Attention all Londoners and cocktail lovers, Cocktails in the City are going BIG for the final part of London’s ultimate Cocktail Festival.
When is it?
For two days only on 20 and 21 August 2021, London’s Bedford Square will be transformed into a quintessential British summer festival for a weekend long celebration dedicated to cocktails. You can expect immersive and interactive cocktail presentations from top drinks brands, live music, silent disco, London’s top bars and festival makeovers plus delicious street food vendors.
The Bars at Cocktails in the City
The bar line up for Cocktails in the City reads like the mixology version of the 1998-1999 Manchester United soccer team:
Nightjar | Blue Bar at The Berkeley | Trailer Happiness | Homeboy | Roots Cocktail Bar | The Alchemist | Swift Bars | Zetter Townhouse | Café Pacifico | Boiler & Co | Oriole | Strong Mans Tipple | | The United Kingdom Bartenders Guild | ThreeAfter3 | Swingers Crazy Golf Club | Trader Vic’s London | Pergola | Piano Works AND MORE.
The weekend-long celebration will bring some of the capital’s finest bars and cocktail maestros together. Among the highlights are an exclusive sneak preview of Boiler & Co opening on Bankside this September, the team behind Blue Bar at the Berkeley and the famed Zetter Townhouse.
Discover something new
Cocktails in the City is a journey of discovery. Before you dive into the amazing drinks on offer, take a minute to explore some drinks brands that will be dotted around Bedford Square Gardens and have a sample of something you may not have tried before like the amazing Ryukyu Awamori, a distilled rice liquor. It is not to be confused with Sake which is made from rice, but only fermented, and not distilled like Awamori. We tried three RYUKYU 1429 versions. Kaze, Mizu and Tsuchi. Each version has it’s character. Complex, velvety, smooth and incredibly interesting.
What about the drinks?
The cocktails that will be on offer over the August weekend will show the increasing importance of bespoke homemade ingredients. Cocktail highlights include:
Chameleon created by Bar Swift – Fresh green spice and smoke with vegetal notes sweetened with the tropical notes of pineapple with mezcal, Ancho Reyes Verde, lime, homemade coriander and green bell pepper syrup and pineapple eaux de vie.
Glass Wing created by Roots Bar – Think a sex on the beach meets a milk punch with Sichuan pepper infused Stoli, peach liqueur and homemade cranberry cordial washed with milk.
Tropic City created by Blue Bar at The Berkeley – I mean, it’s The Berkeley! Super fresh super tropical with lemon and basil Belvedere organic infusion, homemade tropical cordial, Peychaud’s Bitters topped with London Essence Roasted Pineapple Soda.
What about the food?
Cafe Pacifico are bringing their Mexican street food flavours to the party, with Officina00 serving up rustic and delicious pasta dishes. The Barbecue Beer Brothers, meanwhile, will be creating their smoked meats and pulling draft beer.
Entertainment
The Piano Works have erected a stage and will be blasting out tunes or if you prefer some solace, shake it up with a Silent Disco. There will also be a live Mariachi Band roaming around to serenade you and your libations. You can also make your own cocktails under the expert supervision of the team at TT Liquor with each session focusing on different drinks. For the aspiring at home cocktail makers there will be a series of tastings and talks on how to improve your kitchen cocktails, create amazing garnishes, and how to make sustainable syrups in your own kitchen, with additional tasting sessions that will cover spirits from around the world.
Tickets are available here: cocktailsinthecity.com
Tickets are £20 and include a free cocktail. Additional cocktails are priced at £7.50.
Imagery courtesy of Cocktails in the City
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