Enjoy London’s Best Mix of Drinks – in Just One Night!

Two years ago I had never had a drink in a proper Cocktail Bar. I knew of many but I had never dared to to walk into any of them. I was much more of a Sam Smith’s cider type, by nature and by budget.

I suppose I was worried that in some way I wouldn’t “fit in”. I didn’t know what the dress code would be or whether my wardrobe would stretch to it. I had no idea about any particular etiquette that might be expected. I didn’t know what anything would cost and whether I could afford to drink in luxurious surroundings. I had also never had a proper cocktail, made with care and premium spirits, and so thought that I didn’t really like cocktails. I was so wrong!

One day a friend suggested that we really should try Donovan’s Bar at Browns Hotel, just to expand our London knowledge, and I was converted. It was there that I first discovered that a really delicious drink in lovely surroundings can actually provide good value for money.

Since then I have made a point of visiting many of the other great bars of London. I now have my own favourite drinks in each. I also now know which ones provide complimentary snacks, what the dress code is (smart casual in virtually all) when the best time to visit is and where all the toilets are!

I have been keen to share this new found enthusiasm and knowledge with others. When meeting friends nowadays I very often suggest a cocktail bar. One really civilised drink costs about the same as three pints of cooking lager in a noisy pub and in a top class bar we can savour each sip as we enjoy a proper conversation with no need to queue at the bar.

A good friend of this blog suggested that I put together a guided walk based on some of the best bars in London, in a bid to help initiate others. And so that is what I have done:

Mixing Our Drinks:

An evening tour of four of  London’s most distinctive, distinguished and stylish cocktail bars.

On Wednesday 22nd Feb 2012 I will be running a unique tour of four of the Capital’s finest bars. A classic evening combination of top notch refreshments will be on offer: Vodka, Gin, Rum and Whisky! Is there anyone who really believes that you should never mix your drinks?

• The  world renowned Donovan Bar within Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair where the perfect Bloody Mary is on offer.
• The Star at Night,  a real hidden gem of a bar in Soho and home to the marvellous London Gin Club.
• The very discrete Light Bar at the Hotel St Martin’s, near Covent Garden, which boasts London’s largest and finest collection of Rums.
• And Albannach on Trafalgar Square, where we can enjoy a Whisky from the largest list in the UK, if not the world.

We will be exploring each bar’s unique charms, history and signature cocktails.  As we walk between them you’ll learn about some of their famous customers and will see and hear about some other great bars along the way.

At each bar we will enjoy one drink. The cost of each drink will range from around £7.00 – £15.00 for a standard cocktail, although of course the sky is the limit if you decide you fancy trying something based on vintage champagne!

The tour begins near to Green Park Station at 5.45pm and will finish around 10pm near to Charing Cross. The price of the tour is £20 per head (drinks excluded).

In order to ensure an intimate evening, in the company of like-minded fellow cocktail explorers, the tour will be  limited to just 12 people, myself and 11 guests.

All the reservations have been made. So if you would like to join us and experience this unique “cocktail crawl” please email me at walks@peterberthoud.co.uk and I’ll send you more details.