We love us a bit of London Cocktail Week action. Not just because of the drinks – although we’d be lying if we said that top notch £7 cocktails* didn’t play a huge part in the attraction. But delicious as they are, they’re just one of the myriad reasons why London Cocktail Week is our favourite homegrown event of the year. The main attraction for us is it’s a veritable smorgasbord of fun-packed activities and inspired partnerships for consumers and trade. See the full programme here.
That said, there is one in particular that we’ve got our beadies on, and that’s the sparkling collab between jewellery designer Bear Brooksbank and the team at Nightjar.
Get yourself down to Nightjar in Old Street or Carnaby Street during the 10-day festival running from 13-23 October and for the price of one of their special London Cocktail Week cocktails (see below), you could be the proud owner of a beautiful bespoke cocktail ring worth a whopping £1,800. Yup, you read that right, a gorgeous cocktail ring can be yours by simply enjoying a stunning drink. What’s not to love about that?
You’ve got Nightjar co-founder Roisin Stimpson to thank for the opportunity. “Cocktails and beautiful jewellery go hand-in-hand,” she says, citing the glamorous Flapper girls from the 1920s as inspiration. And the reason why she turned to London-based jewellery designer Bear Brooksbank to bring her cocktail/ring pairing initiative to life. “Originally I envisioned the cocktail rings and drinks being paired together in a very simple, very fabulous way to celebrate a night out. So I pitched the idea to Grand Marnier and once they saw Bear’s website with her brilliant pieces, they suggested that we celebrate the brand by making bespoke rings inspired by Grand Marnier.”
The result are three big, bold and beautiful pieces (see above), very much in keeping with Nightjar’s decadent style. “I was aware that colour would be very important,” Bear says, describing her three sumptuous designs that are up for grabs. “I needed these rings to be a strong, deep blood red in keeping with Grand Marnier’s palette. So I used garnet which comes in amazing shapes and makes a really strong statement. At first it was suggested that I should create smaller, more pared back pieces – but Roisin and I wanted the big stuff, which is very much in keeping with the mood at the moment which favours chunky, gold jewellery.”
The rings are crafted in gold vermeil, a sterling silver base with premium gold plating, not pure gold btw. “These designs in gold would come in at around £4,500 each!” Bear laughs. Not that the winners will feel shortchanged. These bad boys are absolutely stunning and would look the business adorning male or female fingers.
So, the big question is, what do you need to do to be in with a chance of winning? Easy. All you have to do is head down to Nightjar Old Street or Carnaby Street during London Cocktail Week (13-23 October) and post a shot of you drinking one of the limited-edition Grand Marnier cocktails below, tagging @nightjar and @grandmarnierofficial. The winner will be announced on Nightjar’s Instagram page after the close of the festival on 23 October.
The rings will be on display until the end of London Cocktail Week but If you’re free tonight (13 October), you’ll have the opportunity to try them on and have the moment captured by a professional photographer who’ll be available just for this evening. Good luck!
Grand Marnier London Cocktail Week Drinks at Nightjar Shoreditch and Nightjar Carnaby
Grand Fizz £7 (Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, palomino sherry, coconut Rum, feijoa wine, grapefruit & bergamot tonic)
Moon D’Orange £14 (Grand Marnier, Nightjar forbidden fruit liqueur, absinthe, fresh grapefruit juice, Champagne)
Lapostole Crusta £12 (Grand Marnier, cognac V.S, baked vanilla pumpkin liqueur, fresh lemon juice)
Corpse Reviver 1880 (No.1) £12 (Grand Marnier, calvados, smokey Nightjar wine, fresh lemon juice)
Grand Brandy Cocktail £14 (Grand Marnier Louis Alexandre, chinato vermouth, 10yo Tawny port, coffee liqueur)
*£7 cocktails available by purchasing a £15 London Cocktail Week wristband, valid for the duration of the festival.
