Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne are two of the leading faces of the global cocktail scene. As consultants, contributors and connectors within the drinks trade - they aim to elevate the industry from the inside out.   

HANDS London officially launched in 2020, though the pair have worked together for a decade before this. Drawing on their unrivalled industry knowledge and contacts, alongside their unbeatable insight of consumer drinking culture through their award-winning festival - their goal is to champion excellence in all forms and close the gap between the two sides of the bar.   

Their consultancy work to date has included the creation of global commercial strategies, industry landscape reports, plus foundations and frameworks for start-up businesses. They regularly contribute to global judging panels, seminars and national and international press pieces - and through their connections, they help ensure the right people always find each other - through head-hunting, agency introductions and advocacy.  

The Pinnacle Guide

Hannah & Siobhan co-founded The Pinnacle Guide in 2022 - a brand new 1, 2 & 3 PIN recognition system for the world’s best cocktail bars.  

This enormous undertaking has not been seen before and the pair, along with their business partner Dan Dove, are leading the conversations amongst the most prominent and influential voices in the global hospitality scene. The first PIN will be awarded in 2024.

London Cocktail Week 

As co-founders and organisers of the world’s biggest cocktail festival, the pair have been on the ground of the London drinks scene since 2010. Over the last twelve years the festival has welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests and injected millions into the London nightlife economy. 

On an international stage, the festival has become a blueprint for multiple Cocktail Weeks across the world and is universally recognised to be the best example of a cocktail festival globally. As such they have also launched The Cocktail Week Collective - a global network for all the owners and organisers of this type of festival around the world. 

The pair first met whilst working at Difford's Guide, where they worked on the hugely successful book series and website - whilst also building London Cocktail Week. They went on to create other successful offshoot festivals - London Wine Week, London Beer Week, Espresso Martini Fest and Scotch Whisky Weekend to name a few - and gave them an online home with DrinkUp.London, which closed in 2020. In 2021 they sold their shares in London Cocktail Week but remain very much at the helm as they move into their fifteenth year of the award-winning festival.