Review: Time for tea at Aberdeen’s Café Bohème

Fairy lights? Check. Brussels sprouts? Check. Shopped till you’ve dropped? Check. After all those festive preparations – and, let’s face it, a rather trying year for us all – there couldn’t be a better time to indulge in a pre-Christmas treat. As we headed down to Aberdeen’s Café Bohème, a gorgeous restaurant that pairs Scottish…

Read More

How Scotch helped Belvedere enhance vodka’s flavour

Vodka brand Belvedere took a leaf from whisky’s book to create its latest drink. Peter Ranscombe finds out why. VODKA is – if I’m feeling generous – a blank canvas on which bartenders can paint exciting pictures through cocktails. At its best, it’s neutral and unobtrusive; at its worst, it’s just plain boring. You can…

Read More

Alcohol-free ‘spirits’ up 30%

SALES of alcohol-free “spirits” in the UK are up 30% year-on-year, according to market research firm Neilsen. Shoppers have spent £5.4 million buying 171,000 litres of alcohol-free “spirits” in supermarkets so far this year, analysts said. Many alcohol-free “spirits” use herbs, berries, roots and botanicals to create flavours similar to gin, prompting their use in…

Read More

Ivy’s floral flourishes in Edinburgh and Glasgow

THE Ivy restaurant chain has brought a splash of colour to its outlets in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Ivy on the Square in Edinburgh has turned its terrace into “a magical greenhouse and garden”. Meanwhile, The Ivy Buchanan Street has brought “a touch of the jungle to Glasgow’s Style Mile”. The Glasgow branch has created…

Read More

Morningside’s holy corner gets foodie makeover

HOLY corner in Edinburgh’s Morningside district has been transformed into a marketplace for foodies thanks to one of the area’s newest arrivals. Food and drink venue McLarens on the Corner opened in a former bank just weeks before the lockdown began. Now, the site has teamed up with its siblings from pub chain Signature Group…

Read More

Distillers launch a new drinks apothecary range

The Harris Wild Rose Tincture is the first release from the Isle of Harris Distillery’s new drinks apothecary range. Designed to complement Isle of Harris Gin serves and cocktails, the range is created in collaboration with plantswoman and herbalist Amanda Saurin. It can be added as required to create subtle new variations of the Harris…

Read More

New blended whisky is guaranteed to be Waterproof

MacDuff International has launched its new blended malt Scotch whisky, named Waterproof. Waterproof aims to stand out from the crowd, as the bottle is yellow, while the contents are sourced from a handful of top distilleries. The sherry-influenced whisky is batch bottled at higher than normal strength, while its name and look have been inspired…

Read More

Ardbeg Blaaack is released for a double celebration

Ardbeg Distillery is releasing a special whisky to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ardbeg Committee and its black sheep members. Held on the final Saturday of Islay’s Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle), Ardbeg Day is a global, annual celebration of all things Ardbeg. This year, the Distillery is inviting smoky malt whisky…

Read More

An alternative dining experience for Galentine’s Day

The Ivy Buchanan Street has teamed up with Veuve Clicquot to offer guests an alternative dining experience this Galentines – Thursday, 13 February, to celebrate the strength of female friendships. Anyone that reserves a table of four or more from 6pm onwards will receive a complimentary bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé 75cl. Whether you’re…

Read More