Guest Editor
Hannah Sharman-Cox & Siobhán Payne | London Cocktail Week
“London Cocktail Week started way back in 2010 as a small, yet ambitious city-wide get together for our friends in the hospitality industry. Every year since, we’ve curated a jam-packed timetable of events, masterclasses, parties and pop-ups alongside the infamous Cocktail Tours where guests of the festival can drink the very best drinks in the very best bars across town. The festival has been a week, an extended week – even a month during the pandemic – and always aims to raise the profile of the bars and drinks brands that get involved – showcasing excellence to hundreds of thousands of thirsty Londoners.”
THEIR OTHER HAT…
Hannah & Siobhán also co-founded The Pinnacle Guide – a 1, 2 & 3 PIN global recognition system for the world’s best cocktail bars. For those with an exacting eye and a passion for a well-crafted drink, this ever-growing guide to Excellent, Outstanding and Exceptional bars around the globe is an invaluable resource.
thepinnacleguide.com
ACTUALLY ABOUT THEM…
Hannah & Siobhán have worked together for 16 years and live in the shadow of Westfield in West London where they enjoy sitting in each other’s houses, visiting White City House for an evening “off” and living lives that feel healthy and joyful. They always order the same drink at the same time to save the bartender’s tins – a wet vodka martini if you’re asking – and thankfully have the exact same taste in wine, which is “cold and white”.
Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhán Payne
Fave Female-Led Bars
Wanna go for a drink? You can rely on Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhán Payne to tell you where to go (and what to order). As well as sharing a love of a wet vodka martini, they’re the duo behind London Cocktail Week, which showcases the excellence across the drinks industry in the capital every year through events, masterclasses, cocktail tours, parties and pop-ups. Hannah and Siobhán are also the founders of The Pinnacle Guide, a 1, 2 & 3 PIN global recognition system for the world’s best cocktail bars.
“Cocktail and bar culture should be considered a key part of London’s cultural tapestry.”
SHOP THIS GLASSWARE
It’s time to level-up your home glassware game. Learning to mix the perfect martini is one thing (see our recommendations for the best vermouths above), but if you really want to nail that home-bar experience, it’s really all about the glassware. There are lots of choices out there, so we’ve whittled it down to our top three picks to shop now.
KIMURA
Kimura Glassware is truly *chef’s kiss*.
It’s based in Japan, but they ship worldwide and patience while you await delivery will pay off. Paper thin, this glassware is used by the likes of Kwãnt in Mayfair and Waltz in Shoreditch – two of London’s hottest bars right now. There’s a full range to choose from depending on the sort of cocktails you’re making, but our picks would have to be either the Punk R Cocktail, which comes in different capacities and is quite possibly the most elegant glass we’ve ever held, or the their Compact 6oz tumblers – a frothy sour in one of those is perfection.
kimuraglass.com
NUDE
NUDE glassware is a brand we’ve long respected – and never more so as when they started design-collaborations with top bartenders. First up was a collection by Remy Savage of Bar With Shapes For A Name – the Pony Glass from this range is now coupette of choice for half the bars of London – and our home bars too (it’s gorgeous). They’ve since done a collab with another one of our London faves Giorgio Bargiani of The Connaught – we love his classically-shaped martini glasses for a slightly larger martini (and have this on our personal shelves too).
RICHARD BRENDON
We first came across this brand when it was based in west London – they’ve since moved production to Stoke-on-Trent, but still produce the same beautiful-quality glassware and tableware. Our hands-down favourite piece from here is their stunning diamond Negroni glass with heavy cut crystal – swoon. There’s a decanter to match if you’re feeling extra fancy.
BONUS CHOICE : CEDAR CUP / TAYĒR STUDIOS X CRUCIAL DETAIL LIMITED EDITION
OK – yes – this is not “glassware” per se so we’ve just included this as a bonus option. But it is an absolutely gorgeous vessel made from cedar wood, from the geniuses at Tāyer + Elementary (Tāyer Studios), in collaboration with Crucial Detail. It’s basically perfect for sipping mezcal.
tayer-elementary.com
Words at the Bar
Quickfire Q&A with five female drinks writers
We’re letting a range of creatives and tastemakers take the reins
We feature a ton of interesting and creative people and brands working across a range of industries on London On The Inside, from chefs to drag queens to zookeepers. Now we’re turning the tables and letting some of these individuals loose at London On The Inside with our Guest Editor takeovers. Each month, one of the city’s leading voices will curate the content, taking us inside their industry and sharing what matters most to them.
