Drink of the week: a cherry-soaked Chilean take on a Manhattan

We love a cocktail at Alba, so we’ve asked mixologists from across Scotland to share the recipe for their signature drink. We’ll update the list regularly, so if you’re a cocktail fan, make sure you save this page. And please let us know if you’ve come across any bars or drinks worth shouting about in the comments section below. We’ll check them out ourselves, and add the best of them to our list. Slainte mhath!
By Downstairs at Betty’s, Edinburgh
“I came up with this recipe myself,” says Stefan Creran, general manager at Downstairs at Betty’s, a new cocktail and piano bar on Charlotte Lane. “It is a blend of an El Capitán to represent my Chilean roots, and a classic Manhattan, a nod to my business partner Matt Colagiuri.”
• 25ml Ragtime Rye whisky• 10ml Aba pisco• 10ml Lucky Liqueurs Smoky Cherry• 10ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino• 3 dashes saline• Cherry bitters• Black walnut bitters• 1 cherry, frozen, to garnish
1. Add the whisky, pisco, smoky cherry, vermouth and saline to a mixing glass, stir for 15-20 seconds until ice cold and slightly diluted.
2. Strain into a Nick and Nora or cocktail coupe, mist the glass with 1 spray of cherry bitters and 1 spray of black walnut bitters.
3. Garnish with a frozen cherry.
by Knipoch House hotel nr Oban
This refreshing summer drink uses Sonas gin, made with apples, kelp, hawthorn berries and meadowsweet from the shores and gardens at Knipoch’s sister hotels on Skye. “Enhanced by the delicate flavour of elderflower and tart cranberry,” says Knipoch’s Cameron Campbell, “it transports you to perfect summer days on the Isle of Skye.”
• 50ml Sonas gin• 12.5ml elderflower cordial• 12.5ml lime juice• 50ml cranberry juice• 50ml apple juice• 2 cucumber slices• 1 sprig mint
1. Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.2. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with two cucumber slices and a sprig of mint.
by Maison by Glaschu, Glasgow
“The Maison royale is a delightful twist on the Kir royale,” says Ewan Angus from the buzzing Princes Square restaurant and champagne bar that launched in spring 2024. “The addition of limoncello gives it a refreshing citrus kick that looks fantastic and really draws the eye.”
• 15ml crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)• 10ml limoncello• Prosecco, to top up
1. Add the blackberry liqueur to a champagne flute, and then carefully pour in the limoncello. Slightly denser than prosecco but lighter than the liqueur, it will naturally form a middle layer.2. Take a bar spoon with a disc at the bottom, hold it just above the limoncello layer, and slowly pour the prosecco over the disc. This slows the pour, helping to layer the prosecco on top of the limoncello.
By Eden Mill distillery near St Andrews
“Our beautiful banana sour is reminiscent of foam banana sweets,” says Hannah Ingram from Eden Mill, the Fife distillery that runs cocktail masterclasses at the Huxley bar in Edinburgh. “The sweetness of the banana syrup blends wonderfully with the whisky, and there’s a touch of tartness from the lemon juice, plus a pleasing mouthfeel from the foam. It all culminates in a smooth, rich, nostalgic summer serve.”
• 50ml The Guard Bridge blended whisky• 35ml Monin banana syrup • 20ml lemon juice • 1 egg white or foamer • Dried banana chips, to garnish
1. Add all the ingredients (except the banana chips) into a shaker and shake.2. Open the shaker, fill it with ice then shake again until the outside is cold.3. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a dried banana chip.
By Borders Distillery, Hawick
“This cocktail makes me think of juicy jam-filled doughnuts,” says its creator, Olivia Pattison, from Borders Distillery in Hawick. “Based on our WS:02 blended Scotch whisky, we add a dollop of raspberry jam to create a lovely summer drink that bursts with frothy, fruity sweetness.”
• 50ml The Long & Short of It• 20ml lemon juice• 10ml ruby port• 10ml grenadine• Spoonful raspberry jam• Egg white• Ice
1. Place all ingredients except ice into cocktail shaker and dry shake hard.2. Now add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe.
