Shaken And Stirred

Edinburgh's cocktail renaissance is in full swing, blending tradition and innovation with a splash of local flavour

- DANIELLA THEIS

WHEN it comes to cocktails and those drinking them, Scotland has gone through a vast transformation. Once something sipped by the few, the mixed drinks have now become something more of us are enjoying regularly.

Living in Glasgow, I have been lucky to witness this change first hand. Speakeasys and dedicated cocktail bars, each with their own exciting menu and unique charm, have sprung up in recent years, all frequented not just by trendy, young hipsters, but a whole host of people.

The Last Bookstore, with its high ceilings lined with 8,000 books, and which opened to much fanfare late last year, is one such example.

Being presented with the chance to join a “cocktail safari” in Edinburgh ahead of the Diageo World Class GB Cocktail Festival this spring, I gladly accepted.

The annual event saw bars across the city and the rest of Scotland serve limited-edition cocktails, made by some of the nation’s best drink mixers, who had just been awarded a slot on the Top 100 list of Diageo World Class 2025 competition, which seeks to find the world’s best bartender.

At our first stop, Gleneagles Townhouse at St Andrew’s Square, I was instantly taken aback by the ingredients listed in the three cocktails we had come here to try. Never in my » life had I seen guacamole, tortilla or haggis as ingredients for a cocktail, yet here they were, combined to make the so-called Fire and Thistle cocktail by resident bartender Jack Smith.

Jack, like other contestants, was tasked with creating three limited-edition cocktails for the festival and adjacent World Class 2025 competition, using either The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whisky or Don Julio Tequila, while taking inspiration from their local community.