Hi-Spirits is bringing a selection of its leading brands out in force when the Tales of the Cocktail festival comes to Edinburgh in April.
Southern Comfort, Buffalo Trace, Fernet Branca and Brooklyn Gin will all have a high-profile presence during Tales of the Cocktail on Tour, a five-day celebration of cocktail culture which runs in Edinburgh from 1- 5 April.
Hi-Spirits, UK distributor of a range of leading spirits brands, is making the most of the first visit of the touring version of the world’s leading cocktail festival to Europe. Activity in Edinburgh during Tales of the Cocktail on Tour includes:
· The Branca Breakfast, held at the Voyage of Buck bar on Saturday 1 April. Complimentary for the first 150 bartenders who collect Tales of the Cocktail tickets, this is an opportunity to stimulate appetites for the days ahead with classic Italian aperitif Fernet Branca. Voyage of Buck will also be serving a Branca Cocktail menu throughout the festival.
· A series of ‘Dynamic Duo’ pairs will see bartenders from the US and UK team up throughout the festival, with the first session, featuring Southern Comfort, held at the Hoot the Redeemer bar.
· The Southern Comfort #SouthernWelcome party at the Hoot the Redeemer bar, also on the first day of the festival. This will feature Southern Comfort cocktails matched to southern-style food, along with a live band.
· The acclaimed Buffalo Trace speakeasy-style Buffalo Bourbon Empire will set up shop in the Bryant and Mack Detective Agency cocktail bar for the duration of the festival. The whiskey selection will include three vintages of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, along with the Pappy Van Winkle whiskey range, and vintage cocktails made with Branca vermouth from the 1940s.
· There will also be a series of exclusive Buffalo Trace whiskey tastings for trade customers throughout the festival. Keep an eye on @buffalotraceuk for further details.
· Jason Coleman, Sazerac Brand ambassador from New Orleans, will team up with a UK bartender for a ‘Dynamic Duo’ session, held at Bryant and Mack on Sunday 2 April.
· All things Brooklyn come to the award-winning Bramble Bar & Lounge on Monday 3 April, with a ‘Dynamic Duo’ event spotlighting Brooklyn Gin. Jan Warren from Dutch Kills, New York pairs up with Bramble’s own Jon Hughes to create killer cocktails followed by old school Hip-Hop, street art, hot dogs and an exclusive performance from special guest DJ Jazzie B (Soul II Soul).
· Sazerac Rye Whiskey is sponsoring a seminar based on New Orleans Classic Cocktails, hosted by Phil Greene, cocktail historian, author and founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail. The event, on Monday 3 April, showcases brands including Sazerac Rye, Southern Comfort, Peychaud’s Bitters, Peychaud’s Aperitivo, Praline Liqueur and Herbsaint.
Dan Bolton, managing director of Hi-Spirits, said: “We’re delighted to be part of the warm welcome that Edinburgh is extending to Tales of the Cocktail on Tour on its first visit to Europe. We’ll be giving both bar professionals and cocktail lovers plenty to celebrate.”
The main Tales of the Cocktail festival was first held in 2002 and takes place in New Orleans every summer. Tales of the Cocktail on Tour was founded in 2011 to bring the spirit of the festival to other cities, as well as to celebrate the local cocktail culture of each host city.
The full schedule and details of timings in Edinburgh are online at www.talesofthecocktail.com/events/tales-on-tour/
For more information on Hi-Spirits brands, contact Hi-Spirits on 01932 252 100, email info@hi-spirits.com, or visit www.hi-spirits.com.
