A Guide To London Cocktail Month 2021

Whether you’re a cosmopolitan diehard or have a penchant for martinis, there’s something for all tastes at London Cocktail Month. Once again it’s been extended from its traditional week, meaning more time for cocktail-related fun – from immersive experiences and book clubs to masterclasses and food pairings. Read on for this year’s highlights.

A Guide To London Cocktail Month 2021

The Essence House

Begin your London Cocktail Week experience at The Essence House, an immersive, multi-sensory drinking experience designed to help you understand your personal palate profile. Flavour and aroma tests will help uncover new ways to reimagine taste, looking at the impact of factors like temperature and garnish. Take these skills onto the rooftop terrace, where you’ll be treated to signature Essence House cocktails. 1 – 24 October 2021

Coupette & Grand Marnier x Little Red Door

Acclaimed Parisian bar Little Red Door will be taking over the bar at Coupette for one night this London Cocktail Month. They’ll be showing Londoners why they’re consistently included in the World’s 50 Best Bars with a creative menu of Grand Marnier cocktails. 24 October, 6 – 10pm

London Bridge Classic Cocktail Trail

Embark on a cocktail trail along the River Thames. The Rémy Cointreau Classic Cocktail Trail takes festival-goers from Pornstar Martinis at Vinegar Yard and margaritas at Hay’s Galleria to celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Sidecar with at The Last Talisman. Enjoy tipples from The Botanist Gin at The Shard’s Bar 31, find the best daiquiris at the Bermondsey Larder and give yourself a caffeine boost at Crol & Co, which will be serving up Espresso Martinis throughout October. 1 – 31 October 2021

The World’s Most Rubbish Bar

Wondering how to make your favourite tipples more sustainable? Learn from the experts at The World’s Most Rubbish Bar, run by zero-waste spirits brand Discarded Spirits Co. Pioneering eco-bars like Silo and Eve Bar will be transforming ‘waste’ into cocktails, using three innovative spirits from Discarded Spirits Co. – Discarded Grape Skin Vodka, Discarded Banana Peel Rum and Discarded Sweet Cascara Vermouth, all of which reuse otherwise wasted ingredients. All ticket proceeds will be donated to anti-waste charity, The Felix Project. 15 – 17 October 2021

BrewDog Distilling Co. Lost Forest

Get lost in the world of BrewDog at the brand’s Seven Dials outpost, which has been transformed into a Scottish forest for London Cocktail Month. From here, get involved with forest-themed events, snap a selfie by the living wall and enjoy a selection of eco-friendly rum, vodka and gin cocktails – all elements of which will be edible, from the cup to the garnish. 1 ­– 31 October 2021

Book Club With A Lush Life

Cocktail bar Oriele will be hosting a book club from drinks-themed podcast Lush Life. Hosted by founder Susan Schwartz, events will involve discussions and Q&As with authors of cocktail books – plus tipples inspired by their works. Mia Johansson, Bobby Hiddleston & Edmund Weil, the authors of Shaken: Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming, will be exploring not just the Vodka Martini (shaken, not stirred), but other drinks that feature in the Bond canon (13 October). Olivia Williams, meanwhile, will offer a sneak peek of life inside one of London’s most iconic hotels, The Savoy, plus the chance to taste gin cocktails from its American Bar (19 October). Various dates throughout the month

Monkey Shoulder x Callooh Callay

Bespoke cocktails and festivities await at Shoreditch bar Callooh Callay, which is being taken over by Monkey Shoulder for the month. Guests will be able to enjoy whisky tasting events, an old school arcade and of course plenty of cocktails. On 21 October, the famed Monkey Shoulder World’s Loudest Silent Whisky Tasting will take place: a celebration of music and malt where drinkers can dance through a whisky tasting of three Monkey Shoulder favourites alongside a curated playlist via headphones. 1 – 31 October 2021

Cocktail & Cactus Grafting Workshop

Head to Bethnal Green for a one-of-a-kind workshop on the art of cactus grafting – a collaboration between new bourbon brand Horse with No Name alongside cacti boutique PRICK. Begin with welcome cocktails before learning how to graft cacti, a form of tissue engineering used for a variety of reasons – from cultivating disease-free stems to planting with an Instagram-ready aesthetic. Guided by PRICK founder Gynelle, you’ll create your own unique cactus to take home before taking part in a cocktail masterclass at the bar with the Horse with No Name team. 6 – 10 October 2021

Buffalo Bourbon Empire

Four-storey whisky venue Milroy’s of Spitalfields will be hosting The Buffalo Bourbon Empire, an immersive experience celebrating cocktail culture. Masterclasses will teach visitors to make classic cocktails, plus learn the stories behind them, alongside food pairing experiences and tasting events showcasing rare spirits. 1 – 31 October 2021   

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