By Lochrin, Edinburgh
Opened this summer, Lochrin is a rooftop bar with stunning terrace views at the Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge hotel. The bar manager Calum Gilhooly has created his signature cocktails with Edinburgh’s legends in mind. This one is inspired by the sleeping dragon said to have morphed into Arthur’s Seat.
“Naturally, I had to include dragonfruit syrup in this signature cocktail,” Gilhooly says. “And then pisco to help create the colour. It’s a refreshing cocktail with lemon and lime juice that is perfect to sip and soak in our superb city views.”
• 25ml pisco• 25ml Ben Lomond raspberry and elderflower gin• 12.5ml lime juice• 12.5ml dragonfruit syrup• 12.5ml grenadine• 1 x dropper Ms Better’s Bitters Miraculous Foamer• Dragonfruit slice for garnish
1. Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.2. Shake vigorously to create a substantial foam, then pour into a coupe glass3. Garnish with the dragonfruit slice
By Le Petit Beefbar, Edinburgh
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour wasn’t great news for all Scots, but Edinburgh’s bars were understandably quick to cash in, adding ahem, vast quantitays of Swift-inspired drins to their cocktail menus.
This one gets its name from a song on Swift’s 2020 album, Evermore, and is a combination of London dry gin and house crafted flower syrup (though Le Petit Beefbar’s head bartender, Orlane Affortit, says it’s OK to use shop-bought syrup if making at home).
Topping it off with champagne rosé, Affortit adds a dash of lemon juice to give it zest, and a fun candyfloss garnish, which you can buy in supermarkets.
• 45ml London dry gin• 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice• 5ml elderflower syrup• 5ml hibiscus syrup• 80ml champagne rosé• Candyfloss, to garnish
1. Put all the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.2. Pour into a champagne flute and garnish with the candyfloss.
by La Barra De A70 at Gleneagles
This fruity, summery cocktail comes from La Barra De A70 at Gleneagles, a new summer pop-up (with a dog-friendly terrace) inspired by the flavours of Latin America. The bar is open until the end of August and serves a selection of summery cocktails, as well as Latin-American dishes.
“This is a fruity take on the classic Paloma,” says Michele Mariotti, the head of Gleneagles’ bars. “The addition of the strawberry liqueur cuts through the grapefruit, giving it a sweeter taste. It’s a great sundowner, but equally good for long lazy lunches in the sun.”
40ml tequila (we like Casamigos)20ml strawberry liqueurgrapefruit soda, to top upA grapefruit wedge, to garnish
1. Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes. Add the tequila and strawberry liqueur and stir to combine.2. Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
by Scotty Brand
The recipe for this classic summer cocktail comes straight from one of Scotland’s oldest food brands. Using Perthshire strawberries, it’s just the drop for for a little after work Wimbledon viewing over the next couple of weeks.
Serves 2
• 20ml lime juice, plus 2 slices, to garnish• 100g Scotty Brand strawberries, chopped, plus 2 left whole to garnish• Lots of crushed ice• 80ml white rum
1. Combine the ice with the chopped strawberries, lime juice, and rum. Pulse in a blender.2. Serve in coupe glasses and garnish with a whole fresh strawberry and a slice of lime each.
By Celantano’s, Glasgow
Celentano’s mixologists Anna Parker and Erin Calvin make their own liqueurs and cordials for their cocktails, using herbs grown in the restaurant garden and honey from bees kept in their own courtyard. The good news is you can just use a shop-bought vermouth if making your own from wine, spices and orange peel feels like too much bother. If you are buying vermouth, choose one on the dryer side.
• 50ml Cazcabel tequila• 37.5ml dry white vermouth• Fresh orange peel• Slice of orange, to garnish
• Add the tequila and white vermouth to a mixing glass or tin.• Twist the orange peel over a the glass, expressing its oils into the liquid. Fill to the brim with ice and stir with a bar spoon for 30-45 seconds until icy cold and slightly diluted.• Strain into a rocks glass, over one large ice cube. Garnish with the slice of orange.
