London Cocktail Week

It seems to be alcohol season in London with London Cocktail Week in full swing. Last Friday I was invited to the launch of London Cocktail week with fellow blogger Luke.

The setting was Gordon’s bar at Selfridges, which has been transformed into The Speakeasy at Gordon’s Bar, (1st Floor Menswear in case you get lost)

Once in there I got the feeling of a 1930’s speakeasy, almost a Parisian style bar with a great cocktail menu.

While there I met the people from Ron Zacapa, fairly new rum to the UK. I’d seen the rum around but never had the chance to try it.

I was lucky enough to sample some, and it wasn’t a disappointment. The rum was full of flavour and I was getting all kinds of tastes coming through on the old pallet. It’s definitely a rum I can’t wait to pair that with a full bodied cigar, maybe a Bolivar Belicosos finos, or a Partagas D4.

Zacapa 23 is a Guatemala made rum and gets it flavour from a unique combination of soil climate and ultra-high-grade cane sugar.

It is produced using only the first pressing of the sugar cane, the virgin cane honey. This is skillfully distilled and then transported to the aging facility, known as ‘the house above the clouds’ sitting as it does at 2300m above sea level.  It must be the altitude but it really makes the rum stand out from other rum brands. I’m looking forward to learning more about Zacapa and seeing it stocked on the supermarket shelves in the future.

For more info on Zacapa, click here

London Cocktail Week kicked off Friday 7th October and continues throughout the week up until Sunday 16th October.

And with so many events going on, from tastings to master classes, it will make you want to take a 2 week holiday off work to try and get to them all. (1 week to enjoy, 1 week for recovery)

If you want to find out more, click here for all the info and how to get your wristband, which gets you pretty much into all of the events.

Tickets for Masterclasses cost £15 and should be booked in advance, purchase yours from the official London Cocktail Week website www.diffordsguide.com/london-cocktail-week