London Cocktail Week founders Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne tell us all about the show’s Bartender Knowledge Exchange.

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This year’s Bartender Knowledge Exchange highlights include:

Kwant – ‘The Ultimate STAGE Opportunity’ – available daily

Erik Lorincz provides an exclusive experience for only one bartender per day for a stage where he showcases how he preps and delivers his acclaimed five-course omakase experience.

Swift Borough – ‘Pick Your Battles – an Intro to Hand-Cracked Ice‘ – available daily

A hands-on session on hand-cracked ice, learning precision techniques to perfect presentation and workflow.

Lyaness – ‘Behind Closed Doors’ – 9 October

The senior team dive deep into their Collaboration Menu, showcasing how narrative, fl avour and theatre combine to create globally infl uential serves.

SOMA – ‘Cocktail Inspiration and Design’ – 9 October

Exploring unusual ingredients from South Asia and beyond, learning modern bartending techniques to extract maximum fl avour using more affordable bar and kitchen equipment.

Happiness Forgets – ‘Exploring Modern Classics’ – 13 October

Join the team as they deconstruct their much-loved modern classics before challenging participants to create their own in a mystery box competition.

Adam Byatt X The Donovan Bar - 13 October

This exclusive session explores the intersection of gastronomy and mixology, offering ten lucky bartenders the chance to hear from two of the industry’s most respected professionals, chef Adam Byatt and Federico Pavan. They discuss their approach to layering flavours and achieving perfect balance. 

The Connaught Bar – ‘Behind the Scenes at The Connaught Bar’ – 14 October

Step behind the scenes of one of the world’s most awarded bars to see its meticulous pre-service ritual and taste its famed Martini.

Bar With Shapes For A Name – ‘The Preliminary Course’ – 14 October

A look into the Bauhaus Curriculum to learn about the basics of taste, aroma and flavour, looking at the iconic school’s approach to design, and how we use this mindset to build drinks.

Dram – ‘Bar Ownership: What it Really Takes to Open Your Own Bar’ – 14 October

Owners Simo, Chris and Jack share the realities of bar ownership, from concept and brand-building to managing teams and day-to-day operations.

The Cocktail Trading Company – ‘Full Send Cocktail Creation Workshop’ – 14 October

Elliot Ball presents his high-energy Full Send workshop on creativity, flavour-building, menu strategy and profi tability, plus the spreadsheets to make it work.

Waltz – ‘Sip, See, Savour: How Different Glassware Shapes the Cocktail Experience’ – 15 October

Gento Torigata explores the impact of glassware on fl avour and guest experience, comparing premium Japanese Kimura designs in an immersive tasting.

Archive & Myth – ‘Flavour Extraction 101 with Laurie Howells’ – 16 October

Laurie Howells breaks down five essential fl avour extraction techniques, from cold infusion to pressurised methods, with practical takeaways for modern bartenders.

Hawksmoor – ‘A Deep Dive into Creating a Vibrant Cocktail Offering Across Continents’ – 16 October

Group head of bars Liam Davy shares insights from running cocktail programmes across 13 restaurants in seven cities, balancing creativity with commercial realities.

Sessions are free but extremely limited, with tickets allocated via ballot at londoncocktailweek.com.

For bartenders and operators, the Bartender Knowledge Exchange has become one of London Cocktail Week’s most valuable trade opportunities and a chance to learn from industry leaders, sharpen skills, and take inspiration straight back behind the bar.