From Corset Club, Glasgow
Inspired by the André Aciman’s novel, Call Me by Your Name is a spin on a classic peach martini. “It works really well for batch cocktails if you’re hosting,” says Corset Club’s Callum Raymound Young. “Just multiply the recipe to suit, decant into something freezer-proof and freeze until you’re ready to serve — it’ll stay liquid.”Opened in March in Merchant City, Corset Club is a new LGBTQ+ cocktail lounge and show bar, serving up cabaret, drag, comedy — and killer cocktails named after LGBTQ+ films and books.
• 25ml Monkey 47 gin• 12.5ml Lillet Blanc • 12.5ml peach schnapps• Dash of peach bitters• A slice of peach, to garnish
1. Add all the liquid ingredients to a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir gently to combine.2. Single strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.3. Garnish with a slice of peach.
by Cardinal, Edinburgh
“Sours may be the oldest cocktails of all,” says Ben Mansour, formerly the bar manager at Tomas Gormley’s Skua, now the general manager at Gormley’s new restaurant Cardinal. “They go back as far back as the punch houses of 1600s London.”
Cardinal’s sour uses an apple cider brandy aged for three years in ice-cider casks from Somerset. “It has a wonderful warmth and depth,” Mansour says. “The flavours tend to be more towards the dried/stewed end of the apple spectrum, which is quite savoury. So we decided to incorporate a little homemade peach liqueur as well (though I’ve swapped it for peach schnapps here, as it can be bought in shops).
It needs to be shaken hard, not just to for the essential dilution from the ice, but to generate that distinct blanket of pillowy foam that develops as the drink settles into the glass. Fresh, rich, sweet and sour, with real body — it has everything”
• 25ml calvados (or apple cider brandy)• 25ml homemade peach liqueur (or peach schnapps)• 25ml lemon juice• 10ml cane sugar syrup• 1 egg white (or vegan equivalent)
1. Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.2. Shake hard then strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
by Isle of Bute Distillery, Rothesay
“Our Oyster Gin makes the perfect base for this martini,” says Iona Buick from Isle of Bute Distillery in Rothesay. “To make the gin, we charge our still with the shells of wild oysters — it creates a delicate but distinctive maritime essence. So this martini pairs really well with seafood.”
• 50ml Isle of Bute Oyster Gin• 12.5ml fino sherry• Pinch of salt
1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir gently to combine.2. Finely strain into a chilled martini glass of your choice.
by Rascal, Glasgow
“The combination of spirit, lime and sugar is a classic,” says Jack Cain at Rascal, a buzzing new cocktail bar in the West End of Glasgow. “The balance of sweetness and acidity is the foundation of any good cocktail. Isle of Harris Gin’s flavour profile of juniper, citrus and dry maritime notes is accentuated by the tart lime juice and balanced by sweet strawberry, making a well-rounded and delicious cocktail.
“The name itself is inspired by a tradition in St Kilda, where men who wished to marry would prove their worthiness by walking to the edge of the Lover’s Stone. There, high on a cliff edge, they would have to balance on one leg to prove their ability to support their future wife.”
• 50ml Harris gin• 25ml fresh lime juice• 25ml strawberry syrup• 1 egg white
1. Separate egg white into the shaker then add all other ingredients.2. Shake hard without ice to emulsify egg white, then fill shaker to the top with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds.3. Double strain into a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice on the rim.
by El Santo, Glasgow
Andy Samuel, the creator of Shipyard Gin, devised this zingy cocktail exclusively for El Santo Latin American Bar & Restaurant in Glasgow. “I chose pineapple because it is indigenous to South America, so it naturally fits with El Santo’s vibrant Latin American theme,” he says.
“My Shipyard Gin has lemon peel in it, along with locally sourced natural botanicals, so it pairs really well with citrus-based drinks.”
• 50ml Shipyard Gin• 25ml pineapple juice• 25ml lime juice• 25ml mint syrup• Splash of ginger ale• Mint leaves and a pineapple wedge for garnish
1. Place all the liquid ingredients apart from the ginger ale into a shaker with ice.2. Shake then strain into a highball glass with ice, and top up with ginger ale.3. Garnish with mint leaves and a pineapple wedge.
by Lady Libertine, Edinburgh
Douglas Murray, the bar manager at Lady Libertine, infuses this creamy cocktail with a dash of cognac. “It has a tantalising hint of fruitiness,” he says. “And the tonka beans in the double cream complements the boozy ice cream flavours beautifully.”
