Where to drink during the Edinburgh Festival

Clapping, laughing, cheering and jeering at comedy shows, live music gigs, cabaret and leftfield artistes is thirsty work. Luckily, Edinburgh is bursting with great bars and cracking cocktails to see you through the busy festival month of August, whether you’re into the Fringe or something more mainstream. Perk up and party on with our top picks from the city’s drinking haunts.

56 North
Billed as a ‘destination bar with an amazing drinks collection’, 56 North has a big thing about gin – they hold regular (bookable) masterclasses and stock well over 100 different brands from across the globe. Knowledgeable bartenders will guide you through the selection of rare botanicals and flavours, as well as advising on other premium spirits and cocktails. The food is tailored to the drinks and general socialising.

Bon Vivant (pictured right)
Low ceilings, dark walls and candlelight might suggest a salubrious, gentlemanly drinking den, but Bon Vivant is a clubby, young-at-heart venue – witness the DJ decks waiting to spin into action at the weekend. A terrific selection of more than 40 wines by the glass is supported by Champagnes and a gantry of premium spirits. Ask about Vivant’s regular tasting sessions and also check out nearby bottle shop The Bon Vivant’s Companion.

Bramble
An Edinburgh institution and a benchmark for bars well beyond Scotland that takes its name – and its lead – from drinks industry legend Dick Bradsell, who invented the Bramble cocktail. Obviously you have to try the eponymous drink – a simple yet perfect mix of gin, lemon, sugar and blackberry liqueur. Bare brickwork and leather chairs create a sepia-tone interior, while the banging tunes and party vibe encourage allcomers not to take themselves too seriously.

Cabaret Voltaire
Set among the Old Town’s subterranean caverns and billed as a ‘celebration of jiggery pokery’, Cabaret Voltaire is a maze of nooks and crannies, as well as various bookable booths for parties, assignations or a spot of gambling. Not surprisingly, it’s also a hotbed of underground, alternative and techno music. Pizzas, coffees and dominoes bring in the casual daytime trade, while evening heralds craft beers and seriously offbeat cocktails.

Devil’s Advocate (pictured right)
A 200-strong whisky list is the impressive USP at this specialist bar housed in a former Victorian pump house, with a double-height ceiling and bare brick walls displaying shelves of bottles from distilleries around the globe. Cocktails suit every eventuality and you can match them with some other Scottish must-haves – perhaps black haggis bonbons with turnip and thyme purée or pan-fried coley with roasted sweet potato, chorizo, kale and chilli.

Heads & Tales
Snuggled away in the basement of The Rutland Hotel, this new drinking den and lounge is also home to the small-batch Edinburgh Gin Distillery – so it’s no surprise that juniper-based spirits are given a starring role on the menu. You can watch the in-situ stills in action and sample all manner of libations involving various botanicals ranging from coriander, angelica and orris root to heather and milk thistle.

Last Word Saloon
Although this is the kind of place where the cocktail menu comes with a glossary, you can also get a cheese toastie for under a fiver. The namesake Last Word is a famous mix comprising gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur and lime juice – a timeless, hugely drinkable tipple that shows why cocktails become classics. Inside, it’s cosy and dark, with lots of paraphernalia dotted around – just beware the sound of the ice-slicing chainsaw.

Lucky Liquor Co
From the team that brought us Bramble, Lucky Liquor is an above-ground bar with a retro feel, but it ain’t no speakeasy: a giant liquor sign makes it hard to miss. The menu changes quarterly and recent lists have included a veritable shopping trolley of ingredients, from bubblegum bubbles to fig preserve, marshmallows and Worcestershire sauce. There are 13 spirits and 13 cocktails available at any one time. Lucky for some.

Panda & Sons (pictured right)
This hard-to-find basement hangout flaunts speakeasy chic behind a vintage barbershop frontage. Expect an array of cocktails of every description, with most coming in at around half the price of your average London hotel bar. And if you’re in the mood for sharing, there are a couple of very interesting tipples including Milky Bar Hero. Soak up the booze with cured meat and cheese boards or half a pint of pork crackling.

Voodoo Rooms
Part 1930s speakeasy, part artsy-Edinburgh bistro, this grandly iconic venue comes extravagantly and glossily dressed up within the confines of an imposing, historic building – think edgy, dark gothic glamour, glittering moulded ceilings, ornate arched windows and black leather booths. Cocktails involve an array of esoteric ingredients, while food centres on international brasserie hits such as a Voodoo burger with Swiss cheese and hand-cut fries.