Venues can now sell London Cocktail Week wristbands, keeping all of the revenues, as part of a raft of initiatives introduced to support the London bar industry.
Bars participating in London Cocktail Week 2023 (12th-22nd October) will receive the £15 wristbands free of charge. They gain guests access to £8 cocktails, the revenue from which will also continue to remain with the bar.
Anyone working in a bar can sign up for a complimentary wristband via londoncocktailweek.com/trade.
In a change of strategy London Cocktail Week will not run Cocktail Villages as in previous years, choosing instead to sharpen the focus on London's cocktail venues.
New this year is the Bartender Knowledge Exchange programme, which will see a host of London’s most revered venues provide learning and networking opportunities to young bartenders.
London Cocktail Week will work directly with the host venue to help to create an education experience that showcases their bar and offering, such as back of house pre-shift tours, The Seat at The Bar - a bookable experience for bartenders to sit and watch the host bar in action - or exclusive tastings and talks with bar owners and managers.
Venues taking part in the Bartender Knowledge Exchange programme range from five-star hotel bars, Michelin-starred restaurant bars and some of London’s best neighbourhood venues.
Sexy Fish is offering an opportunity for a bar outside of the UK to make its guest shift debut in London, while Connaught - Behind The Scenes will offer bartenders the chance to spend time with the Mayfair hotel bar’s award-winning team.
Swift Borough and Swift Shoreditch are offering hands-on masterclasses in ice, wash lines, garnishing and the avoidance of injuries.
The Seat at the Bar programme will offer bartenders the opportunity to book “the best seat in the house” for interacting with the team behind the bar and “expanding their knowledge by watching them work and soak up as much information as possible”. Venues taking part include The Savoy, Soma and Swift, with more bars due to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
London Cocktail Week 2023 will also see its customary programme of national and international bar takeovers taking place in the capital.
For more details on this year’s programme of events and initiatives visit London Cocktail Week.