Festival FOOD & DRINK SUPPORTED BY
GIN IS KING Louise Stoddart rounds up a host of shows at this year’s festival celebrating the season’s favourite spirit
G in is summer’s spirit champion. And summer in Edinburgh is of course all about the Fringe, so it makes perfect sense that so many shows this year are bringing together gin- lovers and festival-goers through a diverse array of gin-themed events, tastings and tours.
Edinburgh Gin is hosting an Evening of Literature and Liquor following a sell-out show last year (Edinburgh Gin Distillery, 15, 22, 29 Aug). The West End-based distillery invites guests to listen to boozy tales from the late 1700s and sample many literary-inspired cocktails along the way. At the other end of town at Summerhall, Pickering’s Gin reveals all with its Gin Jolly (until 28 Aug, not 16, 23) giving ticket holders the chance to taste its full range of gin just metres from where it’s distilled. Or, if you fancy a sneak peek at some of Summerhall’s old labs (it used to be home to Edinburgh University’s veterinary science school), get yourself along to Locked In: The Distillery Escape (until 28 Aug, not 16, 23) to solve who is plotting the downfall of Pickering’s Gin.
During the final two weekends of the festival (20 & 21, 27 & 28 Aug), Gin on The Fringe set up
in Surgeons’ Hall to celebrate Scotland’s gins, as well as iconic brands from around the globe. In a four-hour session, visitors can sample various gins and chat with suppliers. Each event also invites a whisky and craft beer producer along. For something more novel, The Gin Whore (The Devil’s Cut, 27 & 28 Aug) spices things up with her tour celebrating the modern gin renaissance featuring naughty historic tales of hooch and harlots. Meanwhile over on Castle Terrace, two amateur 1940s detectives explore the threat of a gin shortage in London with The Gin Chronicles (artSpace at St Mark’s, until 25 Aug, not 21).
is boarding If gin-themed theatre isn’t up your street, Hendrick’s Extraordinary Roving Bus of Exceptionally Refined Travel (HERBERT, its passengers outside pictured) cocktail bar Bramble on Queen Street. The bus tours Edinburgh ‘disguised’ as a giant cucumber and serves up G&Ts, cocktails and cucumber macaroons. St Andrew Square is also hosting the Caorunn Artists’ Garden which offers cocktails and street food, and displays a selection of local artists’ work for you to browse while sipping.
5 P O T
D O O F
E T A L
OX184 Serious about booze, burgers and their wood- i red grill, OX184 stays lively until the wee hours. Cowgate, Old Town
NO 1 SUSHI BAR An authentic and efi cient sushi restaurant with an impressively concise menu. Home Street, Tollcross
THAI ORCHID Just a stone’s throw from Edinburgh Castle, Thai Orchid dishes up perfectly prepared Asian food. Johnston Terrace, Old Town CIVERINOS Italian street food served around communal tables in a laid-back setting with DJs playing at weekends. Hunter Square, Royal Mile
RED SQUIRREL This West End bar goes big for craft beers and burgers with speedy service on the side. Lothian Road, West End
RECOMMENDS . . . RECOMMENDS . . .
CIVERINOS CIVERINOS EDINBURGH
Forget what you know about Italian food – Civerinos is original, modern Italian street- food taken back to its
source. Enjoy your Italian dish with a chilled
Birra Moretti. civerinos.com
28 THE LIST FESTIVAL 11–18 Aug 2016