Want to learn stuff, drink lovely drinks and catch up with friends and peers? Then Boutique Bar Show London on September 24th & 25th is the place for you.
Taking place at an exciting new venue, Victoria House Basement Block on Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4DA the list of educational experiences on show over the two days is fantastic.
From Breakfast Drinks to Forty Winks
Cocktail opportunities throughout the day with The Hawksmoor Group. Four intimate sessions a day will focus on how to propose, create and sell drinks from anti-fogmatic breakfast drinks, pre and post-prandials and cocktails that take you late into the night.
- 11.45 – 12.30: Antifogmatics, kegs and eggs: Breakfast drinks with Hawksmoor Guildhall
- 13.15 – 14.00: Pre Prandials: A guide to pre-meal Aperitifs with Hawksmoor Spitalfields
- 14.45 – 15.30: Post Prandials: A little something to finish the meal with Hawksmoor Seven Dials
- 16.00 – 17.15: Cards and Cigars: Drinks for the late night hours with Hawksmoor Air Street
The Bartenders Table of Wellbeing
Gather round the famous bartenders table at OPIUM BAR. Dispensing intoxicating liquors with care and wisdom, OPIUM BAR source ingredients for the wellbeing of their guests, so join Esther Medina and her team for workshops on tonic creations and the batch making of craft cocktails.
- 12.30: Preparing Mr Greens Tonic
- 14.00: Pimping up your homemade lemonade
- 15.15: Preparing batch craft cocktails
Luis Simoes and his team at The Rivoli Bar at the Ritz have been working tirelessly on classic, vintage and contemporary cocktail creations. Benefit from their research on the classic Manhattan, sample a selection of vintage cocktails and discuss and taste a selection of their collection.
- 12.00 – The Perfect Manhattan
- 13.30 – Vintage Cocktails
- 15.00 – Contemporary Classics
- 16.15 – 17.00 – The Perfect Manhattan
The Foragers Cocktail Collection
Highly regarded bar group Bourne and Hollingworth in conjunction with supplier of wild plants Forager.org.uk will introduce you to a spectrum of flavours and cocktail ideas from locally foraged flora and fauna. Engaging for your guests and good for the environment pick up inspiration and ideas at these unique sessions.
The Craft Distillers Village
Hosted by the Craft Distillers Alliance and showcasing craft distillers from around the world. Meet producers and sample new and interesting products including whiskies from Texas, Taiwan and Australia that will truly make your back shelf truly stand out.
Experience 7: Papa Paradise and The Pirate Ghost 
Something a bit more light hearted and entertaining comes from the Bristol bartending collective of Gareth Aldridge (HAUS BAR), Michael Sharpe and Emilio De Salvo (MILKTHISTLE). Combining fantastic PUSSER’S RUM cocktails with theatre this is a tale of high adventure and rum goings on at The Boutique Bar Show. Performances’ daily at 12:45, 14:30 and 15:45.
Fancy Drinks and Ice Carving
Can you find the secret clandestine bar at the Boutique Bar Show? Those who do will be rewarded with fancy drinks and cocktail ideas. Intimate ice carving sessions will also be hosted by Suntory Whisky ambassador Zoran Peric – timings and entry will only be shared with registered attendees so sign up now
The Propel Business Briefing
The Propel morning briefing provides valuable insight into market trends, company performance and operator insight. Propel managing director Paul Charity will host a panel of leading bar operators including former CEO of Novus Leisure Steve Richards and Tim Foster Yummy Pub Co talking about the latest trends in the bar market and the key lessons they have learnt in the business.
A Taste of the Big Easy
NOLA BAR will be giving visitors a taste of the BIG EASY. Hosting some of the UK’s top bartenders highly respected industry bar NOLA will be hosting experiences throughout The Boutique Bar Show.
The Clandestine Bar
A secret bar returns to the Boutique Bar Show – will you find it and what will you find?
Masters of Maraschino
You could be heading to Italy hosted by the Luxardo Family if you can prove yourself a Master of Maraschino. A bartenders favourite and used in many classic cocktails could you be responsible for creating the next contemporary classic. Full details on the website – submit your entries here by September 10th to compete at the show.
Exhibitors
On top of the excellent looking interactive sessions there are of course a hall full of exhibitors showing their latest products for you to try. There are too many to discuss in full but here’s a little example of some of the things on show.
Carlo Alberto Riserva Vermouth
A recipe produced by my grandfather Tumalin Baracco Bartolomé de Baracho, shopkeeper of the “fine wines of Alba”. The Vermut (in the Piedmont dialect Vermouth) that the court cook prepared especially for king Carlo Alberto was considered a real delicacy and if it pleased the King……… thus our recipe was born. At that time my grandfather provided that recipe and he began an exclusive production which continued long after, for almost two hundred years and it still continues. He named it in honor of the King, Carlo Alberto Reserve.
Los Danzantes Mezcal
Los Danzantes distill with loving care, traditional methods, intelligent and innovation. Los Danzantes mezcal is made in old double-distillation pot stills, from the agave espadín. Small-village mezcaleros still transport the piñas, the trimmed hearts of the slow-growing agave plant, on burros. The piñas are slow-roasted in a stone fire-pit, converting carbohydrates to fructose. After roasting, the agaves are crushed in a stone mill. Distillation is two passes through small pot stills. Distillates from the Espadin are full-flavored and sweet. The Danzantes roasting pit is fired with mesquite, creating deep smoky richness.
Monkey 47 Gin
Using 47 different botanicals, including elderflower, blackthorn, bramble leaves, lingonberries and cranberries, the Black Forest Distillers have created a complex and characterful gin, produced in batches of fewer than 1000 bottles.
With the distinct and pure scent of juniper, a tangy and crisp citrus note, a sweet, floral aroma, peppery spice and subtle bitter fruit, Monkey 47 is the ideal base for both classic and contemporary cocktails.’
Mackmyra Bruks Whisky
Mackmyra Bruks whisky is made from a soft elegant recipe matured in bourbon casks. It is then spiced up by ageing in a special combination of large and small casks: rich sherry and a touch of fresh Swedish oak.
Chairman’s Reserve Forgotten Casks
Following a fire at the distillery in Roseau Bay in 2007 a small batch of rum blended and ready for barreling in 2007 was discovered by the master distilller years later. With increasing woody notes and tones Forgotten Casks is perfect for sipping alone or enjoyed in an old fashioned.
For more info on the show and to register for your free ticket head to their website here.