Makes 2
• 10g tonka beans• 100ml sugar syrup• 45ml double cream• 30ml crème de menthe• 50ml Rémy Martin VSOP cognac• 30ml crème de cacao• 4 dashes of bitters• Mint leaves and grated dark mint chocolate, to garnish
1. Grate the tonka beans into the sugar syrup in a saucepan, then heat gently so it steeps, then strain and cool.2. Stir 15ml tonka-infused syrup into the double cream, then mix this and all the other liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake hard and double strain into rocks glasses.3. Garnish with the mint and a sprinkle of chocolate.
by Holyrood Distillery, Edinburgh
“Texture is key to this cocktail,” says Holyrood Distillery’s mixologist, Elsie Cinnamond. “Egg white makes it frothy and our Height of Arrows gin uses beeswax at distillation, which adds a silky creaminess.
“Not all recipes call for dry vermouth but we included it as it adds dimension and layers to a drink that could easily be overwhelmed by raspberry. It brings out the complex herbal notes of the juniper berry; highlighting the beautiful flavours of our classic gin.”
• 45ml Height of Arrows gin• 15ml dry vermouth• 25ml lemon juice• 25ml raspberry syrup• 3-4 drops of cocktail foamer or 1 egg white or 20ml aquafaba (chickpea water)• Raspberries, to garnish
1. Dry shake (shake without ice) all the liquid ingredients for about 10 seconds to emulsify the foaming agent.2. Once frothy, add ice to the shaker and shake again to chill and dilute. 3. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a few raspberries.
By the Potting Shed at Si!, Irvine
“The flavour combo in this margarita recipe has a perfect balance of salty, spicy and sweet,” says Ryan Jarvis from the Potting Shed at Si!, which launched last year on the edge of Irvine race course. Jarvis sprinkles fresh pineapple with demerara sugar before charring it over an open flame.
• 25ml Don Julio Blanco tequila• 25ml Cointreau liqueur• 25ml fresh pineapple juice• 25ml lime, freshly squeezed• 25ml gomme (sugar syrup)• 3 chilli slices• Pineapple slice, to garnish• 1 tsp demerara sugar, to garnish
1. Shake all the liquids with the chilli slices in a cocktail shaker for 20 seconds.2. Double strain and serve in a chilled and salt-rimmed coupe.3. Sprinkle the sugar over the pineapple and char with a blowtorch. Add as garnish on the glass’s rim.
This rum cocktail recipe was created by Sasha Petraske, the owner of Milk & Honey bar in New York, one of the first speakeasy-style cocktail bars now seen in hipster hoods the world over.
“We had to have it on our launch menu,” says Steven Aitken, who with co-founder Jamie Shields has opened Ruma, a specialist rum bar on Broughton Street, Edinburgh. “We pair delicious Dominican rum with coffee liqueur made in Scotland. We top it with an indulgent layer of velvety cream. It’s simple but elegant, a perfect rum alternative to an espresso martini.”
• 45ml Dominican rum• 45ml Cross Brew coffee liqueur• Oat cream, whipped• A few shavings of 70 per cent dark chocolate
1. Shake the rum and coffee liqueur with ice and double strain into a coupe glass.2. Top with whipped oat cream and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.
by Scotch Whisky Bar, Balmoral Hotel
“We are always looking to add our own touch to traditional cocktails while paying respect to the classic recipe,” says Cameron Ewen from Scotch, the whisky bar at the Balmoral. “In this cocktail we use ingredients such as red apple and local heather honey to create a beautiful and floral variation of a Rob Roy. The apple works extremely well with both the light and fruity Speyside whisky and the rich and spicy character of the Cypress Bowl bitters.”
