If you’ve ever fancied trying your hand at being a bartender, or just want an excuse to sample some delicious and inventive cocktails, a trip to London might be just what you need. Whether you’re a complete beginner to mixing your own drinks or love experimenting behind the bar, London’s cocktail classes will give you the chance to find out what really goes into a delicious drink.
Under the expert guidance of some of the city’s top mixologists, you can discover the secret to making your favourite cocktails yourself, as well as learning a few pro tips on the way. With fantastic cocktail classes all over the city, it’s a great time to check out the best London hotels special offers on right now, and plan a cocktail-fuelled weekend away.
Read on to find out more about six of the best classes to choose from around the city, as well as what you’ll be able to sample in each one.
TT Liquor
Located in Shoreditch, a short distance away from The Montcalm Royal London House, TT Liquor provides the perfect place to enjoy group cocktail making classes in the City. The ideal activity to enjoy with friends or colleagues, it’s a great way of learning more about the art of cocktails, against a stylish backdrop.
With a decade of experience in offering group cocktail classes, you’ll be well taken care of by the bar’s team. With custom-built cocktail bars, groups can enjoy a fully interactive experience, sampling flavours and trying out new techniques, before enjoying the results with your very own drinks.
Classes vary from a variety of drink styles, including rum and gin-based drinks, to sessions focused on classic cocktail combos. And for those who like their cocktails with a little more inventive flair, the bar also offers innovative molecular cocktail classes, where you’ll get to play in their special lab to create a variety of fun, new chemical concoctions.
London Cocktail Club
If you love the idea of being a serious cocktail pro, the London Cocktail Club has some fantastic classes on offer to help you sharpen up your skills. With classes open to all levels, you’re guaranteed to leave with the ability to make some truly impressive drinks, with top tips and secrets from the masters. Classes are held regularly, so you’ll always have the chance to get behind the bar whenever you’re in the city.
Led by some of the best bartenders around, the London Cocktail Club offers masterclasses for small and large groups at various locations around the city, including at locations near Bethnal Green and Shoreditch that are easy to get to from The Montcalm Royal London House. Choose from a variety of class packages, from “kitchen cocktails”, where you’ll learn to make fantastic drinks using only the ingredients found in your local store, to a special class focusing on cocktail art, where you’ll discover the techniques to creating a truly photogenic drink.
While classes include a cocktail on arrival, as well as the chance to enjoy your own crafted cocktails, you may want to make plans for food too. Plan the perfect night out with great drinks, followed by a delicious meal in one of the Finsbury Square restaurants.
Bankside School of Food and Wine
If you really want to get serious about learning top secrets from expert mixologists, try out the mixology sessions and cocktail classes on offer at the Bankside School of Food and Wine. At the renowned Mark’s Bar, you’ll be able to spend 90 hands-on minutes learning how the bar creates its signature drinks, before getting to make your own.
For a longer experience, you can also book into a detailed session where you’ll have the chance to ask top experts plenty of questions about tricks of the trade, before sampling your favourite drinks and enjoying a two-course meal. Ideal as a fun weekend activity, it’s a great option to enjoy with a friend if you’re staying in the city with one of the London hotels special offers.
The German Gymnasium
For those who are complete beginners to cocktail making, the fun and accessible classes offered at The German Gymnasium are a great way to get started. The historic venue was once England’s first all-purpose gym, used to host the first indoor Olympics events in 1866, and it’s always worth a visit to admire the stunning Grade II listed building.
Despite the ultra-stylish location and impressive cocktail menu, the bar’s experts provide an enjoyable and easy class that ensures everyone will get to come away with a delicious drink of their own. You’ll even get a certificate to show off afterwards.
For those with a few more advanced techniques under their belt already, you can also polish up your cocktail craft, with advanced cocktail classes, where you can learn to carve ice and much more.
The Folly
Cocktail lovers with an appreciation for fine flavours can immerse themselves in a cocktail class with a botanical twist, with stylish sessions held at The Folly Bar.
The class takes you through all the steps and twists involved in making the bar’s fabulous cocktails, with a garden-like haven to enjoy the experience in. Surrounded by plants and flowers, it’s hard not to feel inspired by the decadent range of options available behind the bar. Enjoy a fun history lesson before you dive into making a variety of cocktails of your very own.
The Walrus Room
If you really want to get stuck into a particular spirit, the legendary Walrus Room is a great place to learn more about them, as well as hearing the experts’ tips on what makes an exceptional cocktail.
The small and stylish Battersea bar’s classes will often focus on specific ingredients, including Japanese whiskey, tequila or others, and nearly always sell out in advance. Plan ahead if you hope to get a space in their limited, and highly in-demand, cocktail masterclasses, and enjoy a memorable night out.
