold medal winner. New Coffee Liqueur, CAFÉ SOLO has partnered with The Hoxton to serve up delicious cocktails for coffee lovers. CAFÉ SOLO Original boasts a robust ABV of 25%, delivering a bold, rich flavour profile with hints of dark fruit acidity, chocolate and vanilla notes, culminating in a subtle sweet finish.
The mantra of The Royal Exchange is to make the familiar extraordinary. They offer a variety of experimental and innovative drinks including Oolong/Strawberry Fizz; 58 Co-RCE Gin, wild strawberry sherbet, oolong, Moet & Chandon, and Dry Aged Manhattan; Whistlepig “PiggyBack” Rye, cacao husk vermouth, yellow mustard miso.
Café Pacifico has some of the finest agave spirits London has to offer, and they will be centre stage at Cocktails in the City; from previous festivals, Café Pacifico has been an audience favourite. Some featured drinks include the Mezcarita; house mezcal, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar, served on the rocks in a chilli lime glass, and Smoky Velvet; Mahani Ancestral Joven Mezcal, tonka bean, elderflower, lime, and raspberries.
The Coral Room embodies the baroque elegance of the 1920’s, and is reflected in their drinks. More than just a bar, it is an homage to luxury. Drinks include Finnegan; Redbreast 12 Year Old Whiskey, Spiced Guinness, Cadello, Liquorice and Tipsy Yellaman; Ciroc Vodka, Riesling Cordial, Peach Nonino Grappa, White Verjuice, Yellowman.
These dates also offer ways for you to join the competition as well, with the featured event being a hands-on ice carving workshop where you can get your game on with your mates. Let the games begin.
Cocktails in the City Carnival Edition 8th – 10th August 2024
Promising a melting pot of vibrant colours, flavours, and cultures, Cocktails in The City’s Carnival Edition is the perfect excuse to get in the spirit of carnival season, and in one of the most picturesque period locations in all of London.
Spritzes, slushies, shorts and some surprises, sip your way around the world, one perfectly crafted cocktail at a time from bars such as Thin White Duke and Callooh Callay.
Thin White Duke is a Dim Sum cocktail bar where art meets intrigue. Their bar offers cocktails such as Inglewood; Popcorn Infused Four Roses Bourbon, Kola Nut Syrup, Bitters, and Four Walls Black; Coffee infused Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey, Antica Formula, Picon, Cherry Heering, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Chocolate Bitters.
Callooh Callay is a storied cocktail bar that has a reputation that precedes itself. It offers a high-end cocktail bar experience, without any pretension. This bartender’s not-so-secret spot will offer cocktails such as Pretty in Pink; Haku Vodka, Fair Kumquat Liquor, Cranberry, Moet & Chandon Champagne – Carbonated, and Poppin’ Like it’s Hot; Popcorn Monkey Fresh Grain Spirit, Brugal 1888 Rum, “Destroyed” Moet & Chandon Champagne, Lemon, Egg White, Bitters, all demonstrating the lighthearted sophistication of Callooh Callay.
Also offered during this time is the brand-new Tasting Stage, where you’ll be immersed in a sensory journey of essences, aromas and stories from inspirational industry experts, all accompanied by delicious tasters. Amped-up live music and lashings of sunshine will make the tail-shaking carnival vibes last well into the evening.
Cocktails in the City Newstalgia Edition 5th – 7th September 2024
Newstalgia, inspired by the past yet created in the present, The Newstalgia Edition will bring back fond memories of youthful enjoyment delivered in the style you would expect in 2024.
Forgotten favourites will make their triumphant comeback but with a contemporary twist. A host of bars include Rhum Tavern, Dover Yard and Hutong. The Rhum Tavern is a nautical adventure of a bar; it is a bar themed around a ship from the 1600’s, offering a catalogue of cocktails as unique as its aesthetic. Of course, it also offers various Rum-themed cocktails.
Dover Yard is a luxury-first, eco-friendly bar based in a purpose-built brand new hotel (and the first 1 Hotel in London). Within the heart of Mayfair, quality and sustainability is what Dover Yard puts forth. They offer cocktails like Pain Brioche; Lakes “The ONE”, Grand Marnier, croissant falernum, lemon, egg white and Green Park Swizzle; Sapling vodka, Two Drifters pineapple, ginger mead, lime sour mash, mint, Franklin & Sons soda. Look out for their BRAND NEW cocktail list coming soon.
Hutong brings the heavens down to Earth. Capturing the essence and charm of northern China, their Chinese Lantern; Aperol, Passionfruit, Plum, Prosecco, and Ong Troi Negroni; Eucalyptus & Mangosteen Infused Amazzoni, Regal Rogue Bold Red Vermouth, Amaro Santoni, Campari, Vetiver, Blackberry are a few examples of their blessed cocktails.
This lineup of bars will certainly unlock memories of summer getaways with cocktails and activities soundtracked by the songs and fashions you used to love which are back in vogue.
Cocktails In The City is still somewhat of a secret gem in London’s drink scene, so make sure to check out the website and nab your tickets early for this unique beverage bonanza. It’s one of Luxuriate Life’s best events of the year!
To discover more, visit cocktailsinthecity.com
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All imagery courtesy of Cocktails in the City.