The A-Z of drinking in London

A is for artisanal ryes. Hackney’s East London Liquor Company will soon be releasing the first whisky to be made in East London in over 100 years, aged in chestnut, wine, rye and bourbon barrels.

B is for biodegradable. Now you must drink from bubbles too. Ooho! is a biodegradable, edible water container made of plants and seaweed: it sold out at Borough Market and Macron is a fan. Meanwhile, Drake & Morgan serves its Plenty More Fish in the G&T in a biodegradable plastic bag instead of a glass.

C is for craft mixers. Ethical water brand Dash’s new range of craft sodas uses fruit saved from farms — think knobbly lemons, wonky cucumbers and squashed raspberries.

D is for detox drinks. Don’t worry, they are still boozy. Lucky & Joy’s Gordon’s Matcha May is crafted with matcha-infused gin with ginger and citrus. At Cinnamon Kitchen in Battersea, the detoxifying Vodka Chaas is blended with black tea, vermouth and black cardamom, a natural anti-depressant that kills harmful bacteria.

E is for elderflower. Harry and Megs are putting it in their wedding cake but this summer you’ll be getting royally wedding-ed on cordial too: Simpson’s in the Strand’s Don’t Make A Fuss cocktail combines it with gin, grapefruit bitters and sparkling wine. Swift mixes its with Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, lemon sorbet and prosecco in a sgroppino.

F is for frozen. At Super Lyan in Hoxton the ice is particularly nice this summer because bar supremo Ryan Chetiyawardana will be serving slushy cocktails. At Soho’s Pastaio, you can slurp on a blood-orange prosecco slushy. Ice can change a cocktail’s whole complexion. Hide barman Oskar Kinberg uses frozen tapped birch sap instead of ice for a smoother finish.

G is for garnish walls. At No 29 Power Station West in Nine Elms the final twist on your vodka and soda is at your discretion: Ketel One's living garnish wall means you can pluck your own produce.

H is for highballs. The vertiginous highball has a new sidekick at Bar Three in Spitalfields, with tequila highballs becoming the signature drink of the summer. These combine green tea, honey, ocho blanco and soda.

I is for Ireland. Specifically Guinness, which is once again showing off its undersold versatility at Nuala in Shoreditch. It claims to serve the best Guinness outside Dublin, and there are few Irish comforts better than its bar’s Black Velvet, in which Guinness and champagne share a glass.

J is for jaggery. The hero ingredient in Hopper’s sweet and comforting non-alcoholic cocktail, Wattalapam Milk, made with malt, coconut, sweet jaggery treacle, cinnamon and salted cashew.

K is for Kanye. The Piano Works’ Gold Digger is inspired by K West’s love of slushies when he’s performing. Sip on a blend of Grey Goose vodka, gomme syrup, elderflower, lime sorbet, lime juice and gold powder.

L is for Lambrusco. The fizzy red wine has been reincarnated. Provisions on Holloway Road does a bottle of Denny Bini Lambrusco dell’Emilia for £16. It’s the brand’s party label: a dry, sparkling red made from organic grapes. It shows lots of blackcurrant fruit on the nose, which is offset by an earthy bitterness.

M is for marmalade mimosas. At Sparrow in Lewisham, syrup is made in-house from freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, reduced with sugar and a couple of scoops of marmalade. A double measure is mixed with a swig of Campari, topped with sparkling white wine.

N is for new-gronis. New season, new reasons to fall for this mainstay. Keep things fresh with one of Forza Win’s fruity glasses in Peckham, from cherry to peach negronis.

O is for Oriole Top Trumps. Drinking games are taken up a notch at Oriole, where the cocktail menu is a card game. Drinks are scored in four categories: fruity, boozy, complex and refreshing, simultaneously giving you the chance to compare the cocktails and score a free round from your pals.

P is for pink gin. The ubiquitous millennial pink has hit the drinks menu. Selfridges has fresh citrus Williams Pink Grapefruit Gin and Pinkster sells its raspberry-infused gin on tap in a three-litre box — that’s 100 gin servings.

Q is for quince. Shoreditch’s Callooh Callay mixes quince with cognac, amaro, black pepper, lemon and egg white in its French Coin, and the Oriole in Smithfield serves it with cognac, vermouth, crab-apple jelly and lemon.

R is for royal. Cocktails fit for a queen? At Ritorno in Chelsea, the Right Royal cocktail menu has been curated with a nod to the drinking habits of the Royal Family, to wet the new baby’s head. To wit, the bar serves the Queen Mother’s Tipple, a potent mix of gin and Dubonnet.

S is for savoury. Don’t stop at a Bloody Mary: try the Sofia Spritz at Carluccio’s, with artichoke-infused gin. The Gibson’s range includes the Some Moth Cocktail with crushed green pepper in brine and chilli pearls. The London Cocktail Club has a full savoury collection: try the Bacon and Egg Martini.

T is for tequila. Tequila is no longer a spirit to be slammed. Tequila Enemigo is an ultra-premium tequila you sip through champagne glasses. It’s just launched its summer serve, Mineral 89, at only 62 calories a glass. Mix it with sparkling water and a dash of lime.

U is for unsung heroes. Creative muscles are being flexed on mocktail menus. Dishoom’s Virtuous Tulsi Sour is a non-alcoholic blend of juniper, ginger, lemon and basil. Let’s hear it, too, for aquafaba, a vegan alternative to egg white derived from chickpeas, shaken up in The Spread Eagle’s signature Tequila Sour out in Homerton.

V is for vending machines. At Brigadiers, the sprawling new Indian regimental mess bar in Bloomberg Arcade, there is a whisky vending machine stocked with premium blends so you can serve yourself.

W is for wine in cans. Try Most Wanted’s new Pinot Grigot.

X is for Xeco sherry cocktails. Not only is sherry being used in cocktails by leading bartenders but it fits in to the low ABV trend. Head to new coffee and cocktail spot Over Under at the Ham Yard Hotel for their Xeco ginger — Xeco fino sherry, ginger ale and peach bitters. This is the perfect way to try its dry, nutty fino.

Y is for yuzu. The citrus fruit from Asia adds a juicy zestiness to gin — try the Yuzu Smirnoff Collins at Lucky & Joy. Freak Scene in Soho has a yuzu-spiked beer cocktail, built on Yokai from The Wild Beer Co, and topped with a frozen head of lemonade. The frozen head keeps the pint cold as it goes down, and the acidity of the lemon brings out the yuzu notes in the beer.

Z is for Zingy Stardust. A tribute to David Bowie from Scarfes Bar, it comes in a glass with a lightning bolt on. It’s a mix of two types of lime, including the rare, juiceless zara-lebu, shiso and kaffir lime leaves and silky Absolut Elyx, finished with buzzing Electric Bitters.