Cocktails in the City, The Vaults

To limit the spread of Covid-19, Cocktails in the City 2020 has been postponed until further notice.

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In a vast city with a sprawling bar scene, like London, it can be tricky for cocktail connoisseurs to choose where to drink. That is, until Cocktails in the City – the festival of all things shaken or stirred – comes to town. Featuring 25 of London’s most popular drinking establishments all under one roof, Cocktails in the City is a chance to bar-hop between your favourite watering holes in north, south, west and east London – without so much as setting foot on the tube.

This spring edition of Cocktails in the City is taking place at The Vaults, the multi-purpose venue within the arches beneath Waterloo Station. Here, several of London’s best bars are present in pop-up form, nestled in secret arches that have been transformed to serve up a variety of drinking experiences. This year, there are seven new arches to explore, including the Sustainability Arch – where visitors can embrace the future of drinking – and the Around the World Arch, showcasing exemplative variations of popular and unusual concoctions from further afield.

Discover hidden rooms, take part in masterclasses and feast your eyes on demonstrations in which leading mixologists show off their skills. Each bar is partnering with a spirits brand for the occasion and creating three new drinks, all in the hope of being crowned Best Bar – a title that attendees can vote for.

Among the institutions making an appearance is popular Mexican restaurant-cum-bar Ella Canta, whose mixologists have previously wowed the crowds with their pink margaritas and mezcal-based concoctions. The team behind elegant West Hampstead joint Heads and Tails are also in attendance, as are the teams from tropical hideaway Laki Kane, Chinatown’s Opium, Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Bar and Shoreditch favourite Nightjar, plus many more.

Tickets to Cocktails in the City cost £20 and include a free cocktail of your choosing from any bar on site, plus a booklet guiding you through the offering from each bar. All subsequent cocktails cost £7.50.

Culture Whisper members can redeem a free pair of tickets on Thursday 2 April (subject to availability)