Lagos Cocktail Week Returns, Hosts an Exotic Dining Experience for Her Mastercard Holders

Chef Alex Oke – Noir Lagos

For the eighth consecutive year, Cocktail Week has returned to the Lagos culinary scene and this time, it is powered by Mastercard. Hosted at the Balmoral Convention Centre on October 14th – 22nd, this year’s event was themed Behind the Bars, Drinks & Brands, and attracted over five hundred visitors who enjoyed a wealth of priceless cocktail experiences including displays from the city’s best bartenders, competitions, and masterclasses.

Lagos Cocktail Week provided guests with a signature Mastercard Priceless Experience, which was aimed at connecting Mastercard cardholders to their passion for priceless possibilities relevant to everyday passions and needs.

The Bar Hop, which was sponsored by Mastercard, saw seventeen outstanding bars and restaurants showcase their African-infused signature cocktail creations, in a bid to win the coveted monetary prize. Alex Oke from NOIR Lagos, Dara Oladejo from 355 Restaurant and Lounge, and Rafael Jorge from Slow Lagos emerged victorious, taking home N150,000 each.

Rafael Jorge – Slow Lagos

Lagos Cocktail Week connected enthusiastic cocktail connoisseurs, highlighted the latest trends, and created a much-needed platform for inspiration across a wide audience. This year’s festival was more inclusive and featured more female bartenders than in previous years, spotlighting their contributions to the growth and health of the industry.

The week-long event also supported small businesses in the culinary space, helping them to grow their enterprises and pave their way to self-actualization in their respective spaces. With that in mind, Mastercard continues to keep to its commitment to supporting local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, accelerating them to greater success and recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A notable highlight from the week-long event was the Mastercard Lagos Cocktail conference, where Yosola Atere, Director for Area Marketing, Mastercard, West Africa, joined a panel discussion unpacking valuable tips to help small and micro enterprises grow their businesses by using digital tools and free educational resources.

Dara Oladejo – 355 group

“Hosting the Lagos Cocktail Week has been an enriching experience. It gives us pleasure knowing an event of this magnitude has grown in leaps and bounds. As an organization long-established in this country, providing invaluable support to local small businesses in the culinary space is of great significance to us. It is a long-term goal we are committed and dedicated to achieving,” said Atere.

As the festival celebrated the vibrant cocktail culture in Nigeria, the event also provided locals the opportunity to explore Nigeria’s home-grown culinary tastes and the charming local cultural scene. As part of the event, an exclusive Cocktail Village provided visitors with the best cocktails from premium liquor brands situated across Lagos.

“Dining remains a major passion point for Mastercard and a considerable interest for Nigerians. In West Africa, Mastercard has been able to own the culinary passion by sponsoring engagements such as Restaurant Week, The Kitchen Nigeria, and the Food Festival in Ghana,” concludes Atere.

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