GENERAL FESTIVAL QUERIES 

What are the dates?
In 2023, London Cocktail Week is happening 12-22 October, incorporating two weekends (11 days in total)! You’ll need a wristband to get involved - it’s outstanding value at £15 - valid for the whole time.

How can I get a wristband?
You can simply buy a wristband directly from any of the bars taking part in the festival OR if you purchase a ticket online - you’ll receive confirmation from DesignMyNight. On your first bar visit - simply activate your ticket (via the email from DesignMyNight) in front of one of the bar staff. They'll then hand over one of our wristbands with a printed guidebook and you're good to go. There will be ample wristbands at every single bar taking part in the festival and they’re fully briefed on what to do. These wristbands are removable (and washable).

Where do I physically collect my wristband?
Wristbands can be collected from any of the participating bars once the festival begins on Thursday 12th October.

Is there a printed guidebook?
Yes, there is! This year we've brought back the printed guidebooks full of useful information, maps and more - in physical form. These will be given out with every wristband when you collect them from the participating bars.

What do I get with my wristband?
A £15 wristband grants you access to £8 Signature Cocktails in hundreds of the very best bars in London for the full duration of the festival and a printed guidebook. You can use the wristband as many times as you like and keep enjoying discounted drinks throughout the weeks that the festival is running. 

What if I want multiple wristbands for my friends?
If you’ve bought wristbands for your pals online you can either add their email addresses at the point of purchase and they’ll receive their own ticket link - or you can opt to receive them all and it’s down to you to collect them on your friends’ behalf. Alternatively you can buy them all in one go directly from any of the bars taking part in the festival.

How do I best plan my evening?
The London Cocktail Week website is fully mobile-optimised, so you can plan your night out as you go. You can view all our venues on a map, so you can see what is nearest to you while you’re out and about. You can also opt to only show venues that are currently open so you don’t make a wasted journey. If you’re into planning ahead, you can download collections of bars or search results, so you don’t have to worry about losing signal in those lovely basement bars.

Is there a Cocktail Village?
We had some really great feedback from 2022, from which we've made a couple of changes to how we run the festival - including the decision to not continue with the Little Cocktail Villages. This year we want to showcase the London bar scene at the forefront of the festival - with the hundreds of specially created signature cocktails in London’s best bars being the highlight (which it always is for us). 

THE CURATED COCKTAIL TOURS

What are the Curated Cocktail Tours?
A popular mainstay of London Cocktail Week since its beginnings, the Curated Cocktail Tours see hundreds of bars across the city offer £8 Signature Cocktails, that have been specially created for the duration of the festival. You'll be able to explore and experience the very best of London’s vibrant bar scene by making your way through the curated selection of participating bars.

What do I have to do to enjoy £8 cocktails in London’s best bars during London Cocktail Week?
First you’ll need a London Cocktail Week wristband. Then when you visit any of the bars participating in the festival - flash it to the bar staff and they will make you the Signature £8 Cocktail that the team have created especially for the 11 days of London Cocktail Week. All the bars taking part are listed on the website - you can search by area, spirit or bar type as well as on a map or by who is open.

Who gets the money from the cocktails sold on The Cocktail Shortlist?
100% of all revenue from cocktails sold stays with our bar partners. London Cocktail Week is committed to supporting the participating venues, and ensuring as much revenue is being injected into the hospitality scene as possible! 

Will the bars still charge service charge on top of the price of a cocktail?
Our bar partners may also add a service charge to your bill - as always it’s discretionary but if you fancied tipping, we know they’d be grateful.

What if I’m the only one in my group with a wristband, can I get drinks for my friends?
You can personally enjoy all the benefits of the £8 cocktail deals, however the rest of your group will not be able to participate in the deal until. Each individual must be wearing their own wristband in order to get the London Cocktail Week £8 Signature Cocktail offer. This therefore means that buying rounds will only be possible where the bartender can see you all have wristbands on. If you’re out and about and you need some extra wristbands - you can simply buy from the bar you're in. 

Is there a limit to how many cocktails I can have?
There is no limit imposed on the number of discounted drinks you are allowed to consume over the festival - you’re an adult and we like to think that you can make good choices about drinking mindfully. However –  the point of London Cocktail Week is not to see how many cocktails you can possibly fit in, but to visit new venues, try things you’ve previously not tasted and to support small businesses! Our partnering bars reserve the right not to serve individuals who they believe to be intoxicated, so please drink responsibly. 

Is there a limit to how many cocktails I can have per venue?
If there is a limit on the amount of drinks available per person, per venue – this will be clearly listed on the INSIDER INFORMATION on the bars specific page within our website. If this rule is in place and you loved the drink - pop back another time during the festival!

Can I have any drink on the menu for £8?
Our bar partners work hard to create special menus for London Cocktail Week so no - it’s not every drink on the list that’s £8 - just those that are marked as Signature Cocktails or London Cocktail Week Specials. Some venues have a shortlist of drinks, some have some non-alcoholic options which are priced at £6 and Champagne Cocktails for £12. If in doubt about the Signature Cocktail available - please ask. 

How do I see if my favourite bar is involved?
On the website – just use our search functionality on the BARS PAGE and type in the name, or search by area if you’ve got a vague idea where it was but can’t quite remember the name.

Can I bring my dog to any of the bars?
Yes you can! All the bars taking part in the festival that are also dog-friendly can be found in our collection HERE.

I love cocktails, but I don’t want to drink too much, or at all…
Every year we challenge the bars we’re partnering with to create a no alcohol or low alcohol cocktail option for £6 to go alongside their main Signature Cocktail. This means that you can choose to take things more slowly - or not drink alcohol at all if you prefer! 
Not all bars are offering this so make sure you check in advance on the website - where it will be clearly marked as Non-Alc.

EVENTS

Where do I see the full timetable of events for the main festival in October?
The full timetable will be available on the website from September 2023.

I’m ONLY interested in masterclasses – where should I look?
On the events page of the website – scroll through the collections we’ve made and click through to masterclasses. Or parties. Or pop-ups. Or whatever else takes your fancy. You can also narrow things down by using the search bar. Please note, the timetable for 2023 goes live in September.

I work in the hospitality trade and want to only attend trade-appropriate events – where should I look?
There’s a specific trade timetable for London Cocktail Week with tastings and seminars that have been specially created for trade professionals. These are grouped together under Trade Events within the website, and are marked with a Trade-Only flag on the top left corner.

LEGALITIES

What age must I be to take part?
London Cocktail Week is an over 18 event, therefore ID may be required when collecting or purchasing tickets. Please note, we adhere to the Challenge 25 policy so don’t be offended if you’re lucky enough to look younger than your years. Some bars taking part operate an over 21 policy but this will be clearly listed on the INSIDER INFORMATION on the bars specific page within the website.