LIST PROMOTION
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Six months ago, The Smirnoff Co. cherry-picked a panel of international barflies and sent them on a year-long trip around the world's best cities. They selected ten bright young things from creative industries. Their mission? To seek out the best and most original nightlife in each city and report back. So far, they've brought in the New Year in Sydney, danced at the carnival in Brazil and been clubbing with Moscow's biggest DJs. When the group arrived in Scotland for the European leg of their tour, they were getting over jetlag from a three-week stint in Japan. But like the professional night owls they are, they power napped, slapped their faces with cold water and were ready to hit the town. Smirnoff lO's Akona (22, from South Africa) reports back on their nights out, as they hopped and snapped their way around Glasgow on a Friday night, then headed through to Edinburgh on Saturday. We tagged along for the ride.
GLASGOW
‘We can hear a banging rock band playing
7 in the basement but we stay upstairs in the
. . bar, which is relaxed with a good, arty vibe. THE ARCHES BAR, STEREO, Renfleld Ln Ania orders an organic strawberry beer, Argyle St which she makes everyone taste because it’s so delicious. Wandering around the city this afternoon, we could tell there’s a strong fashion, music and arts scene and this bar captures that. We also find the people in Glasgow ane super-friendly - some lady gave us free subway passes that she wasn’t going to use, which was really cool. It makes a big change from Tokyo where people in the street can sometimes seem cold.’
‘We start our night in The Arches Bar. I’m loving the atmosphere while John admires the beautiful building with its brick walls and metal beams. There’s nothing like this in Toronto, he says. We’ve heard this is Sgsuzfsegsggtxisngeght ‘This is how we imagined Scottish pubs would look inside - warm, . tonight there,s no c’lub on so . friendly and packed with people chatting. Glasgow reminds Stephanie we check out the exhibitién _ of Newcastle, not just because of the weather, but the well-dressed instead The difference VARIETY, Sauchiehall St groups of girls passing by on Sauchiehall Street. Ben thinks the bar’s the chilled upstairs orange glow would make a good backdrop for a film, which starts area with Ioungy seating and Takashi talking about his all-time favourite, Trainspotting. He’s disappointed we can’t Vi5it The Volcano, the buzzier bar underneath [the west end nightclub featured in the film] as it’s now apartments, but he’ll be, able to re-enact the works real'y welL You can running along Princes Street scene (in Edinburgh) tomorrow, so he gets over it.
soak up the bar vibe or sit
with friends
and chat, _ O . O
depending . . ‘We saw a hen party heading in to this Russian themed
on your - . -. . vodka bar and had to check it out . . . I get my air guitar mood, ‘3 " _ on to hits from Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson, After STAVKA, Sauchiehall St while Luiza scans the bar and soaks up the lively sampling v atmosphere. We all think Scottish are a fashionable bunch the ,. ‘ - we’ve definitely seen more dapper guys here than in London. Men seem to dress well and mojitos, . make an effort.’
we grab “
some
hearty
local
cuisine THE SMIRNOFF 10 ARE: Akona Ndungane. 22, South Africa. advertising exec: Ania
and head Nidzgorska, 27. Poland, photographer; Ben Robinson III, 29, USA. editor; Benjarit
onto our Nimboonchaj, 28. Thailand. DJ: John Watson, 25. Canada. director: Kareem Minhas. 24. next stop.’ Canada. dept manager: Stephanie Prentice, 23. UK, journalist: Takashi Sugitsuka. 26. Japan. editor: Audette Tafich. 26. Mexico. DJ manager; Luiza Sobral. 23, Brazul. reporter