Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne are the co-founders of London Cocktail Week and the Pinnacle Guide. Having launched London Cocktail Week 16 years ago, they have built one of the drinks industry's most recognised consumer-facing events, taking it through multiple ownership structures -- from its origins under Simon Difford, through the Whisky Exchange and Pernod Ricard — before buying it back outright in January 2026. Together with business partner Dan Dove, they also created the Pinnacle Guide, a Michelin-inspired rating system that awards one, two, or three pins to bars across 14 countries and counting.
In this conversation, Hannah and Siobhan talk about the decision to move London Cocktail Week from October to March, how the event has evolved from its early days of London buses and pop-up bars in Seven Dials to a more purpose-driven celebration of bartenders and bar culture. They go deep on the Pinnacle Guide — its two-year consultation process, the extensive application form, how bars are assessed and reviewed, and the deliberate "skew of kindness" built into the system. They also reveal Curate Your City, a new venture that will offer a turnkey framework for anyone to create their own multi-venue festival in any industry, anywhere in the world. Plus, some quick questions from Jake Burger at the end on the golden age of UK bartending.
londoncocktailweek.com
thepinnacleguide.com
Get 15% off the world's best drinking vessels at Denver & Liely using the discount code CURIOUS15 at checkout - denverandliely.com
Get 15% off my favourite coffee liqueur at Algebradrinks.com with code CURIOUS15
📷 Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/tristanstephenson
📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - thecuriousbartender.com
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:12 London Cocktail Week: 16 Years and Counting
00:03:09 Taking Back Full Ownership
00:04:12 Moving LCW from October to March
00:08:04 How London Cocktail Week Has Changed
00:10:31 The Cocktail Village Era
00:14:38 Wristbands, Guidebooks and Building Community
00:17:01 The Evolution of London's Cocktail Scene
00:21:21 The Ownership Journey: Difford, Whisky Exchange and Pernod Ricard
00:24:43 Burnout, the Pandemic and Pivoting
00:27:36 What's Next for LCW in 2027
00:33:14 Introducing the Pinnacle Guide
00:38:50 The Scoring System and "Skew of Kindness"
00:43:21 Reviewers: Industry Pros and Interested Amateurs
00:48:48 How the Application Form Elevates the Industry
00:54:48 Global Expansion: 146 Bars Across 14 Countries
00:57:36 How the Pinnacle Guide Will Make Money
01:05:53 Curate Your City: A New Venture for Festival Creators
01:14:52 The Hannah and Siobhan Partnership
01:16:19 Is the Golden Age of UK Bartending Behind Us?
Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne are the co-founders of London Cocktail Week and the Pinnacle Guide. Having launched London Cocktail Week 16 years ago, they have built one of the drinks industry's most recognised consumer-facing events, taking it through multiple ownership structures -- from its origins under Simon Difford, through the Whisky Exchange and Pernod Ricard — before buying it back outright in January 2026. Together with business partner Dan Dove, they also created the Pinnacle Guide, a Michelin-inspired rating system that awards one, two, or three pins to bars across 14 countries and counting.
In this conversation, Hannah and Siobhan talk about the decision to move London Cocktail Week from October to March, how the event has evolved from its early days of London buses and pop-up bars in Seven Dials to a more purpose-driven celebration of bartenders and bar culture. They go deep on the Pinnacle Guide — its two-year consultation process, the extensive application form, how bars are assessed and reviewed, and the deliberate "skew of kindness" built into the system. They also reveal Curate Your City, a new venture that will offer a turnkey framework for anyone to create their own multi-venue festival in any industry, anywhere in the world. Plus, some quick questions from Jake Burger at the end on the golden age of UK bartending.
londoncocktailweek.com
thepinnacleguide.com
Get 15% off the world's best drinking vessels at Denver & Liely using the discount code CURIOUS15 at checkout - denverandliely.com
Get 15% off my favourite coffee liqueur at Algebradrinks.com with code CURIOUS15
📷 Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/tristanstephenson
📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - thecuriousbartender.com
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:12 London Cocktail Week: 16 Years and Counting
00:03:09 Taking Back Full Ownership
00:04:12 Moving LCW from October to March
00:08:04 How London Cocktail Week Has Changed
00:10:31 The Cocktail Village Era
00:14:38 Wristbands, Guidebooks and Building Community
00:17:01 The Evolution of London's Cocktail Scene
00:21:21 The Ownership Journey: Difford, Whisky Exchange and Pernod Ricard
00:24:43 Burnout, the Pandemic and Pivoting
00:27:36 What's Next for LCW in 2027
00:33:14 Introducing the Pinnacle Guide
00:38:50 The Scoring System and "Skew of Kindness"
00:43:21 Reviewers: Industry Pros and Interested Amateurs
00:48:48 How the Application Form Elevates the Industry
00:54:48 Global Expansion: 146 Bars Across 14 Countries
00:57:36 How the Pinnacle Guide Will Make Money
01:05:53 Curate Your City: A New Venture for Festival Creators
01:14:52 The Hannah and Siobhan Partnership
01:16:19 Is the Golden Age of UK Bartending Behind Us?
