Scotland-wide cocktail festival to celebrate Scotch whisky
Scotland Served will take over more than 400 venues across the country
More than 400 bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels across Scotland are taking part in a month-long cocktail festival this autumn, timed to coincide with the World Class bartending finals being held in the country. Scotland Served runs from Wednesday 14 October to Sunday 1 November, with venues in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perthshire and Inverness all putting their own spin on whisky-based serves. In partnership with Johnnie Walker and The Singleton, the festival is designed to show off Scotch beyond the traditional dram, from colourful highballs to flavourful sours.
Edinburgh's line-up includes Panda & Sons, Hey Palu, Bramble, FKA and the 1820 Rooftop Bar at the Johnnie Walker Experience. In Glasgow, Kelvingrove Café, Pot Still, Blue Dog, Absent Ear and The Gate are taking part, alongside Ninety-Nine and The Tippling House in Aberdeen, Draffens in Dundee and The Singleton Of Glen Ord Distillery Bar near Inverness. More than 50 of the world's top bartenders are in Scotland this month for the World Class Global Finals, competing for the title of World Class Bartender of the Year 2026. Some of the contestants are using the visit to guest-shift at Scottish bars: Ago Perrone of The Connaught Bar in Mayfair and Erik Lorinz of KWANT Mayfair are behind the counter at Gleneagles' American Bar on Saturday 17 October; in Glasgow, Hong Kong's Lorenzo Antinori takes over at Kelvingrove Café the same day, and Singapore bartender Bannie Kang appears at The Gate on Sunday 18 October; and Maura Millia of London's Rosewood Chancery is at Edinburgh's Hey Palu on Wednesday 21 October.
James Kemp, head of luxury customer marketing and trade advocacy at Diageo, said: ‘At a time when Scotch is being embraced by cocktail culture around the world, Scotland Served is an opportunity to celebrate the creativity happening in bars across the country.’
Scotland Served, various venues, Scotland, Wednesday 14 October–Sunday 1 November.