London Cocktail Week 2020 is on, and it’s set to be bigger than ever. The English capital’s annual event will move from its usual week-long format into a series of events and celebrations that occur throughout the entire month of October.
Brown-Forman, Diageo, Edrington-Beam Suntory, and Moët Hennessy are all supporting the event, along with 26 individual brands in a collective effort to reinvigorate London’s bar scene following the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
London Cocktail Week 2020 organisers have put into effect various changes to this year’s festival due to pandemic. Instead of the usual Cocktail Village, focus will be pushed toward small, owner-operated establishments that have been severely hit by the crisis. The month-long affair will look to “bolster consumer confidence, support responsible operators and reignite supply chains” through £6 cocktail tours, in-venue brand activations and an additional at-home element.
“We’ve worked tirelessly for a decade to put our city firmly on the map as the cocktail capital of the world and we now occupy a unique position as the conduit between drinks brands, bars and thousands of consumers,” said Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne, London Cocktail Week co-owners and organisers, in a joint statement.
“As such, we feel it is our duty to use our platform and our voice to provide a solid, trusted foundation to support small businesses within our trade, and help get the London bar scene back where it should be.
“We feel hugely grateful for the incredible backing of this mission from our sponsors and believe that London can act as a blueprint to show other major cities around the world what can be achieved when an industry shows a united front in the face of adversity.”
London Cocktail Week 2020 is the eleventh annual edition of the event and has received support from the Mayor of London’s office.
“London’s bars and pubs are at the heart of life in the capital,” Amy Lamé, night czar for the Mayor of London, noted. “They are community hubs as well as important local employers, so I’m really pleased that this festival can play its part in rebuilding the hospitality industry in the weeks and months ahead.”
