London Cocktail Week: where to go and what to drink - Telegraph.co.uk

^{London Cocktail Week's 'hub' in Seven Dials, the site of a lesser known Agatha Christie mystery}

Know Your Martini

This masterclass will tell you all you need to know about the preferred poison of Bond, Buñuel and Hemingway (October 8, 10 and 11, 19.00-20.00, Belvedere Martini Bar, 38 Earlham Street WC2H 9LH, £20.00) while the Three Martini lunch, an hour-long liquid lecture on the evolution of the classic cocktail, will be just as lethal as it sounds. Probably worth booking the afternoon off. (October 11 and 12, 12.00-13.00, Portobello Road Gin No. 171 Pop-Up-Parlour, The Seven Dials Club, 42 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LA, £30.)

^{Vestal Voyages: all aboard for a vodka cruise}

Vestal Voyages

Strong alcohol consumption and large bodies of water have never been a sensible pairing, but hey-ho – the Vestal Voyages, the "world's first floating pop-up bar", sounds too fun to miss. Infused vodka cocktails will be served on this hour-long canal boat booze cruise down the Regent's Canal. Nautical, but nice. (October 7-13, 16.00-00.00, Meet at steps of Granary Square, on the tow path N1C, £25; to book email captain@vestalvodka.com.)

Masterclass in Jail

I'm still not convinced this one wasn't dreamt up by Chris Morris. You can learn to make "signature, legal-themed cocktails" at the BAR (get it?) of the Courthouse Hotel, set in the former holding cells of the Great Marlborough Street Magistrate's Court, where the likes of John Lennon and Mick Jagger once stood trial. Apparently the "VIP jail cells" are "rather cosy". (October 7-13, 19.00-21.00, 19 - 21 Great Marlborough Street W1F 7HL, £40.)

^{High-end: Hutong is on the 33rd floor of the Shard}

Luxury Dinner at Hutong

On Level 33 of The Shard, mixology maestros Daniel Dove and Deano Moncrieffe will set themselves a high-end challenge – concocting bespoke rum, tequila and whisky-based cocktails to complement high-end Northern Chinese cuisine. The combinations should get easier to stomach as the booze keeps flowing. (October 7, 21.00-23.30 Hutong, Level 33 The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY, £95.)

Q Vodka Pop-up Pairing

Your chance to sip the new Quintessentially Vodka in the company of sushi and "a host of London trendsetters and taste-makers". (October 8 and 9, Crazy Bear Covent Garden 17 Mercer Street, London WC2H 9QJ 18.00-21.00, £35 and 21.30-01.00, £45.)

^{Pop-up, drop-in: Monkey Shoulder's cocktail classes}

DIY Drinks Drop-In

Monkey Shoulder bourbon are offering free cocktail-making lessons at their pop-up kitchen (12.00-22.00, 53 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9DG). Yes, you get to drink them too.

The Whisky Exchange is a pop-up off-licence where you can equip yourself with all the spirits, liqueurs and cocktail ingredients required to continue the alcoholic alchemy back at home. There's a discount for wristband wearers. (October 7-13, 12.00-19.00, 22 Thomas Neal's Centre, London WC2H 9LG.)

Fancy winning some London Cocktail Week prizes? Click here

For more information, visit the London Cocktail Week website.