Step inside, love. The city outside might be grey and brisk, but in here, everything glows. The copper bar catches the light, the shelves gleam with bottles, and the low hum of conversation ripples through the room like jazz on vinyl. You can almost taste it — that mix of citrus peel, sugar burn, and quiet anticipation. It’s that time again — London Cocktail Week — the city’s grandest toast to the art of a well-poured drink. But this year feels different. The buzz is louder, the air thicker with excitement, and here at Coupette London, we’re not just shaking and stirring — we’re rewriting the rhythm of the celebration itself. We’ve polished our bar tops till they gleam like pennies in the pocket of a new suit. The ice clinks sharper, the fruit smells fresher, and the spirits — both bottled and human — are ready to dance. Bethnal Green hums with a pulse of its own, and in the middle of it stands us: Coupette.
This October, as LCW spills across the city, we’re not content with being another name on the map. We’re here to set the tempo. To take everything you know about this week — the wristbands, the signature serves, the late-night laughter — and give it a Coupette twist. The kind that starts soft and ends with a grin you can’t shake off. From the first pop of a cork to the last melting cube of ice, every detail inside these walls hums with intention. The lighting dips just enough to blur time. The music moves between eras — a little soul, a little synth, a lot of mood. You’ll see regulars tucked in their favourite corners, eyes glinting as they watch new faces discover what we’ve always known: LCW isn’t just an event; it’s an atmosphere. And this year, we’re bottling that feeling and serving it by the glass. Coupette has always lived in the sweet spot between elegance and edge — refined enough for connoisseurs, relaxed enough for those who just want a great night out. So, when London Cocktail Week rolls around, we don’t follow the crowd. We set the tone. Every drink that leaves our bar carries that Bethnal Green attitude — curious, confident, quietly rebellious. The city outside might be celebrating the return of LCW, but in here, we’re conducting our own symphony — a melody of spirits, laughter, and perfectly measured chaos. You’ll feel it before the first sip hits your lips. You’ll taste it long after the glass is empty.
Because at Coupette, we don’t just pour cocktails. We pour moments. And this October, we’re ready to pour London its best one yet.
How It All Began: Two Women, One Brilliant Idea
It’s been fifteen years since two fearless women decided that London deserved its own love letter to cocktails. Back in 2010, when mixology was still finding its feet and “craft” wasn’t yet a buzzword, they dreamt up something audacious — a citywide toast to the art of drinking well. What started as a small festival with a few bold bars has become the heartbeat of London’s bar culture — a week that turns every street into a story, every glass into a conversation. We adore that story because it’s familiar. Coupette, too, was born from a spark — a simple desire to serve beautiful drinks, free from fuss but rich in soul. And so, each year when London Cocktail Week rolls around, we treat it not as an event, but as an anniversary. An ode to creativity, to community, to the alchemy that happens when people and spirits meet in one perfect pour.
Why London Cocktail Week Feels Like Home
There’s something electric about this week. Every bar has its own interpretation — some go big with neon and noise, others whisper their magic softly. We’ve always preferred the latter. For us, LCW isn’t just about new recipes or signature serves; it’s about revealing who we are when the lights are low and the bar’s full of energy. At Coupette, we’ve always believed cocktails should feel like poetry — precise, surprising, a little seductive. LCW gives us a reason to experiment more boldly, to welcome new faces, and to remind old friends why they fell in love with Bethnal Green’s quiet troublemaker in the first place.
The Secret Ingredient: Our Sunday Development Sessions
Every great idea at Coupette starts on a Sunday. When most of London sleeps off its Saturday, our bar comes alive in a different way. We call it Sunday Development — a weekly ritual where ideas are poured, tasted, scrapped, and reborn. No customers. No music. Just our team, a table of spirits, and unfiltered imagination. Some of our most iconic cocktails — from the Champagne Piña Colada that put us on the map, to experimental gems that never made the list — were born from those quiet Sundays. LCW gives us a stage to showcase that madness made method. It’s when the experiments leave the notebook and find their glass. This year, that spirit of development spills out of our four walls and into the LCW spotlight. You’ll taste it. You’ll feel it.
