Top drink trends in London: 17 stops, endless sips

After a long flight to London and a quick hotel check-in, Debbi Peek and I wasted no time diving into the city’s vibrant beverage scene. Our first stop? The legendary American Bar at The Savoy — a living piece of cocktail history dating back to the late 1900s.

From there, we embarked on a whirlwind tour of 17 incredible locations, spanning cocktail and wine bars, fine dining spots, casual eateries, and hotel lounges. This diverse approach is the hallmark of the Liquid Insights Tour, giving us a full spectrum of experiences and conversations with the people shaping today’s drink trends.

One theme stood out in London: menus that tell a story. Many venues showcased cocktail and wine books celebrating their heritage, explaining the “why” behind each drink, and even offered these books for sale. At an opulent Asian-inspired hotspot buzzing past 10 p.m. on a Sunday, history met modern flair.

Meanwhile, a luxurious Italian restaurant wowed us with illustrated cocktail menus, detailed yet approachable (and humorous) wine descriptions, and even a map of Italy’s wine regions — making learning about wine as fun as sipping it.

Efficiency and theater were front and center. Some bars removed stools during peak hours to transform into high-energy production lines. One modern marvel featured three custom cocktail stations integrated into a stainless-steel structure, serving guests from multiple sides.

The pièce de résistance? A Paloma-style bar top where bartenders and guests share the same level — creating an interactive experience that, when combined with its five-course cocktail tasting, gave us essentially front-row seats to a mixology show.

London’s cocktail aesthetic mirrored New York City’s — sleek glassware, minimal garnishes. But when garnishes appeared, they had purpose. Take the “Tea O’Clock” cocktail: vodka, Lillet, tea, house-made strawberry jam, clotted cream, and Champagne syrup, crowned with a white chocolate triangle infused with strawberry.

Then came the maximalist outlier — a hotel bar inspired by alchemy and astronomy, serving drinks in 3D-printed vessels from Italy. Imagine sipping a vodka-pear-miso cocktail from a ceramic pear under a glowing moon. Yes, really.

London’s global roots shone through its ingredients. We encountered tonka bean (illegal in the U.S.), Sherry, Port, sake, and endless tea variations. Figs appeared everywhere in syrups, jams, and even leaf infusions. One unique cocktail mixed Cognac with saffron, tonka bean, and cardamom in an in-house syrup. And miso? It was the umami star of the show, popping up in cocktails across the city.

House-made ingredients are nothing new, but London takes it up a notch. One venue had a dedicated flavor lab crafting tinctures, citric solutions, and even distillates using rotary evaporators and another that owns multiple concepts has a flavor lab at a location that then sends to the locations. Milk punches were everywhere, often featuring organic yogurt for a creamy twist.

One riverfront gem dedicated an entire section of its cocktail menu to showcasing its wild in-house creations — ingredients that sounded downright bizarre but worked like magic in every sip. Take the “Kit-Katso,” for example: a savory miso crafted by blending koji (a fungus used in fermentation) with Kit Kats. The result? A depth of umami paired with a bright, chocolatey creaminess that turns a cocktail into an unforgettable experience.

Non-alcoholic cocktails weren’t an afterthought — they were front and center, often listed alongside their boozy counterparts. At one Soho bar, we even preferred the NA version of a cocktail! Smaller pours and half-size features offered guests flexibility without sacrificing experience.

The carbonation trend we’ve seen before got a clever upgrade in London. Some bars built their own setups, like one that ran a CO₂ hose from the kitchen to the bar to flash-carbonate ingredients. A quick shake, bubbles appear, then fade — perfect carbonation.

The standout drink? A cocktail with fermented elderflowers, sake, Cocchi Americano, agave, and verjus that was elegant and effervescent.

Another twist came at a high-energy Asian hotspot using an undercounter device to keep sparkling wines bubbly and still wines fresh for 21 days. The payoff? More wines by the glass, less waste, and better prices.

Wine lovers, rejoice. Grocery coolers brimmed with Champagne and sparkling wine, and on-premise menus leaned heavily into European whites and English sparkling wines that rivaled Champagne. Education mattered, with menus often listing region, grape, and blend to guide guests.

Pour sizes were playful (and purposeful), too: from 125ml, 150ml, and 175ml, and even 25ml sips at a private club boasting 1,000 wines by the glass. Imagine tasting a Premier Cru Chardonnay for $13 instead of splurging on the full $180 bottle.

Debbi said it best: “The London cocktail scene was a vibrant blend of innovative mixology, immersive themed experiences, and classic elegance, with a strong focus on creativity and in select cases, a theatrical presentation.”

The 2025 Liquid Insights Tour is all about uncovering on-premise drink trends in London and Paris that inspire and elevate beverage programs. From bold flavors to innovative service styles, London delivered — and we’re just getting started. Next stop: Paris!

Stay ahead of the latest beverage alcohol industry trends by following along on the Liquid Insights Tour. Southern Glazer’s own Brian Masilionis and Debbi Peek travel from city to city uncovering the emerging on-premise drink trends that will help you stand out and drive sales. From trending wine and cocktails to shifting consumer preferences, their insights deliver real-world menu inspiration.

By working with our highly certified team of experts at Southern Glazer’s, you’ll gain data-driven insights and actionable takeaways like these for your on-premise bar or restaurant.