13 New Summer Drinks In London That Are NOT Pimm's

Summer’s here – yay – and you’re probably thinking Pimm’s, right? Wrong. Here are 13 alternatives to Pimm’s that are some of the best new cocktails in London this summer.

Electric Lemonade at The General Store, Islington

Cafe, Tea , British

Served in a light bulb and bright blue in colour, electric lemonade features grapefruit gin, sherbet syrup, soda and lemon juice. Available from The General Store, part of the recently opened Garage venue.

The Roland Garden at Blakes Below, Kensington

Bar, Pub Grub

Blakes Hotel, The Roland Garden Cocktail

The Roland Garden Cocktail features Tanqueray 10, fresh kaffir lime leaves, lavender syrup, Peychaud bitters and is topped up with Laurent Perrier NV champagne for great summer refreshment. Blakes Below also recently scooped Best Boutique Hotel Bar of the year at the London Club and Bar Awards.

Strawberries & Crème at Drake and Morgan, (various locations)

The Wimbledon Tennis Championships are the jewel in the crown of a British summer, and Drake and Morgan are marking the occasion with Strawberries & Crème. Made from Tanqueray gin, crème de fraise, lemon juice, egg white and fresh strawberries it’s the perfect drink for fans of the action on centre court.

Drake and Morgan’s Strawberries & Crème cocktail

Last Mango in Paris at Ray's Bar, Dalston

Bar, British

A pun on the controversial 1970s movie, Last Tango in Paris, The Last Mango In Paris comprises two types of Havana rum, Plantation Overproof rum, Blue Curacao, lime, mango lassi and Orgeat (a sweet syrup made from almonds and rose water). It’s a delicious, refreshing and fruity combination perfect for warm weather.

The Jack Rose at Cocktail Trading Company, Brick Lane

Cocktail Bar, British

The Jack Rose at The Cocktail Trading Company

The chaps at the Cocktail Trading Company have a bit of previous form when it comes to interesting cocktails, particularly when it comes to what they’re served in. The Jack Rose is made with Jack Daniels, Jagermeister Banoffee, Ginger-redbush gelato, and served in… an apple.

Nitro Espresso Martinis at Aviary, City

Restaurant, Bar, British

Nitro Espresso Martini machine at Aviary

Coffee lovers should head skyward to Aviary, which has one of Europe’s first on-tap nitro espresso martini dispensers, as well as an amazing roof terrace with views over the city.

The Bloomsbury Cocktail at Sky Garden, City

Bar, British

At 155m (508 ft.) up, Sky Garden offers views across London. While your eyes drink that in, give your mouth the refreshing Bloomsbury cocktail, made with rhubarb-infused Bloom gin, rhubarb liqueur and lime and topped with apricot foam.

The Grapefruit Mimosa at Lupins, Bermondsey

Restaurant, British, Contemporary, European

Lupins is the latest addition to Flat Iron Square, where the best of British ingredients are given an international treatment. Their signature cocktail is the grapefruit mimosa, made from freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, sugar syrup, rhubarb bitters, and topped with prosecco.

Edition Punch at Punch Room, Fitzrovia

Bar, Pub Grub

Enjoy a range of bespoke punches in this private members bar in The London EDITION hotel. Edition punch features silver tip jasmine tea, Portobello road gin, Benedictine, oak-moss syrup, lemon juice and orange flower water.

The Chilli Mojito at Bistro Vadouvan, Putney

Bistro, French

Bistro Vadouvan takes modern French cuisine and adds elements of spice. Mixologist Damian E Pereira wanted to blend his Portuguese and Indian heritage, the result was the chilli mojito made with fresh lemon juice, fresh mint, dark rum, topped up with ginger beer and served with a touch of chilli. A perfect aperitif , refreshing, yet with a kick.

The Cutty Sark at Craft London, Greenwich

Bar, British

The Cutty Sark on Craft London’s new cocktail menu takes the the traditional Negroni style recipe with gin, the bittersweet amaro, Cynar, and adds an exciting twist by exchanging vermouth for a mix of lemon juice and raspberry tea syrup.

Frosecco at The Queen of Hoxton, Hoxton

Bar, Cocktail Bar, BBQ

Queen of Hoxton bar and club in Shoreditch, London, UK

Prosecco is given the Slush Puppy treatment and frozen into a cooling slush at The Queen of Hoxton. They also do an Aperol Spritz slushie, featuring Aperol, home-made frosecco topped with even more prosecco.

Monkey Tennis? at Ray’s Bar, Hoxton

Bar, American

Named after the infamous Alan Partridge TV show idea, ‘Monkey Tennis?’ features Monkey 47 Gin, Mastiha, Lime & Grapefruits Sherbets, Lime and Soda, and is available downstairs at Ray’s bar.

About the author

Andrew Webb

Food & Drink Editor

Born in the Midlands and raised in the North West of England, Andrew came to London to attend St Martin's College of Art. After ten years working for the BBC and Channel 4, he set off on an eight month food tour of Britain, which led him to write his award-winning book, Food Britannia. He was previously the Editor of Lovefood.com and also produced and hosted delicious magazine's podcast. Responsible for the Culture Trip's food and drink content, he is interested in hearing about food events, product launches and potential interviews with chefs and food producers. He's also judged the British Pie Awards, reviewed restaurants, and spoken at food festivals, and so knows a good plate of food when he sees it. He can be found tweeting here @foodjournalist