Capital group sets sights on seasonal serves
EDINBURGH’S reputation for great mixology was reinforced last year when global cocktail festival Tales of the Cocktail stepped out of America for the first time to visit the capital.
And as Christmas approaches, the city’s burgeoning reputation for great mixed drinks means the trade stands to benefit.
Edinburgh-based multiple operator The Big Red Teapot, which has four bars in the capital – Hamilton’s, Treacle, The Blackbird and The Voyage of Buck – is preparing to do just that.
Paul McDonald, manager of Hamilton’s, said that as consumers are often looking to treat themselves during the festive period, he and his team “need to make sure that they are offering them something different”.
“Adding new drinks for the festive season is a really good way of offering your customers that something extra that makes their experience better,” he said.
“Using seasonal ingredients is always important when creating a drink. Beyond that, we’ve looked at winter and Christmas itself, and some of the things and places it makes us think of.
“For example, our New York Sour is inspired by images of a city under snow and a lifetime of Christmas films set in the Big Apple.
“Taking ideas from the things we associate with Christmas gives us greater scope in creating new drinks.”
Meanwhile, The Voyage of Buck’s manager, Mike McGinty, underlined the importance of promoting seasonal serves online.
“Social media is a really important part of promoting winter serves, at Christmas, more so than any other time of year,” he said.
“New media is such a visual medium, that you need convey the story of the drink within the setting of the photograph.”
