AS THE city prepares for the cocktail event of the year to take place this autumn, organisers of Aberdeen Cocktail Week can now reveal the event’s current stellar line-up.
Running from Wednesday October 18 to Tuesday October 24, attendees are encouraged to explore the city’s thriving bar and hospitality scene by sampling exclusive cocktails while enjoying top deals.
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Announcing the first 20 venues that will participate in this year’s festival, organiser Gregor Sey has plenty of surprises up his sleeve for the celebration.
Four new bars have signed up for this year’s Aberdeen Cocktail Week. They include city centre venue Bartenders Lounge in Golden Square, The Firepit, from Smoke & Soul on Little John Street, Common Sense at Union Terrace Gardens, and Marischal Square’s Resident X.
Bartenders Lounge has recently received three nominations in the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2024 where owner Craig Scott is up for Emerging Entrepreneur, while the bar will fight for the title of New Bar and the ‘Giving More’ awards.
Owner of Bartenders Lounge, Craig Scott, said: “Accessibility and well-made cocktails have been the foundation of Bartenders Lounge since our doors opened. This is why we are excited to be taking part in Aberdeen Cocktail Week 2023.
“At Bartenders Lounge you can expect to see an exclusive list of carefully curated cocktails featuring spirits from Angus Alchemy, our brand partner for Aberdeen Cocktail Week.
“Cocktail Week is an opportunity for Aberdonians to enjoy the high level of craftsmanship by bartenders across the city. Aberdeen has produced some of the best bartenders in the country so to know there’s a week dedicated to tasting their work at a discounted rate is amazing and we can’t wait for it to begin.”
The full list of participating venues currently includes:
- Bartenders Lounge
- Chop Bar and Grill
- The Craftsman Company
- Dusk
- Faffless
- The Firepit
- Ninety-Nine
- Nox
- OGV Taproom
- Orchid
- Paramount
- Revolucion De Cuba
- Resident X
- Siberia
- The Spiritualist
- The Ivy Lodge
- Common Sense
- No. 10 Bar and Restaurant
- The Esslemont
- Under The Hammer
All of these premises, plus those still to be announced, will be shaking up a menu of special festival cocktails which will only be available to wristband holders.
Gregor added: “Aberdeen’s hospitality scene continues to punch above its weight and this festival will be showcasing the best of the city with a mixed variety of top venues taking part.
“Additionally, many of the new venues involved are less than a year old, so returning attendees have some different venues to explore and tick off their guidebook.”
Every menu will have at least one cocktail priced at £5 available for the entire week, with the full line-up of drinks shared closer to the event.
Unique mixology workshops, specially crafted menus and exclusive food and drink experiences will give attendees plenty of choice when ticking off venues visited in the festival guide.
Non-alcoholic options will be available with a big focus on local producers as well as low and no-alcohol drinks for those driving or looking for alternative options.
Discounted early-bird wristbands are available now from £8 for the week or are priced at £6 for students and Blue Light card holders. Wristbands will increase to £12 once the remaining early-bird tickets have sold out.
Wristbands can be purchased at: AberdeenCocktailWeek.com/wristbands
