We've been running London Cocktail Week since it started back in 2010. It's been through a lot of changes in the last fifteen years - and taken a lot of forms. Those of you who were with us back in those early days will certainly remember our hubs in Seven Dials (that picture is of our street banners in 2012 - a huge moment for us) Those of you old enough might even remember the first two years with our hub in Selfridges. And of course, no one will forget the fantastic Cocktail Villages that we ran before.
Back then, the cocktail scene in London looked very different to what it is today, and we are extremely proud to say that we believe London Cocktail Week has played some role in its growth.
We had a revelation about our "why" a few years ago. The festival had made it through the pandemic - running (responsibly) in both 2020 and 2021 - not a small feat. From a personal point of view, part of what got us through that terribly uncertain time was the realisation that the festival isn't just a chance for cocktail lovers to celebrate London's unrivalled bar scene - but it's also a moment for the city to champion and support the amazing businesses that contribute to this industry, and the incredible people behind the scenes.
Ever since then, we have been making moves to truly ensure London Cocktail Week best supports, showcases and benefits the bar community here in London. A change of ownership of the festival in 2020 meant a bit of a shake up - and where we came to was that the festival to move to run as a not-for-profit event. So whilst supporting the bar industry has always been incredibly important to us - now it underpins absolutely every decision we make for the festival. This has resulted in some changes behind the scenes - and you may have even noticed a shift in our messaging on social media and in our advertising campaigns, which all feature London's talented bartenders.
Another part of this is the move to allow every bar taking part to sell wristbands during the festival and retain all profit from doing so. Each wristband sold directly impacts the bar you buy it from (though for those of you that like to get organised - they’re available for pre-sale too online). We redirect any additional funds from the festival overall into worthy partnerships - which this year means a fantastic collaboration with Equal Measures - to ensure all our bar partners have the resources they require to ensure intersectional diversity within their businesses.
We’re also working more closely with City Hall and the Mayor’s Office to ensure support for bar owners. In July this year we ran our first ‘Futureproofing London Bars’ event in partnership with Diageo UK to listen, learn and support those within the hospitality industry. It will certainly be something we continue to host in years to come. as London Cocktail Week continues to be a showcase of how great the cocktail bar scene is here in the capital.
This evolution of the festival wouldn't be possible without the support of our cocktail-loving wristband wearers. It's YOUR enthusiasm about the festival, and the fact that so many of you get involved year on year that makes this possible - without you there would be no London Cocktail Week!
Our inbox is always open for anyone - whether you're a bar owner, cocktail drinker - or even if you want to start a Cocktail Week in your own city! You can reach us at [email protected].