• ¼ red apple, peeled• 35ml whisky, such as Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment• 10ml heather honey • 25ml Cocchi Americano Rosso • 2 dashes Ms Better’s Cypress Bowl bitters
1. Dice the apple, add to the whisky, and leave to infuse overnight in an airtight container.2. Stir the honey into 5ml of boiled water and leave to cool.3. Strain the apple-infused whisky, then add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake to cool and pour into a glass to serve.
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By Cromlix hotel, Dunblane
The Scotland the Best author Peter Irvine reckons Cromlix has the best hotel art in Scotland. We reckon the drinks ain’t bad either, especially its take on an espresso martini, which Cromlix’s sommelier and beverage manager, Sarah Peel, garnishes with orange zest and chocolate popping candy. “I love the aroma of the fresh zest and the fun of the crackle. It’s a great cocktail to drink with dessert — or even instead of it.”
• 25ml dark crème de cacao• 25ml Kahlúa or coffee liqueur• 25ml Grand Marnier• 1 double shot of espresso coffee• Orange zest and chocolate popping candy, to garnish
1. Add the liquid ingredients to a boston glass or shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled (30 to 60 seconds).2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the orange zest and a sprinkle of popping candy.
By Torrish bar at Ness Walk hotel
“Tequila is really popular these days,” says Tomi Carlsson, the head barman at Ness Walk hotel’s Torrish bar. “I was playing around with flavours, and found that Storywood’s tequila, which is aged in whisky barrels, has a complexity that works really well in this cocktail. This recipe offers a pleasant acidity and hints of caramel and vanilla aromas coming through from the tequila adds a delightful finish.”
We say, to hell with the vanilla aromas — what about the shimmer dust? See you in Inverness.
• 25ml crème de framboise syrup• 25ml Storywood Speyside Tequila Reposado• 5ml freshly squeezed lime juice• A sprinkle of shimmer dust• 75ml Guy de Chassey champagne brut NV• Strawberry half, to garnish
1. In a champagne flute, mix the syrup with the tequila, lime juice and shimmer dust, and stir to combine.2. Top up with champagne and garnish with a strawberry half.
By the Lady Libertine, Edinburgh
“With any stirred-down and booze-forward drink, the key is great base spirits,” says Lady Libertine’s bar manager, Douglas Murray. “Courvoisier cognac has velvety fruit notes and lends itself excellently to this cocktail, combined with our blended vermouth which adds a slight bittersweet element to the drink. For me, the Harvard is a delectable digestif after a large meal, but can also be enjoyed outside on a warm, sunny afternoon. It’s versatile for nearly every occasion.”
• 50ml Courvoisier VSOP cognac• 25ml vermouth• 2 dashes Angostura bitters• A strip of orange zest, to garnish
1. Add the cognac, vermouth and bitters to a glass. Give it a nice long stir and strain into a chilled, but preferably frozen, coupette glass.2. Gently twist the orange zest to express the oils over the drink, then use it to garnish.
By August House, Glasgow
“We have twisted the classic negroni recipe to create a sweeter and lighter alternative,” says Callum Young from August House, which has a become a big hit with Glasgow’s after-work crowd since opening on Mitchell Street in 2022.
• 25ml Beefeater blackberry gin• 25ml Campari• 25ml Cocchi Rosa• Orange slice, to garnish
1. Add the gin, Campari and Cocchini Rosa to a mixing glass. Fill to the brim with ice and stir with a bar spoon for 30-45 seconds until ice cold and slightly diluted.2. Strain into a rocks glass, over crushed ice.3. Garnish with the orange slice.
By Eden Mill distillery, Guardbridge
“This is a great cocktail for Valentine’s Day,” says Hannah Ingram from Eden Mill. “Our pink Love Gin gives it a beautiful hue, and its light floral and vanilla notes pair brilliantly with the sweet raspberry syrup and the tart lemon juice. The smooth and luxurious foam adds a lightness that will sweep you off your feet.”
It’s easy to make at home, but you can learn from the pros at a Share the Love Gin session at Heads & Tales gin bar in Edinburgh.
