The 8th edition of West Africa’s largest and most anticipated cocktail
the event, Lagos Cocktail Week (LCW), showcased and celebrated the amazing
individuals and organisations “Behind the Bars, Drinks & Brands.’’
The 9-day event which started on October 14th with an exhilarating
Mastercard-sponsored Bar-Hop activity, in which cocktail lovers enjoyed
unique African-infused signature cocktail creations across top bars in
Lagos ended with a two-day seminar and grand finale on Thursday
October 20th – Friday, October 21st at the Balmoral Convention Centre,
Federal Palace, Victoria Island.
Guest speakers and facilitators at the seminar and masterclass sessions,
which were powered by Mastercard, empowered SME founders and executives
present, with valuable knowledge and resources to ensure the business
success and scalability. Renowned personalities in the cocktail, bar,
and beverage industry globally, including Dr Olawale Anifowoshe,
Georgie Barnard, Lola Pedro, Kevin Conroy, Bolatito Elizabeth Okolie,
Bayo Ijasan, amongst others, were facilitators.
The Cocktail Village, which was a two-night event that spanned two
nights, was truly epic, as guests enjoyed complimentary cocktails from
partner brands, including Absolut Vodka, Ballentine’s, Martell, Olmeca
Tequila, Nestle Water, Beefeater Gin, Fayrouz, Desperadoes, Star Radler,
Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Captain Morgan & Gordon’s, Whispering Angel,
Terrazas, Volcan, Campari, and more.
Attendees also enjoyed networking, music, games, and the most
anticipated activity, the bar battle, which took place at the grand
finale on Friday. Notably, several female bartenders participated in the
bar battle activities this year, which was amazing to witness, as the
bartending industry in Nigeria is primarily male-dominated. Mastercard
awarded cash prizes to 3 restaurants for their cocktail creations: Slow
Lagos, Noir Lagos, and 355 Lagos. In addition, the winners of each bar
battle challenge were also given cash prizes by the sponsoring drink
brands.
In addition to the eclectic guests that attended the event, celebrities
and influencers were also in attendance, including Toolz, Daniel
Etim-Effiong, Diane Russet, Noble Igwe, Beverly Osu, Denola Grey,
Elozonam, Jeff Bankz, Anto Lecky, Mimi Onalaja, Uriel Oputa, and more.
Lagos Cocktail Week has become one of West Africa’s landmark events,
celebrating the craftsmanship behind mixology and the cocktail culture
in Nigeria through events, seminars and training since its inception in
2014.
