British travellers love to enjoy a tipple at the airport to get in the holiday mood, with new research finding that for two thirds (66%) of people, a celebratory cocktail or mocktail at the airport is a ritual that signals the holiday has officially begun.

To mark this unofficial Great British tradition, Heathrow has partnered with Gordon Ramsay Plane Food and Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café to create four bespoke Airportifs (two cocktails and two mocktails), crafted to get passengers in the holiday mood.

While an aperitif is usually enjoyed at the start of a meal, the Airportif will help holidaymakers get their trips off to a flying start.

The Airportifs are purple cocktails and mocktails designed by expert mixologists at Gordon Ramsay Plane Food in Heathrow Terminal 5 and Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café in Terminal 2, with the purple shade reflecting Heathrow’s iconic brand colours.

Heston’s Airportif features London gin, British elderflower, blue Curaçao, grenadine and soda, while the cocktail from Plane Food features Beefeater Gin, blue Curaçao, lime, grenadine and Prosecco, with each ingredient carefully chosen to both represent the best Britain has to offer and to kick start the holiday feeling. Non-alcoholic mocktail versions of the Airportifs are also available, ensuring no traveller misses out on this Great British tradition.

Jose Cortés, Restaurant Manager at Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café, commented: “Our Airportif has been designed with passengers in mind, with each ingredient carefully chosen to represent premium British flavours that prime holidaymakers for their travels. Hopefully it’ll be love at first flight!”

With over a third of passengers (36%) revealing the first holiday snap they take is in the airport, and a fifth (21%) stating these snaps usually include their airport tipples, Heathrow has recruited renowned social media pro @TravelsByPaige to share her top tips for capturing picture-perfect shots of the new cocktail menu.

She has amassed over 83,000 followers on Instagram by sharing flight and holiday hacks and experiences. Paige Benattar commented: “As an avid traveller I’m frequently passing through the airport and like many I love a pre-flight tipple. Heathrow’s Airportifs are available throughout October as cocktails and mocktails, depending on what you fancy. Capturing the perfect shot of your drink is a bit of an artform at times, so I’ve shared my top five tips so everyone can show off their pre-flight drinks before jetting off to paradise.”

Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow commented: “At Heathrow, our priority is ensuring passengers can relax and get in the holiday mood from the moment they step foot in the airport. For many, this means grabbing a drink from one of our restaurants. We’ve created our limited-edition Airportifs with these travellers in mind, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy and get in the holiday spirit – and maybe share a not-so-subtle brag on social media while they’re at it!”

The Airportifs are available all day at Gordon Ramsay Plane Food in Terminal 5 and Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café in Terminal 2 now until 31 and 24 October respectively, with prices ranging from £9.50 to £14.50. Heathrow reminds passengers to always drink responsibly when travelling.

@TravelsByPaige’s top tips for capturing the perfect airport drinks selfie:

Position your drink so that it catches the light. A little bit of light from behind or to the side of you will mean the light goes through the liquid – this way you’ll see every bubble and those ice cubes in detail.

Turn on grid view and use the rule of thirds. Go to settings > camera > and switch grid on. This divides your camera screen into a three-by-three grid. Placing your photo’s main subjects (in this case, drinks) along these lines creates a more aesthetic image.

Shoot from the side, straight on and not too close up. You want to capture the side view of the drink and be able to see what’s inside the glass, not just what’s on top of it. The most interesting element of the drink should take up the most space, so angle your camera accordingly.

Focus your phone onto darker spots of the image to brighten things up. On iPhone – tap and hold where you want the camera to focus, this will lock the focus on your drink and you’ll see a slide bar pop up to allow you to adjust exposure – it’s a game changer!

Be mindful of the arrangement and what else is in shot. Add your passport cover or a pair of sunglasses to set the mood for your trip, but watch out for dirty plates, cutlery or napkins – they are not so picture perfect! Our brains like some symmetry, but not too much. To strike a balance, try to have unequal elements on opposite sides of the frame.