• 50ml Love Gin• 30ml raspberry syrup• 20ml lemon juice• 1 egg white or 15ml vegan foamer• 1 raspberry and a mint leaf, to garnish
1. Add the ingredients except the garnishes to a shaker and shake really well. Add ice cubes and shake again.2. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with the raspberry and mint.
By the Gleneagles hotel
“We wanted to look at alternative ways of delivering that savoury note you get from the olive brine in a dirty martini,” says Michele Mariotti, the head of bars at Gleneagles.
“In this twist, we have infused the pickles directly in the vermouth, creating a crisp yet savoury martini. The minerality of the savoury vermouth enhances the vibrant citrussy notes of the Isle of Harris gin,” Mariotti adds.
• 150ml Cocchi dry vermouth• 30g pickled pearl onions• 20g samphire• 60ml of Isle of Harris gin• 2 cornichons, to garnish
1. Add the vermouth, onions and samphire to a container. Leave to infuse overnight in the fridge.2. Strain 15ml of the vermouth infusion into a mixing glass with ice. Add the gin.3. Stir, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with 2 cornichons.
By Rio Brazilian Steakhouse, Edinburgh
This is a shamelessly colourful creation from Rio Brazilian Steakhouse in the Assembly Rooms on George Street. Essentially a piña colada shot through with lurid blue curaçao, it “perfectly encapsulates the flavours and colours of the tropical Brazilian sunshine”, Rio’sRodrigo Grassi says.
• 37.5ml Marie Brizard blue curaçao• 25ml Havana Club 7-year-old rum• 25ml Funkin coconut cream• 25ml lime juice• 12.5ml gomme (sugar syrup)• 50ml pineapple juice• Pineapple leaf, maraschino cherry and orange slice, to garnish
1. Shake the liquid ingredients in a Boston shaker.2. Single-strain over crushed ice into a hurricane glass.3. Garnish with a crushed ice crown, a pineapple leaf, a maraschino cherry and an orange slice.
By Café Cùil, Skye
Not a cocktail, rather a winter warmer from Clare Coghill, the head chef at Café Cùil, which sits at the head of Loch Harport in the shadow of Skye’s Cuillin Hills. “I was creating my own mulled cider at home, and didn’t have any port or red wine,” she says. “So I reached for the next best thing — Buckfast!”
“It’s not just a drink to be enjoyed in our younger drinks years,” Coghill says. “Its sweet, almost medicinal flavour pairs perfectly with the winter spices. It’s a great drink to take with you in a flask at this time of year.”
Serves 6
• 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 cinnamon stick• ½ tbsp cloves • 1 star anise • 2 x 440ml cans of dry cider• ½ orange, plus slices, to garnish• 150ml Buckfast Tonic Wine
1. Place a heavy-bottomed pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the sugar and spices and warm until the sugar begins to caramelise and melt.2. Add the cider and orange, simmer for a few minutes.3. Pour into a jug or teapot, top with the Buckfast and stir. Serve in mugs, or pour into a flask to take somewhere.
By Turtle Bay, Glasgow
“What drink could better marry Caribbean flair with the spirit of Glasgow than a rum cocktail with an Irn-Bru mixer?” says Ben Hibbard, the marketing director at the Caribbean-inspired Turtle Bay chain, which has opened a fun restaurant on the corner of Hope Street and St Vincent Street.
“We found that the hint of ginger you get in Irn-Bru, along with its sweet, tangy flavour, works really well with common Caribbean ingredients,” Hibbard says. “Pairing Irn-Bru with a smooth, spiced rum like RedLeg cuts the sweetness, while the addition of falernum — a syrup made with ginger, lime, almond and cloves — brings a tropical twist that accentuates the citrus and spices.”
• 25ml RedLeg spiced rum• 25ml falernum syrup• About 200ml Irn-Bru• 2 dashes of bitters• A slice of lime, to garnish
1. Add ice cubes to a highball glass with the rum and falernum syrup, and stir well with a bar spoon until the glass is cold to the touch.2. Add ice cubes to the top of the glass and top up with Irn-Bru.3. Add the bitters, garnish with a lime slice, and serve with a straw.
by El Santito, Glasgow
Made with pineapple juice, a verdita is traditionally served as a palate cleanser in Mexico — or with a straight shot of tequila. At El Santito, a hidden speakeasy cocktail bar at El Santo restaurant in Merchant City, Panos Dimou adds jalapeños for extra heat. Dimou uses whole coriander, stem and all, for added flavour, but recommends just using the mint leaves, so you get a smoother texture.
