Tag: cocktail

That’s the Spirit! Walker’s Shortbread partners with The Scotsman Group to create the ultimate festive serve

Experience the magic of shortbread with Walker’s 125 Old Fashioned, a limited-edition whisky-based cocktail with a twist! Now available in 28 Scotsman Group bars across Scotland.

Walker’s Shortbread has joined forces with leading leisure operator The Scotsman Group, to create a special serve to kickstart Edinburgh’s festive season in style.

Introducing The Walker’s 125 Old Fashioned: a limited-edition whisky-based cocktail that honours Walker’s impressive 125-year heritage while spreading the joy of shortbread over the festive season and winter months.

Making and sharing shortbread is an age-old Christmas tradition in Scotland and Walker’s is bringing this to life with a modern twist. Inspired by the mighty ‘Old Fashioned’, The Walker’s 125 incorporates delicious Walker’s Shortbread fingers, The Glenlivet Founders Reserve and Liquid Oats Honey to create a luxurious cocktail that is the ultimate toast to the holiday season.

The Walkers 125 is now listed on menus at 28 Scotsman Group bars across Scotland, including in stunning venues in Edinburgh such as The Scotsman Bar, The Grand Café and The Ghillie Dhu. The Walker’s 125 is available to order in selected Scotsman Group venues until 31st January 2024.

Walker’s all-butter shortbread dates to 1898, when 21-year-old Joseph Walker opened the doors of his own bakery with a loan of £50 and the ambition to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’. Over a century on, Joseph’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have remained true to his original ideal – to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’.

Sarah Macaulay, Head of Marketing at Walker’s Shortbread, said: “At Walker’s, we love that our shortbread is enjoyed at Christmas and that it plays a part in generations of families’ festive traditions.  As December marks the end of our 125th anniversary celebrations, it’s only right that we create a cocktail with another Scottish icon; single malt Scotch whisky.

“That’s why we’ve teamed up with The Scotsman to not only create The Walkers 125, but also to serve it in 28 of their unique and popular venues across Scotland. It’s the perfect tipple for anyone in Scotland enjoying the festivities and looking for a unique whisky-based cocktail to try.”

The Walker’s 125 Old Fashioned is a well-balanced cocktail with sweet creamy notes of honeysuckle and a long-lasting finish of toffee notes, finished with a satisfying Walker’s shortbread crunch.

Roddy Coyle, Head of Beverage Operations at The Scotsman Group, said: “It’s a pleasure to be partnering with Walker’s Shortbread to bring The Walkers 125 to life. Shortbread is a classic treat and one of the nation’s favourite – so we wanted to create a cocktail fit for its worthy title and Walker’s Scottish heritage.

“Scotland is known for its impressive and high-quality whisky, making The Glenlivet Founders Reserve an obvious choice to form the base of the cocktail. The vegan Liquid Oats Vanilla & Honey Liqueur is a nod to our nation’s love for oats – and of course, we’ve incorporated Walker’s delicious shortbread fingers to level up the recipe and give it the special Walker’s touch!”

Please drink responsibly and for advice or support about drinking alcohol please visit drinkaware.co.uk.

Edinburgh:

  • The Scotsman Bar
  • The Grand Café
  • The Granary
  • Inn on the Mile
  • The Murrayfield
  • Southpour
  • Ghillie Dhu

Burns Night cocktail recipe crafted by Scottish gin brand Caorunn

Caorunn

For those non whisky drinkers, why not look at some handcrafted, small batch Scottish Gin. Caorunn (pronounced ka-roon) Gin comes from the Gaelic name for Rowan Berry, which grows wild within a 5-minute walk from the distillery.

The Rowan Berry is infused with five other locally foraged botanicals including dandelion leaf, heather, Coul blush apple and bog myrtle along with six traditional gin botanicals and natural Scottish water. Fresh and floral on the nose, this gin is clean, sweet, full-bodied and aromatic with a long-lasting dry and crisp finish. 

Burns Cocktail (Cranachan Cocktail)

35ml Caorunn

15ml Calvados

15ml Honey syrup

15ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 Fresh raspberries

20ml Pasteurised egg white

Top soda

Shake first 6 ingredients and double strain into hi-ball.  Fill glass with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with large cinnamon stick and cinnamon sugar dusting.

When I was looking into Burns Night drinks, I found that a lot of them were very focussed on quite masculine flavours and were generally whisky heavy (writes ELLIE TAYLOR).  

I looked into doing a savoury cocktail to sit alongside the traditional Burns meal but felt as though this was a little bit too obvious and wanted to do something that was a bit more relevant.  

Cranachan came up a lot as the most popular Scottish dessert associated with traditional meals so I thought I would play about with the flavours and ingredients found within that. Rather than using apple as a direct ingredient, I used Calvados (apple brandy) to bring apple into the recipe and also bring additional complexity and depth. Apple and raspberry is a really classic Scottish flavour combination.

This is a drink designed to appeal to a wide audience, to be enjoyed after your traditional Scottish meal and one which stays true to Caorunn.