Everything you need to know for Glasgow Cocktail Festival

The highly anticipated Glasgow Cocktail Festival, a 10-day cocktail extravaganza, is making its debut this Friday, 29th August, celebrating the best of Glasgow mixology!

Article Source: Glasgow Cocktail Festival
Last Updated: 27 August 2025 14:17

This brand-new event, sponsored by global drinks leader Diageo, is set to electrify the city's renowned hospitality scene. A Glasgow Cocktail Festival wristband grants access to exclusive, discounted premium cocktails at over 50 of Glasgow’s best bars and restaurants, with specially crafted serves starting from just £5.

The festival is designed to showcase the incredible talent within Glasgow’s bar community while offering incredible value to drinkers, providing a vital boost to the local hospitality sector by driving footfall and encouraging exploration of the city's diverse drinking establishments.

Participating venues include Bar Soba, Dishoom, The Social, Brel, The Alchemist, El Jefe’s, Flight Club, Kitty O’Shea’s, Kong, Maggie’s Rock n Rodeo, Moskito, Revolucion De Cuba, The Alchemist, The Parlour, Wunderbar and many more!

For the full line up of venues head to: www.glasgowcocktailfest.com

The cocktail festival celebrations will kick off with a bang at the official launch party, held at The Social on Friday 29th August in collaboration with Smirnoff Miami Peach, from 7pm ‘til late. Wristband holders can expect exclusive Smirnoff Miami Peach cocktails, live music and a DJ set and a host of surprises. Entry to the launch party is free, but exclusively for Glasgow Cocktail Festival wristband holders. This is a walk-in only, first-come, first-served event. Capacity is expected to be reached quickly so guests are highly recommended to arrive by 7pm to guarantee entry.

Guinness is set to take centre stage at Glasgow Cocktail Festival, from Blackbeard’s Kiss at Malo (a dark, silky blend of coconut, roasted malt and cola) to the Evil Colada at Revolución de Cuba, these daring serves featuring Guinness are only available for the duration of the festival. Festival Director Alice Christison said: “We're showcasing a side of Guinness that Glasgow has never tasted before. The bars are creating something bold, indulgent, and utterly unique - putting a definitive Glasgow twist on an iconic stout. These cocktails are a collection of limited-edition creations you truly cannot get anywhere else.”

With over 5,000 wristbands already sold, this year’s festival promises to be Glasgow’s biggest cocktail celebration yet. The concept was created by M-AD Agency with this first edition being launched in partnership with Smirnoff, with brands across the Diageo group sure to cater for every taste - including premium mocktails and a focus on Drink Aware. Kyle Martin, Key Account Manager at Diaego shared, “We are bringing to Glasgow Cocktail festival the full power of our deep range of premium spirits brands, as well as the vitally important alcohol-free offerings delivering all the premium taste with none of the alcohol. Helping promote and really drive home the Drink Aware message is at the core of this event so we are supporting this event and our range of superb venues across the city in showing mocktails are far from an afterthought or ticking a box - they’re a key element of every menu, just like the zero per cent brands we created for that very reason.”

The discounted signature cocktails for the festival will cost between £5 and £7 each (up to 50 per cent off normal prices). To purchase a Glasgow Cocktail Festival wristband, head to www.glasgowcocktailfest.com

Wristbands are available from £7.95 (+ booking fee), and each wristband gets you access to all participating venues and offers throughout the 10-day event. Customers can collect their wristbands from our pick-up points from Thursday the 28th of August:

• Truman’s (14 Drury St, Glasgow G2 5AA)
• Brel (37-43 Ashton Ln, Glasgow G12 8SJ)

The festival is brought to Glasgow by M.ad Agency Ltd, which organises successful cocktail events across the UK, including in Newcastle, York, and Manchester. In partnership with Diageo, the festival will feature a wide range of brands including Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Cîroc, Casamigos, and Guinness, alongside premium non-alcoholic options like Tanqueray 0.0% and Seedlip, promoting a responsible drinking focus with Drink Aware.

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