Edinburgh Cocktail Week returns to the capital next week

Edinburgh Cocktail Week returns to the Scottish Capital next week, Monday 14th – Sunday 20th October, with its biggest programme of tempting tipples and pop-ups across the city including a new Cocktail Forest, Rooftop Cocktail Domes at The Glasshouse Hotel, an expanded Cocktail Village at Festival Square and over 70 of Edinburgh’s finest cocktail bars – all serving £4 cocktails.

Following its successful introduction to the festival last year, the Cocktail Village returns to Festival Square, expanding in size and experience with a new Forest themed extension – a dark enchanted space featuring a wigwam, pop-up bars, giant toadstools, log seating, a forest floor & canopy, and a twinkling night sky – inviting festivalgoers to escape the city and go ‘camping with cocktails’.

Acting as the social epicentre of the week-long festival, the Cocktail Village is bursting with 19 pop-up bars, street food, masterclasses, live music and entertainment. It is beautifully decorated in the style of an autumn garden with grass flooring, a clear rooftop, swings, picnic tables and floral installations, making guests feel like they are at an outdoor festival while being in the comfort of an enclosed marquee. Entry to both the Cocktail Village and Forest is free with an ECW wristband (£6 weekday / £8 weekend) and all cocktails inside are just £4 each. Pop-up bars this year include Edinburgh Gin, Belvedere Vodka, Patron Tequila, Johnnie Walker, Highland Park, Pickering’s Gin, Absolut Vodka, The Port of Leith Distillery, Lindores Abbey, the Herringbone Horsebox, Poco Prosecco, The Pop Up Geeks, and many more. In addition to cocktails, there will also be craft beers on offer from Pilot Beer and a selection of tasty food available from The Shawarma Shack, Norelli Pizza, The Butcher Boy and The Mac Shack in a new stretch tent covered street food area.

Another exciting addition to this year’s festival are the Cocktail Domes on the rooftop garden of The Glasshouse Hotel. This is the first time these fully transparent domes will appear in Edinburgh, offering festivalgoers a unique opportunity to enjoy views of the city’s iconic skyline while snapping Instagram-worthy pictures and sipping on a menu of £4 cocktails from Tanqueray No. Ten Gin,Johnnie Walker Whisky, Ketel One Vodka, Casamigos Tequila and Belsazar Vermouth. Each dome comfortably seats 8 people and will be styled with sofas, cushions, blankets and fairy lights to create a super-cute and cosy setting for guests to relax and socialise in. Entry to the rooftop garden is free with an ECW wristband but reservations are essential to guarantee exclusive use of a Cocktail Dome. There will also be a number of free-to-enter domes available for walk-ins offered on a first-come basis. Cocktails can be enjoyed in the garden area and hotel bar if visitors wish to wait for seats in domes to become available.

There are over 70 bars taking part in this year’s Edinburgh Cocktail Week, each serving a £4 signature cocktail, available exclusively to wristband-holders. New bars taking part this year include Cold Town House, Cask Smugglers, Smoke & Mirrors, The Barologist, Camera, Damm 27 and The Garden, as well as returning favourites The Refinery, Harvey Nichols, Tigerlily, Skybar, Tonic, Copper Blossom, The Voodoo Rooms and Brewhemia. This year also sees the introduction of non-alcoholic cocktails to the festival in partnership with Seedlip.

Between visiting the Cocktail Village, Rooftop Domes and participating bars, wristband-holders can hop between a week-long programme of unique events and experiences across the city including a Classic Movie & Cocktails Night at the Scotsman Picturehouse (screening La La Land), bespoke tours of the newly opened Holyrood Distillery, Morning Yoga with Seedlip overlooking Edinburgh Castle, an evening of cocktails aboard the stunning Fingal in Leith docks, an Edinburgh Gin Brunch Extravagaaaaanza, Cocktail Afternoon Tea at The Waldorf Astoria, masterclasses with Beefeater and Eden Mill, and a Highland Park Winter Terrace on the rooftop of Cold Town House.

Organiser Gary Anderson commented said: “I’m delighted to see Edinburgh Cocktail Week back for its third year. This is our biggest festival yet and I look forward to seeing everyone exploring the new pop-up spaces, events and bars around the city, and having a great day out with their friends. We’re already working on plans for next year but that’s all top secret for the moment.”

Wristbands are on sale now at www.edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk priced at £6 for a weekday wristband (valid Monday – Friday), £8 for a weekend wristband (valid Saturday & Sunday) and £13.50 for a week-long wristband.