London’s drinks aren’t just beverages. They’re time capsules, cultural symbols, and personal statements. The city’s pubs and bars serve more than refreshment; they pour heritage, invention, and a little bit of rebellion. If you want to understand the capital beyond its skyline, start with what’s in the glass. These five iconic drinks are your first chapter.

London Pride

A visit to London is incomplete without a proper pint of London Pride. Brewed by Fuller's Brewery, this traditional English ale has been a mainstay in British pubs since the mid-20th century. With its copper color, gentle malt sweetness, and subtly bitter finish from British hops, London Pride is easy to drink and full of character.

It’s typically served at cellar temperature—cool, but not cold—preserving the complexity of its flavor profile. While the temperature might come as a surprise to visitors used to icy lagers, this method of serving is part of the authentic English ale experience.

London Pride is also widely available on cask ale taps, which means it’s unfiltered, unpasteurized, and naturally carbonated—a process that emphasizes freshness. If you find yourself enjoying this style, keep an eye out for other cask ales across the city’s pubs.

Source: The Electric Brewery

Black Velvet

Few cocktails have as poignant a backstory as the Black Velvet. Said to have been created in 1861 at London’s Brooks’s Club to honor the death of Prince Albert, it’s a curious blend of Irish and French influences that pays tribute to a British royal.

Made with equal parts Guinness and Champagne, the cocktail is poured carefully to create a layered effect—dark stout on the bottom and sparkling wine on top. The bitterness of the stout and the sharpness of the bubbly result in a surprising harmony, both rich and refreshing.

Although originally conceived in mourning, the Black Velvet has endured as a unique celebratory drink. Today, you’ll find it on menus at upscale cocktail bars and classic pubs alike.

Source: Liquor.com

The Dubonnet

You might not hear it ordered often, but The Dubonnet has a royal legacy—it was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite cocktail. The drink takes its name from Joseph Dubonnet, a French chemist who developed the fortified wine in the 1840s to help soldiers in North Africa stomach their quinine doses.

The Queen’s preferred version: two parts Dubonnet and one part gin, stirred over ice and strained, served with a lemon wedge. Elegant, slightly sweet, and herbaceous, it’s a refined aperitif that speaks to old-world charm.

Dubonnet’s botanical complexity—featuring notes of quinine, citrus peel, and spices—makes it an excellent companion to gin, and a must-try for anyone interested in vintage European cocktails.

Source: Food & Wine

The Bramble

Invented in the 1980s by famed bartender Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club in Soho, The Bramble is a true modern classic born in London. Inspired by childhood memories of picking blackberries on the Isle of Wight, Bradsell crafted a drink that evokes British countryside summers in a glass.

The cocktail starts with a gin sour base—gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup—then adds crème de mûre, a blackberry liqueur, which is drizzled over crushed ice to create a cascading, bramble-like effect.

Fresh, fruity, and perfectly balanced, The Bramble has become a staple on menus across the city. It's a drink that captures both nostalgia and elegance, and it’s one of London’s greatest contributions to modern mixology.

Source: Cosmopolitan

London Fog

Not to be confused with the tea-based latte by the same name, the London Fog cocktail is a boozy, minimalist drink made with gin and pastis, stirred and served over crushed ice. The pastis, an anise-flavored French spirit, clouds up when mixed with water or ice—giving the drink a cloudy, mist-like appearance, much like the city on a foggy morning.

This drink is often served in niche cocktail bars and may not be as widely recognized, but it’s worth seeking out if you enjoy herbaceous, spirit-forward drinks. The mix of botanical gin and licorice-forward pastis creates a surprisingly smooth and contemplative cocktail that’s both cooling and digestive.

It’s a fitting tribute to London’s moody weather, and a clever nod to the city’s historic connection to gin.

Source: Difford's Guide

These drinks may differ in style, age, and origin, but they all reflect something essential about London—its taste for tradition, its appetite for storytelling, and its quiet flair for invention. Drink them not just for the flavor, but for the window they offer into the city itself.