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Q&A with Anistatia Miller & Jared Brown, Mixellany

You are the masterminds behind this year's London Cocktail Summit. Tell us a bit more about it?
As the American queen of cocktails Audrey Saunders commented in a New York Times interview, “London is the best cocktail city in the world right now.” And the inaugural London Cocktail Summit at Bar.10 is gathering to show the world that it’s not only the best place to find innovation in drink recipes and service. It’s the best place to discover the industry’s future.

What can people attending expect?
Two decades have flown by since the British bar industry stood up to the challenge of creating remarkable drinks and offering a high level of service and professionalism. The world took notice. But where do we go from here? That's the objective of the London Cocktail Summit: to move the British bar industry from a group of enlightened professionals to a team of proactive catalysts for change in the same way that the London Bar Show was a protagonist of the Cocktail Renaissance a decade ago.

The summit is very unique and the only of its kind, what makes is so special?
Rather than focusing attention solely on the way drinks are made by some of the world’s finest mixologists, the London Cocktail Summit addresses a number of key questions in presentations and panel discussions with some the industry’s most brilliant experts.

All of these sessions will culminate in a final “white paper” presentation that documents the future trends of modern bartending. Findings from the London Cocktail Summit will be circulated internationally to spearhead a global conversation about the profession’s future and reinforce London as the centre of a progressive, proactive bartending community.
 
What are the highlights?
- Where does Britain’s bar industry stand today, both at home and in the global public sphere?

- Where do you “draw the line” between unbridled creativity and consumer taste when it comes to cocktail recipe and menu development?

- What new skills do modern bartenders need to develop to be at the top of their game?

- How can a bar operation achieve profitably and still be innovative in this new economic climate?

- What does it take to build and maintain a great team of bartenders in this evolving industry?

- Service and environment are key elements to creating and maintaining a successful bar operation. What’s the perfect formula for attracting customers and convincing them to return?

- What can a bartender do after gaining experience behind the bar? What does it take to become a brand ambassador, a bar consultant, a bar owner, or a beverage developer?

- With increased legislation to ban advertising, how will brands market through to the on-trade?

- What does it take to educate and elevate the experience of a new generation of consumers?

- London is at the top of its bartending game, so where does the industry go from here in the new decade?

Which sessions do you think will surprise you the most?
In addition to the summit sessions themselves, the London Cocktail Summit also presents four exciting new features:
 
—The Connoisseurs Club’s Cocktail Theatre. Cocktails have come a long way in a little over 200 years, what have we learnt from the past that can inspire future drinks development? Hosted by The Connoisseurs Club at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast, an international array of speakers will guide attendees through historical highlights of the Pre-Victorian, Victorian, Twentieth century, and Modern cocktail eras.
 
—Revamping an existing bar with a new concept? Redesigning an exiting bar menu? Have a great plan for a new bar operation? Can you convince a panel of Britain’s toughest bar sharks to back your idea? The Shark Pool: Bar! Sink or Swim! Competition will see contestants pitch their brainchild to a “Shark Pool” that includes: Eric Yu from The Breakfast Group, Mark Fuller of Concept Venues,  Richard Wynne of Callooh Callay, Tim Bacon of Living Ventures Restaurants Ltd, and Simon van Moppes of Pernod-Ricard UK.
 
—With the massive resurgence of cocktail creativity over the past two decades, what are UK bartenders mixing up these days? Finalists in The Ultimate Cocktail Competition will show off their best in Classic Revival, Tiki, Modern Cocktail, and Molecular creations.
 
—Who’s the best at creating original drinks from a surprise array of ingredients? The Bartender “Black Box” Competition will pit celebrity mixologists from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in an elimination battle to see who is the “King of the Black Box”.

And a few fun ones….

What is your favourite bar?
The last one we were in.

What is the last cocktail you tasted?
An El Presidente made with Havana Club 7-Year, Martini & Rossi red vermouth, and a touch of Cordial Médoc.

Which cocktail do you wish you invented?
The Dry Martini. But thank goodness Harry "The Dean" Johnson beat us to it. He documented the Marguerite (its esteemed predecessor) back in 1882.

What is the hottest new bar in London in your opinion?
[Honestly can't answer this one. We've been outta the loop for about two months.] HUNter 486 at The Arch for a Martini at the "violet hour" was pretty damned good.