14th October – The First Takeover: Expect the Unexpected
Mark the 14th. Coupette opens its doors to the first of our LCW takeovers, where we hand the reins (just a little) to friends who think as wildly as we do. It’s not about replacing who we are — it’s about amplifying it. Think of it as a creative remix: Coupette’s DNA intertwined with another’s rhythm. The bar will feel different that night — same faces behind the counter, same glow of candlelight, but with new ideas fizzing through the shakers. Expect something playful, something that challenges your palate, something that makes you say, “I didn’t see that coming.” Because that’s the point.
16th October – A Bourbon Affair with Four Roses
Now, the one we’re truly buzzing about — 16th October, our Four Roses Takeover. A night where French finesse meets Kentucky soul. Where oak and orchard flirt across the glass. We’ve spent weeks crafting this menu, and it’s the kind of lineup that makes our bartenders grin like devils behind the bar. Picture this: the smooth warmth of Four Roses bourbon meeting our signature touch — refined sweetness, French liqueurs, crisp acidity. You’ll sip something layered, something that tells two stories at once. The result? Cocktails that start with a southern drawl and end with a Parisian wink. It’s more than a partnership. It’s a duet. Four Roses brings the depth; Coupette brings the flair. Together, we’ll make magic.
The Drink Everyone’s Talking About: Sour Grapes
Every year during LCW, we create one cocktail that carries our banner. This year, meet Sour Grapes — our LCW Signature Serve. Imagine Hennessy VS Cognac shaken with Pineau des Charentes, kissed with fresh citrus and finished with our house-made grape sherbet soda. We force-carbonate it for that crisp, tongue-tingling finish that makes you grin mid-sip. It’s elegant, fun, and a little nostalgic — exactly how we like it. Available for just £9 during LCW, it’s our way of inviting new guests to taste what we do best, without needing to overthink it.
Of Course, the Classics Stay Close
You’ll still find our old favourites standing proud at the bar — the ever-beloved Champagne Piña Colada, the Apples, and other icons that have made Coupette more than a name. These drinks are part of our heritage, but LCW lets us reinterpret them. Maybe a new garnish, a new spirit twist, or a new story behind the pour — because at Coupette, nothing stays still for long. And if you’re peckish, our kitchen hums quietly with plates that know their role — light, clever, perfectly matched. A croque monsieur that feels like comfort in silk, a cheese board that doesn’t need introduction, nibbles that respect the drink. Because the right bite makes the right sip better.
LCW Through Our Eyes
For us, London Cocktail Week isn’t just a festival — it’s a reflection of who London is. Bold, restless, ever-changing, yet grounded in craftsmanship. The bars might differ in accent, décor, or playlist, but we all share one trait: obsession. We chase perfection not because we must, but because we can’t help it. When you step into Coupette during LCW, you’re stepping into that obsession. You’ll see the laughter behind the bar, the steady hands measuring drops that matter, the stories told through glass. You’ll taste the edge of experimentation and the warmth of tradition — a balance we’ve built over years, and one we never stop refining.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss It
There’s a certain magic to these two nights — 14th and 16th October — that won’t be replicated again. They’re fleeting by design. Like a perfect cocktail, they exist for a moment — intense, balanced, gone too soon. We’ll pour, you’ll sip, and together we’ll create something that lingers longer than the drink itself. So, come down. Bring your curiosity. Bring that friend who swears they’ve “seen it all.” We promise they haven’t — not until they’ve seen Coupette during London Cocktail Week.
Final Pour
From the dreams of two women who sparked a movement in 2010 to the countless bars that now shape London’s nightlife, LCW stands as proof that passion and spirit — literal and figurative — can rewrite a city. At Coupette, we raise our glass to that legacy. And when you raise yours with us — whether it’s a Sour Grapes in hand or a Four Roses bourbon masterpiece — know that you’re part of the story too. London, we’ll see you at the bar. À votre santé — Coupette London.
