Calling all cocktail lovers… Birmingham Cocktail Weekend will return this summer for a three-day celebration of margaritas, martinis, mojitos and more! Ready to shake up the city from 13-15 July, the cocktail spectacular has announced its brand new hub location at the Mailbox, the first venues taking part, and Edinburgh Gin as this year’s headline sponsor.

Returning in July, Birmingham Cocktail Weekend will be taking over the Urban Room at the Mailbox for three days, alongside this year’s headline sponsor. The Edinburgh Gin Hub @ The Mailbox is where all the action will begin; with wristband holders welcomed by exclusive tastings as they get set to embark on their city-wide cocktail voyage.

Award-winning Edinburgh Gin has taken up the top spot as headline sponsor for the event, which is in its fourth year, and the brand will be located at the centre of the action at the city’s most sought after shopping and lifestyle destination for three days. Speaking about the event, Claire Sumner-Hughes, Business Development Manager for Ian Macleod Distillers, which owns Edinburgh Gin, said:

“Birmingham is an incredible city with a really exciting bar culture, and I am so excited that Edinburgh Gin can be part of the festival. Birmingham Cocktail Weekend is all about encouraging people to experiment with new flavours and that mantra aligns perfectly with Edinburgh Gin’s ethos of celebrating creativity.”

Building on the past three years’ success, Birmingham Cocktail Weekend 2018 is set to be the biggest festival yet. With wristbands already flying of the shelf, more cocktail-revelers than ever before are expected to visit the participating venues, where each will create an exclusive signature cocktail available for just £4 to wristband wearers throughout the duration of the weekend. Some of the 2018 venues have already been announced, with more to follow in the coming months.

Putting the Mailbox firmly on the map, not only will The Edinburgh Gin Hub @ The Mailbox be taking up residence in the Urban Room but #BCW2018 veterans Malmaison, Harvey Nichols, Penny Blacks, and Churchills will be joined by AC by Marriott. Wristband wearers can also enjoy panoramic views of the city whilst sipping on a signature serve at Marco Pierre-White’s Steakhouse at The Cube.

Over the road from The Mailbox, cocktail lovers will be invited to tread the boards as The New Alexandra Theatre will be once again taking part. Next to the New Alex, familiar face to BCW, Island Bar, will be in the mix! Part of the Bitters ‘n’ Twisted group, Island Bar’s sister venues will also be taking part: Bodega, Buffalo & Rye, The Jekyll & Hyde, and The Victoria will all be shaking things up with their signature styles for the occasion.

Venturing along the canal, cocktail-lovers will head towards Broad Street, where Pushkar Dining & Cocktail Bar returns as part of this year’s line up, in addition to a brand new venue; Recess @ Hilton Garden Inn in Brindleyplace, which will also be shaking up a storm.

Providing the perfect reason to explore Birmingham’s most romantic corner, BCW have announced the first three venues located in the city’s much-loved Jewellery Quarter. The Birmingham Whisky Club, The Vanguard at 1000 Trades and The Rose Villa Tavern have all signed up for 2018, marking the JQ firmly on the BCW map!

Heading back into the city, Colmore BID will be a must-visit destination for attendees, last year’s hub location, Hotel du Vin, joining Gaucho and Chung Ying Central as official BCW18 venues. The Edwardian Tea Rooms at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will also get in on the fun, as well as newly-refurbished The Lost & Found, The Cosy Club and Amantia, just a stone’s throw away. Temple Street’s The Botanist has also signed up to the event, alongside Birmingham’s below-ground hot spot, Be At One, which completes the list of the first 26 venues to be announced for 2018.

Speaking about the fourth annual festival, Alex Nicholson-Evans, founder of Living for the Weekend, which organises the festival, comments:

“After three incredibly successful years, I am so excited to be bringing BCW back for 2018. We’ve seen the festival’s support grow year-on-year, with more cocktail-lovers pouring into the city, and more of Birmingham’s best loved bars taking part. 

“It’s great to be working with Edinburgh Gin and the Mailbox for this year’s festival, an award winning gin and an award winning venue. It all gets very exciting in the next few months, we’ll be revealing more fantastic bars, some great events and most importantly, we’ll be sussing out this year’s signature cocktails. I can’t wait to find out what will be crowned Best Cocktail of BCW2018.”

Wristbands are on sale now, priced at £10 from www.birminghamcocktailweekend.co.uk and will allow the wearer to enjoy the exclusive signature cocktail in each participating  venue for just £4, as well as getting access to free tastings and events too.

To keep up to date with all the latest news, follow Birmingham Cocktail Weekend on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and to find out more, visit the website: www.birminghamcocktailweekend.co.uk.