Book the week off work; London Cocktail Week - the biggest drinks festival in the UK - is back and will be basing its main hub in the beautiful Seven Dials area of Covent Garden for the second year. From Monday 7th to Sunday 13th October 2013 get ready to shake, sip and party your way to a fantastic celebration of our capital's unrivalled cocktail culture.
The roads leading from the central sundial monument in Seven Dials will dedicate themselves to all things spirited and the high-end luxury hotels, underground bars, retail spaces, hidden courtyards and exclusive members clubs will be buzzing with cocktail aficionados enjoying a mix of unique and classic drinks. Within the huge choice of boutiques in Seven Dials, spirits brands will be hosting informal, engaging training and sampling sessions, and outside on the streets, there will be some unusual installations popping up to serve sample cocktails - all for wristband wearers.
The Ketel One Hub, a specially created pop-up on 7 Earlham Street within Seven Dials, will continue to be the wristband collection point during the week, and you can also get drinks-making tips from the experts and meet the London Cocktail Week team who can help you plan your time during the festival. This year for the first time, there will also be a wristband collection point in Shoreditch.
Wristbands cost 10 GBP and allow the wearer access to the huge amount of sampling, cocktail demonstrations as well as the Cocktail Tours. The most visible and inclusive part of the festival - over 150 of the best bars across the capital will be throwing open their doors to offer bespoke and unlimited 4 GBP cocktails throughout the week. These partnering bars have been cherry-picked because of their shared dedication to delivering wonderful service, excellent drinks and a great experience - so always fancied that exclusive hotel bar? Never got round to tracking down that elusive speakeasy? Want to visit a brand new venue or revisit an old favourite? Now is your chance.
To buy your wristband go to www.londoncocktailweek.com, for updates follow us @LDNCocktailWeek.