Tag: drinks

Award-winning beer is only a click away at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo audiences are being invited to get their nights started with Innis & Gunn and order their drinks ahead of time to enjoy on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.  

The new drinks order platform, edintattoodrinks.co.uk, allows ticket holders to pre-order drinks for their chosen Show date right up until 10pm the night before. On arrival, customers can then make their way to a large pre-order bar at the venue to collect their drink with ease, avoid the queues and take their seat for an unforgettable night of entertainment.   

Innis & Gunn is the Tattoo’s first ever presenting partner and means that audiences can sit back and enjoy the world class performances from military and cultural acts while enjoying world-class, award-winning beer from the Edinburgh-based brewer. 

Drinks on offer as part of the partnership include Innis & Gunn’s ‘The Original’, a single malt whisky cask matured Scottish beer, and Scotland’s number one craft beer, ‘Innis & Gunn Lager’, brewed with naked golden oats for smoothness and refreshment. Innis & Gunn’s bars will also offer Pickering’s’ Gin & Tonic, red wine, white wine, Prosecco, and soft drinks alongside their premium beers.  

Buster Howes, Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “We’re constantly innovating and searching for ways to improve what’s already a world-class spectacular, and we believe this partnership with Innis & Gunn will enhance our customer’s experience. 

“The Tattoo and Innis & Gunn are two Edinburgh institutions that are loved across the world and I’m excited for them to come together seamlessly on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.” 

In addition to the recommended pre-order and collect service, Innis & Gunn’s bars will also be available across the venue before the Show starts to ensure no attendees go thirsty. 

Dougal Gunn Sharp, Founder and Master Brewer of Innis & Gunn, added: “Our partnership enables guests to enjoy Innis & Gunn beers for the first time during what is sure to be an incredible Show. Beat the queues by pre-ordering yours today”.  

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will make its return this 5-27 August, with its Voices Show which celebrates expression and the power of connection through spoken word, song, music, and dance, which are languages common to all. 

Over 900 performers from across the globe will take part in in this year’s Tattoo, bringing with them incredible music, dance, and performance talents. There will be cultural showcases and musical presentations by performers from Mexico, The United States, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand along with homegrown talent from the UK. Military acts will continue to play a central role in the performance, with the Army confirmed as the lead service this year. 

Founded in Edinburgh in 2003 with the creation of its unique single malt whisky cask matured beer, ‘The Original’, Innis & Gunn has grown to become one of the biggest independent brewers in the UK and exports to over 30 countries across the world. 

Tickets are on still on sale for this year’s Tattoo and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone on 0131 225 1188. 

Celebrate World Gin Day with Morrisons

World Gin Day takes place this Saturday (12th June) and Morrisons has everything gin lovers need to celebrate.

There are deals in store and online on a range of classic and flavoured gins – most of these last until Sunday, so customers will need to grab them before they’re gone. These include the likes of Beefeater Blood Orange Gin (£14 down from £18) and Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle Gin (£23 down from £28).

Morrisons The Best London Dry Gin (£15.50) has recently been Good Housekeeping Taste Test Approved, so is therefore the perfect choice for those after a great quality classic.

Morrisons Hogmanay

Morrisons is slashing the price of selected premium scotch whiskies in its Scotland stores to help customers celebrate Hogmanay at home.

From Boxing Day, selected bottles of Glenmorangie, Highland Park, Glenlivet and Laphroaig will be just £20 each in Morrisons, saving customers up to £16 a bottle.

Charles de Villers champagne is also half price and Sorso prosecco has a third off.

The deals are available in Morrisons 60 stores across Scotland until New Year’s Eve.

Forget the Doo’cot – now it’s the Naebody’s Inn!

doocot

The once-popular Doo’cot Roadhouse in Drylaw closed last month following a dispute between the licensee and the pub’s owners, Yorkshire-based Samuel Smith’s Breweries. Ian Byars handed in his licence just a week after his sister Lesley Gilmore resigned as manager at the Cramond Inn – Samuel Smith’s only other Edinburgh pub.

The brewers have refused to comment on the couple’s claims that they are owed thousands, and in the meantime The Doo’cot’s future remains uncertain.

Samuel Smith’s is a real old-fashioned traditional brewery, established in 1758. The company still don’t have email, but they have moved with the times a bit and have a website with some nice pictures of their shire horses on it. It’s still quite hard to contact them, though, even to get telephone calls returned – but it’s thought that their pubs will reopen when new licensees have been found.

horseInverleith councillor Iain Whyte said: “The Doo’cot is a popular pub and it’s got a large family area. Although there are some other pubs, most of them are quite a walk away so hopefully it will be back in use soon. It is not that long since it was heavily refurbished and I imagine it will be attractive for some one to run.”

The Doo’cot is indeed an attractive pub, with very competitive drinks prices, but it’s struggled to attract customers almost since it reopened after refurbishment. Social habits have changed, of course, but there’s always been the feeling too hat it’s a good pub but in the wrong location, or it’s an ideal place for a pub but not that kind of pub. The no TVs, no jukebox policy was always questionable, too – good old fashioned conversation isn’t enough for some folk now. Punters want to be entertained and if one pub won’t do it, another one will. Money is tight and customers vote with their feet- and their wallets.

By uncanny coincidence, the day the Doo’cot closed was almost thirteen years to the day since the Tadcaster brewery took over the Doo’cot – once Scottish & Newcastle’s busiest pub in the east of Scotland.

Samuel Smith’s always stock their bars exclusively with their own products, and despite a petition from Doo’cot regulars the new owners steadfastly refused to stock the popular McEwan’s ‘heavy’ as a guest beer. The result? A boycott, and scenes reminiscent of Braveheart as battling Saltire-clad pensioner Alex Kane chained himself to the front door in protest as draymen attempted to deliver Smith’s beers. He may even have said: “They can take our pub, but they’ll never take oor heavy!” but I may be mistaken

The protest ended peacefully and the pub opened, but despite major investment and complete refurbishment the customers never returned in great numbers. Many Doo’cot regulars moved on to other pubs, others stayed at home where they can smoke and drink much as they like – and yet more are now drinking their pints of heavy in that great saloon bar in the sky.

I hope the Doo’cot reopens soon – if it doesn’t, it will quickly become a target for vandals. But those days of jam-packed community pubs are well and truly over. Same again?

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