Want to know more? El Santito also runs margarita masterclasses.
• 200ml pineapple juice• 20ml lime juice• 20g fresh coriander (including stems)• 10g fresh mint leaves• 5g jalapeños• 40ml tequila• 10ml Ancho Reyes ancho chilli liqueur• A cucumber slice and a sprig of mint, to garnish
1. Blend the pineapple and lime juice, herbs and jalapeños in a food processor for 20 seconds. Strain, then chill in the fridge until cool (don’t leave it in there too long or it will discolour).2. Remove from the fridge and add 50ml of the pineapple mixture, plus the tequila and chilli liqueur to a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice and sprig of mint.
by Isle of Harris distillery
Named after the 3.2-billion-year-old rock that forms the mountain spine of north Harris, Gneiss negroni uses just three main ingredients. “It has a multi-layered taste,” says Blair Sterrick from the Isle of Harris distillery. “You get sweet kelp flavours from our gin, citrus notes from the white port and festive spices from the bergamot liqueur.”
• Ingredients• 35ml Isle of Harris gin • 25ml white port • 20ml bergamot liqueur• Lemon slice, to garnish
Method1. Pour the liquid ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice cubes and stir for 10-15 seconds.2. Strain into a rocks glass and add a large ice cube. Garnish with the lemon slice.
By Talonmore Drinks Company, Edinburgh
This warming cocktail is alcohol-free, but thanks to the fiery brew of ginger, prickly pear, hawthorn berry and Assam tea found in Talonmore non-alcoholic spirit, it still has a background burn that replicates the hit of a strong dark spirit. “Married with booze-free Wavelength aperitif, it’s the perfect serve after a long wintry walk,” says Lewis Kennedy, the founder and managing director of Talonmore Drinks Company, which was launched in Edinburgh in 2020.
• 50ml Wavelength Ruby non-alcoholic aperitif• 50ml Talonmore non-alcoholic spirit• 100ml hot water• Orange slices and a cinnamon stick, to garnish
1. Pour all liquid ingredients into a heatproof glass or mug and stir well to combine.2. Garnish with the orange slices and cinnamon stick.
By Bluedog, GlasgowReopened in 2023 after a Brooklyn warehouse-chic makeover, Bluedog piano bar on George Street already has a name for innovative cocktails and great live music. This classic negroni by Bluedog’s Bartek Juraszek uses an Italian vermouth to add bittersweet notes. For every negroni bought £1 goes directly to Musicians Against Homelessness, the bar’s charity partner.
• 25ml Beefeater gin • 25ml Select Aperitivo• 25ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino• A twist of orange zest, to garnish
1. Add the gin, Select Aperitivo and vermouth to a mixing glass. Fill to the brim with ice and stir for 30-45 seconds until icy cold and slightly diluted.2. Strain into a rocks glass, over one large ice cube. Twist the orange zest over the top of the drink, expressing the oils, and drop into the glass to garnish.
by Fingal hotel, Leith
Fingal’s sommelier Matty Tomaszewski has created this fragrant martini, which is the signature cocktail at the hotel’s Lighthouse Bar. The Fingal gin lighthouse martini is made from the hotel’s very own new gin, served from a frozen lighthouse-shaped bottle. Tomaszewski mixes it with Wermod Great British vermouth made using 24 herbs, roots and flowers from the nearby Dalmeny Estate. He pickles the lemons himself with wine vinegar, caster sugar, juniper berries and coriander — but shop-bought preserved lemons will do.
