What better way to keep the rainy day blues at bay than getting involved in London Cocktail Week (8th -14 October) – an excuse for a party if ever we heard one! The Seven Dials in Covent Garden is the epicentre of this year’s cocktail week, and with each dial home to some of London’s best boutiques, bars and restaurants it’s an ideal location.  There are a wide range of activities taking place, from pop up bars serving experimental masterpieces to lessons on creating the perfect cocktail, to cocktail tours round some of the best mixing spots.

Here are a few that caught our eye:

Ginstitute Gin Shop: Become a ‘Gintern’ and make your own personalised blend of gin, and if it turns out well your recipe will be kept on file for you to reorder at any time!  The Ginstitute promises that ‘lubrication to your education will be provided throughout!’.

Mix your own gin at the Ginstitute. Image credit: Completely London

Monin Mad Hatter Tea Club:  With over 90 flavours of Monin syrup to choose from, there are sure to be some interesting cocktail combinations served up at the Mad Hatter Tea Club taking place in the Covent Garden Cocktail Club.

Botanical Bicycle: Pedalled by Fever Tree, makers of premium natural mixers, the botanical bicycle will be serving up complimentary tasters of their mixers (with spirits too of course!) all week outside Albam in Covent Garden.

 Cocktail Tours

For those who are more interested in drinking cocktails than learning about them, there are several cocktail tours going on round the city. Register online and head to the pop-up London Cocktail Week shop in Seven Dials to pick up your wristband. From there you can pick the trail that takes your fancy and head off to sample some of the best cocktails in town.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay during Cocktail Week then why not start the party in our eclectic home in Leicester Square or for a touch of sophistication then head to New Row or for a bit of post-cocktail respite relax in Broad Court.

Broad Court