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Vada Magazine rounds up the newest and hippest places to drink, in mainstream and fabulous alternative venues across London including Prosecco and beer festivals, cocktail haunts and obviously gin.
Courtesan – for Dim Sum, Cocktails and a queer vintage night
Relaunched this September after an extensive refurbishment, Brixton’s Courtesan is a dim sum restaurant, tea room, cocktail bar and subterranean late-night live entertainment space. Diners should note the all-female produced drinks list at Courtesan, which, combined with modern dim sum hopes to transport guests to a world of exoticism and 1920s Shanghai, with neon lights, jade velvet booths and vintage artefacts throughout.
As the world’s first true ‘female’ wine and spirit list, Courtesan supplies beverages produced or grown exclusively by women. Examples from the cocktail menu include:
- Opium, made with Poppy Liqueur, Alchermes, Martell VSOP Cognac, Lapsang Souchong Tea and Beetroot Powder
- Wang Zhaojun, made with Violet Liquor, Jasmine Tea, Haymans London Gin and Finlandia Vodka
- China Ghost (pictured above), made with Finlandia Vodka, Rose Liqueur, Lychee, Rose Peony Tea and Pomegranate Syrup
Courtesan is located at 69-73 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU.
Full details on the menu, cocktails and events available at thecourtesan.co.uk.
Graphic Bar at Ask For Janice
The urban art and gin filled Graphic Bar (of Soho) has moved eastwards and taking over downstairs at Farringdon’s for a three month residency. There is a top selection of world class gins and a calendar of free workshops and exciting events for after-work cocktail lovers and gin aficionados.
The Ask For Janice residency of Graphic Bar features a new seasonal drinks menu served in the hipster signature paint tin mugs. Graphic will host its renowned Gin Socials every second Tuesday of the month, hosted by some of the bar’s favourite small batch producers and premium brands. On the night, guests will receive a welcome G+T, before learning about the history of the brand and offered the opportunity to sample the gin. The first Gin Social will take place on 17 October from 5pm until late.
To get to the new Graphic bar residency, pass through the restaurant and head downstairs, through an inconspicuous door built into the brickwork and into an intimate, darkly lit space brightened by striking original graffiti art.
Graphic Bar is open Tuesday to Fridays from 5pm till after midnight.
The Graphic Bar pop-up is located downstairs at Ask For Janice is located at 50-52 Long Lane, London, EC1A 9EJ
Prosecco Fest UK
The ultimate festival for prosecco lovers this autumn is in association with Prosseco Fest UK. Indulging the nation’s love of the Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco Fest will whet the appetites of fizz fans, offering 20 varieties of prosecco plus a selection of Spumante, Cava, Brut and Pink Champagne. 25 events are taking place at 12 locations across the country, a total of 50,000 guests are expected to attend with tickets for selected dates already sold-out.
As well as an abundance of everyone’s favourite sparkling tipple, entertainment including live band and DJs will also be provided across the festivals as guests indulge in food and drink and learn all there is to know about prosecco.
Tickets are priced from £12.50. For more information or to book visit proseccofestuk.com.
K Bar Sessions
K Bar at The Kensington has launched a new series of weekly music nights: The K Bar Sessions – with The Botanist. Each Thursday, guests at South Kensington’s K Bar are invited to enjoy a range of exclusive Botanist Gin Cocktails against a backdrop of delightful music from new acts and genres each week.
Guests will be able to enjoy a bespoke cocktail list, designed especially for the occasion by Bar Manager Ashley Bambrough. The menu includes:
- Islay High Ball – The Botanist, Nori Cordial, sod
- Lord of the Isles – The Botanist, Velvet Falernum liqueur, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup, Rhubarb bitters, egg white
- Queen of The Hebrides – The Botanist, lemon juice, Cointreau, sugar syrup, egg white, Crème de violette liqueur
- Botanist Reviver – The Botanist, Green Chartreuse liqueur, lemon Juice, Drambuie, Absinth.
The K Bar is located at 109-113 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, London, SW7 5JA.
Full information is available at townhousekensington.com.
Heist Bank Beer Festival
Heist Bank is a cool 6,000 sq. industrial space filled with street art that acts as an all-day hangout with an Art Deco foosball table, a custom-built pool table in Paddington. This FOMO-inducing venue is about to launch its first beer festival. Running 14-15 October, the Heist Bank Beer Festival will celebrate some of the UK’s finest breweries. Fourpure, Beavertown, Thornbridge and Wild Beer Co. The festival will also feature European craft beers such as To Øl from Copenhagen and Norwegian Lervig which will be pouring alongside New Zealand’s finest Yeastie Boys and 8 Wired. The festival headliners will be running workshops in the Heist Bank games room.
Tickets cost £15 and include a 5 hour session, 2 beer tokens and 1 food token. The weekend will combine beer with its natural culinary counterpart: pizza. The pizza oven will be blazing throughout offering a great selection of pizzas to soak-up the beer.
Heist Bank is located at 5 North Wharf, Paddington, London, W2 1LA.
To book tickets, visit heistbankbeerfestival.com.