• 65ml Fingal gin• 15ml Wermod Great British vermouth• Grapefruit bitters• To garnish • A preserved lemon, 2 or 3 juniper berries and 1 clove
1. Mix the gin, vermouth and a few drops of grapefruit bitters together in a freezer-proof bottle and chill in the freezer until ice cold.2. Once chilled, pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a strip of preserved lemon, 2 or 3 juniper berries and a clove.
by Woven Whisky Makers, Leith
A good highball needs a really punchy hit from the alcohol. “Let’s face it,” says Duncan McRae from Woven Whisky Makers in Leith, “soda or sparkling water isn’t that exciting, so you need a whisky with enough going on in it to keep the tastebuds satisfied, even as the drink dilutes.” This recipe uses Woven’s Superblend, a just-right marriage of Speyside single malts and spicy bourbon. “Layered together, the 11 different components create a blend that’s hugely complex yet balanced,” McRae says. “Even with soda you get a rich, mouth-coating flavour.”
• 50ml Woven Superblend• 150ml Vichy Catalan sparkling water• Orange zest, to garnish
1. Chill the whisky and water in the fridge until really cold.2. Combine in a highball glass over ice and garnish with the orange zest.
by Panda and Sons, Edinburgh
This crisp take on a classic cosmopolitan uses cryo-concentrated cranberry and oleo saccharum instead of cranberry juice to create a bright and complex taste and texture. Recreate a version at home with this recipe by Nicky Craig from Panda and Sons.
• 45ml Haku vodka• 15ml Grand Marnier • 10ml Eager cranberry juice • 5ml lime or orange peel syrup • 5ml lime juice• 2 dashes of orange bitters • Orange or lime peel, to garnish
1. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard.2. Double strain the liquid into cocktail glass. Garnish with orange or lime peel.
By Raging Bull, Edinburgh
Raging Bull is best known for its espresso martinis, but we also love its lemon negroni, which marries the bittersweet Select Aperitivo with Secret Garden’s lemon verbena gin. “Select Aperitivo is less bitter than most aperitivos,” says Raging Bull’s general manager Ross Mitchell. So it really allows the lemon verbena to come through, rather than overpowering it. An almost radiant red colour contrasted with the yellow of a lemon twist means the drink catches your eye, pulls you in and leaves you wanting more.
• 25ml Secret Garden lemon verbena gin• 25ml Cocchi Storico vermouth di Torino• 25ml Select Aperitivo• 2 dashes of lemon bitters• Thin strip of lemon peel
1. Add all the ingredients except the lemon peel to a mixing glass. Fill the glass with ice and stir with a spoon for about 1 min. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.2. Twist the lemon peel over the top of the drink, then drop into the glass to garnish.
By Cromlix House, Stirling
Cromlix’s sommelier Sarah Peel made this punchy spritz for the reopening of Andy Murray and Kim Sears’s hotel after its extensive refurb this summer. The name is a nod to the 77 years that elapsed between Fred Perry’s last Wimbledon win in 1936 and Murray’s first in 2013. The hotel sprinkles lavender dust (dehydrated lavender flowers ground with sugar) at the end, but it works fine without if you don’t have time.
• 20ml sugar• 20ml water• Handful of lavender flowers• 15ml violet liqueur • 15ml grapefruit juice • 100ml prosecco • 50ml soda water • A slice of lemon and a lavender flower, to garnish
1. Put the sugar, water and lavender flowers in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 min, then cool and strain to make a lavender syrup.2. Add the lavender syrup and remaining ingredients to a large glass filled with ice.3. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a lavender flower.
By Celentano’s, Glasgow
This twist on a classic spritz from the mixologists Anna Parker and Erin Calvin is perfect for tequila lovers who don’t like anything too sweet. It’s best sipped at Celentano’s, a Michelin-tipped Italian restaurant in Cathedral Square, but is easy to make at home.
• 50ml tequila blanco (we like Volcan Blanco)• 25ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice• 15ml freshly squeezed lime juice• 5ml agave syrup• Cava or prosecco to top (or soda if you want less alcohol)• Wedge of grapefruit, to garnish
1. Add the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave syrup to a Boston shaker. Fill with ice and shake well.2. Strain into a highball glass, add ice cubes, then top up with cava, prosecco or soda.Add a wedge of grapefruit to garnish.