‘It’s an exciting event!’ Celebrate summer –  and 24 amazing venues – with Reading Cocktail Week 

For 10 days in July, town centre bars will be buzzing thanks to the first Reading Cocktail Week. A total of 24 venues will offer cocktails, mocktails, food, and surprises for the inaugural event. 

Participating venues will include well-known names such as Milk Bar, Boom Battle Bar, Spill Bar, Cosy Club, The Cocktail Club and The Rising Sun. Each has been tasked with creating a unique cocktail and a mocktail. 

Those wanting to join in can buy a wristband that gives them discounts on those signature drinks, with prices starting from £5. Some venues will also offer cocktail deals and food discounts. 

While this is Reading’s first time, the event has run successfully in other towns and cities across the country over the past few years, boosting the nighttime economy and giving people a reason to put on their glad rags and enjoy the summer.

What began as a local event in Dundee quickly evolved into a UK-wide series, now partnering with more than 900 bars across 27 cities and generating an eight-figure economic impact. Now Reading is set to benefit.

The event is brought to the town by M.ad Agency, in conjunction with REDA (Reading’s Business Improvement District (BID)), and runs from Friday, 3 July through to Sunday, 12 July. 

M.ad’s director Alice Christison is looking forward to Reading Cocktail Week being the talk of the town. 

“Reading Cocktail Week is a really exciting event; it’s all about trying all these incredible cocktails, mocktails, food offers,” she explains. “It’s also about people enjoying Reading, going out and seeing the town centre, and visiting a range of bars.”

The idea stems from Alice’s background in the industry.

“I am a food and drink obsessed girl. It’s my absolute love: nice bars and restaurants, socialising, going out and seeing friends – that’s what I love,” she says. “After Covid, I realised there was an opening as bars were struggling and the hospitality industry had really suffered. I engineered Cocktail Week as a way of getting people back into their city centres to socialise and visit these businesses.”

The initial events were held in Scotland, streamlined and then exported across the UK and Ireland. Reading has been a logical next step, and Alice has been delighted by the welcome the Reading Cocktail Week team has received. 

“We’ve got some big weeks: your Dublins, your Manchesters, but people don’t realise how good Reading is, which to me is really exciting. Two years ago, I was running around the UK looking at all these cities, figuring out which ones would work really well. Reading is just a great place and the businesses are fantastic,” she says. 

“There’s a reason why Flight Club opened here: it’s such a vibrant town. On top of that, your BID is fantastic, and the people are really nice as well. When you go somewhere, people are really friendly.

“The model we have engineered means the sales uplift businesses see is incredible,” she explains. “We’ve got proven track records, so when I approached REDA and said this is all about supporting the bars and spotlighting the town centre, they said they would support us. That’s been absolutely fantastic.”

This has been echoed by Alexa Volker, Manager of Reading BID (Business Improvement District), part of REDA, who says: “Reading’s vibrant nighttime economy has so much to offer, and we’re pleased to be working with M.ad to shine a light on our fantastic cocktail scene.”

Reading Cocktail Week is an opportunity for people to break their habits and try new places rather than old favourites. This includes niche places where, unless they know the concept, they probably wouldn’t visit. “Customers say they went to this spot and loved it,” Alice says. “Bars tell us they have had so many new customers, and the Cocktail Week has opened up an entirely new audience.

“Venues will put on food or additional drink offers, and people will have a little nibble and go, ‘Do you know what? These places are fantastic for food.’ The Week is about letting everyone realise Reading has so many incredible businesses, try them rather than your usuals.”

Among the unique cocktails Alice is looking forward to are Lula Lo’s Watermelon Margaretta – “It looks absolutely delicious” – and Novatel’s “stunning” Tropical Garden. Some venues will have firm favourites and classics, while others are choosing to create a unique drink. 

The mocktails are just as important: every venue is tasked with creating one to make the event as inclusive as possible. 

“I love mocktails; they’re really underrated,” Alice says. “I’m really into my fitness; it’s something I prioritise, so when I go out with friends, there will be a lot of times when I’m not drinking alcohol. The art of mocktails has developed so it’s not just a lemonade or similar.”

Add in the food offerings, and it’s going to be a week to remember. But it won’t be forgotten as visitors will be asked to vote for their favourite cocktail, while Alice and her team are already starting plans for next year’s event. 

“Reading Cocktail Week is putting Reading on the food and drink map, and putting it on the cocktail map. 

“I want people to explore their own city centres rather than going for a little day trip and seeing it once. Rather than being a one-day event, it’s 10 days, so go out and enjoy. Visit three venues the first day, visit a couple another day, do a mocktail crawl, have some food and drink in places – you’re really seeing everything Reading has got to offer.”