The festival is back with a bang for its fifth year, so help us celebrate by shaking things up with a cocktail or two.

Sip on a Twist’d Negroni at The House of Coffee & Co VIP Hospitality Suite, a stylishly stirred Black Forest Martini at the Milk & Sugar Gin Parlour or join us at The Espresso Martini Launch Party on Friday night.

Festival syrup partner Teisseire will be adding a touch of French flair to the VIP Hospitality Suite, blending non-alcoholic drinks such as the Peach Cascara Iced Tea - Cascara tea (the dried skin and pulp of coffee cherries) peach syrup, lemons, oranges, mint and sage.

VIP guests will also be treated to the Ginga Ninja - a blend of vodka, homemade ginger shrub, apple juice and soda - created by Volcano Coffee Works’ head mixologist Hayden Gale.

Spice things up at the White Label Brewery with a juicy Bloody Mary from And Union, quaff a classic Old Fashioned atthe Four Roses Bourbon Bar and try the array of coffee cocktails at La Marzocco’s True Artisan Café, where baristas will be crafting signature drinks.

Will you choose Timberyard’s ‘Boozy’ Salted Caramel Affogato or a curious creation from Coffee 42 made with a traditional Hungarian fruit brandy?
 

WHY IS COFFEE AND ALCOHOL SUCH A WINNING COMBINATION?

2014 UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champion David Jameson from Union Hand-Roasted Coffee is a man who knows
a thing or two about cocktails. He believes a good cocktail is just like a good coffee - all about balance.

“There shouldn’t be one strong dominant taste,” explains David, “the sweetness, acidity and bitterness should all be in harmony with one another. This can bring really interesting ingredients into play, and it’s important to use good quality ingredients too.

“Coffee cocktails can be a gateway to speciality coffee. Great cocktails depend on the delicate combination of flavours,
aromas and mouthfeel and the same is true of coffee. Then there’s the fact that both coffee and alcohol are awesome!”