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The London Essence Company has partnered London Cocktail Week to create a central hub for the annual celebration of the capital's cocktail scene.
This is the second year that London Cocktail Week by Drink.Up London has decided to stage a month-long event after making adaptations due to the pandemic. Repositioning as London Cocktail Month the event is taking place throughout October.
At "The Essence House", open on the top floor of Carriage Hall in Covent Garden until 24 October, visitors can discover new ways to reimagine taste.
Guests will be able to test their sensitivity to sweet, acidic and bitter flavours, as well as how partial they are to carbonation. The experience includes two complimentary cocktails, one of which is designed to match the results of the palate profile experiment.
Throughout Essence House, London Essence's premium mixers will be paired with Hennessy VS Cognac, Martin Miller's Gin, X by Glenmorangie single malt whisky and Belvedere Organic Infusions, as well as the non-alcoholic aperitif Everleaf.
A downstairs area houses The London Cocktail Week Bar, which is open to all members of the public and offers a full menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.
X by Glenmorangie is targeting the on-trade and off-trade via two music-driven activations encouraging consumers to try the whisky themselves.
A "Mix machine jukebox" at The Botanist in Broadgate Circle and The Essence House will dispense a choice of four whisky cocktails.
The immersive experience requires guests to pick a cocktail, put their glass on the turntable and watch as The Mix Machine comes to life with synchronized visuals and dance music as it creates the drinks. The DJ Tall Paul was enlisted to create a series of bespoke music mixes for each serve.
BBD Perfect Storm worked with London-based experiential design studio Rogue projects to build The Mix Machine. (It appears at the Essence House in addition to the other activity already described.)
For those at-home, Glenmorangie has partnered Spotify to create playlists for new whisky occasions that mirror the recipe of the serve.
William Grant & Sons brand Discarded is highlighting its affiliation with sustainability by hosting a bar made of waste.
The "World's most rubbish bar" aims to showcase the beauty in things people throw away. On each of the three days, two different bars will take over the space and repurpose waste from local businesses to craft sustainable cocktails.
An installation by experiential artist Sally Hogarth, formed from waste collected from UK beaches and from the Artesian and Lyaness bars will be the venue's centrepiece.
The freestanding sculpture is built entirely of bio resin and is intended to represent the creative potential that lies in what people discard.
To welcome audiences deeper into the story behind the spirits, three separate rooms will be dedicated to Discarded's hero products: Sweet Cascara Vermouth, Grape Skin Vodka and Banana Peel Rum.
Delivered by creative agency Space, the experience will be taking over The Ditch in Shoreditch from 15 to 17 October.
Sasha Filimonov, Discarded brand manager, William Grant & Sons, said: "'The World's Most Rubbish Bar' is not only showing a new path for spirits and sustainability, but also shedding a new light on how we perceive waste.
"The 'Waste is Beautiful' concept represents so much of what Discarded is all about: to reverse needless waste, but also challenge perception of what luxury can, and should, mean for the modern consumer.
"Only by going against the grain can we drive change, and Space is perfectly placed to help us bring that to life."
Monkey Shoulder, the William Grant & Sons Scotch whisky, is setting up shop in Shoreditch bar Callooh Callay, where it will host a silent disco fused with a whisky tasting.
In 15-minute sessions, drinkers will taste three different Monkey Shoulder cocktails. Through their headphones, the guests will listen to a live mix from a DJ, who will also share fun facts on each cocktail.
Dubbed, "The World's Loudest Silent Whisky Tasting event", the activity takes place on 21 October.
From 18 to 24 October visitors can expect bespoke cocktails and a Monkey Shoulder Swag Shop, which will raise money for Hospitality Action through sales of limited-edition sneakers and caps.
Bacardi will be hosting a month-long series of experiences that includes creative experiences, bar takeovers and cocktail nights.