Aberdeen Cocktail Week: The cocktails we loved from the event

As Aberdeen Cocktail Week’s first appearance for 2025 draws to a close, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to highlight some of the delicious and innovative cocktails that we tried during the event. We couldn’t try them all, but of those that we did here are six venues and their stand out concoctions…

1. McGinty’s Meal an’ Ale  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

One of the standout cocktails of the week for me has to go to Where the Crawdads Drink from McGinty’s. If you, like me, are fond of fruity flavours this would be a drink for you. Think peach iced tea, now ramp up the peach flavour, add the Jack Daniels Honey and a hint of citrus to take the edge of the sweetness and you are left with this beauty. If someone could teach me to make this please so it can be my signature drink at parties?

Honourable Mention: The Secret Garden brought the classic flavours of gin, added a floral edge and paired it with apple juice making for a very pleasant and refreshing summer drink.

2. Moossh Cafe & Wine Bar  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The winning cocktail when we visited Moossh in Aberdeen’s West End was definitely the Buzzkill, although it did have stiff competition. With everything you could ask for from a refreshing tropical fruit cocktail, the Buzzkill complemented its tequila and pineapple flavours with a homemade hot honey syrup and a garnish of red chilli. It’s fair to say that this tropical drink spiced up the evening.

Honourable Mention: As a fan of a White Russian cocktail and East Asian flavours, the Golden Lotus is the perfect after dinner cocktail combining Thai glutinous rice infused gin, coconut milk, condensed milk and mango puree, served over ice and topped with coconut flakes and black sesame seeds.

3. Fierce Bar  ★ ★ ★ ★

Now these were some cocktails that I was excited to try due to the fact that they both incorporated beer in their ingredients. And they certainly didn’t disappoint. The favourite of the two has to be the B F G. With an ingredients list including Fierce’s own Noir Stout, coffee liqueur, crème de mûre and marashino cherry, the surprising cocktail had that standard thick feel of a stout beer with flavours of coffee and chocolate combined with blackberry and cherry it had a reminiscence of cherry cola bottles. Definitely one I would order again.

Honourable Mention: Rhubarbarian gets the honourable mention here, mixing Dark Matter Spiced Rhubarb Liqueur with cream soda and Fierce’s own Rhubard Infused Pale Ale it was like a nostalgia just slapped me about the mouth, taking me back to rhubarb and custard sweets in my youth.

4. Under the Hammer  ★ ★ ★ ★

As one of my favourite watering holes in Aberdeen, when I saw they were taking part in this event, how could I say no? With four cocktails on offer and a nod to the Spice Girls in their naming, the standout offering here, for me, has to be Citrus Spice. Extremely refreshing, the House of Elrick gin was really complemented by the citrus notes of the yuzu liqueur and pineapple juice, and was all topped off with a tajin rim.

Honourable Mention: Pink Spice brings together coconut vodka, strawberry, agave and crushed pink peppercorns for a little kick for an excellent drink. Although Ginger Spice looked rather tasty on the menu too.

5. The Noose & Monkey  ★ ★ ★ ★

Having popped into The Noose & Monkey it would have been amiss not to try their Cocktail Week offerings, with the crown here going to El Repeso. This tropical creation transported me to the Caribbean with its Havana Mezcal Rum and banana flavours. Combined with the chocolate bitters, lime juice and salt to break through the sweetness. Pass me my sunglasses, I’m off to find a hammock and sip this in the sea breeze (if only).

Honourable Mention: The Golden Hour’s tequila, pineapple and lime flavours were tied neatly in a bow with the addition of the ginger syrup, creating a tropical sweet drink that featured a note of spice.

6. The Spiritualist  ★ ★ ★

Arriving at The Spiritualist, I had my sights set on the Jasmine Peach Blossom, but as much as I love peach and tea flavours, I thought it best to broaden my horizons. Enter the Pink Dragon. This martini-esque creation mixes tequila and Cointreau with homemade grapefruit and dragon fruit cordial for a light and zingy sipping drink.

Honourable Mention: Clearly Mint ticked all the boxes for a refreshing cocktail, combining white rum, a homemade mint and lime cordial and citric acid to bring the classic taste of a mojito, enhanced ever-so-slightly with the addition of italicus.

Did you attend Aberdeen Cocktail Week? Head over to our socials and let us know your favourites of the event.  Aberdeen Cocktail Week is slated to return for a second event later in 2025. To keep up to date on when and for more information keep an eye on aberdeencocktailweek.com

Read more Reviews here.

Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.