Cocktail lovers are in for a treat this October as some of Dundee’s top hospitality talent will band together to bring Dundee Cocktail Week to the masses.
The 10-day event which is dedicated to the craft of making top quality drinks takes place from Friday October 7 to Sunday October 16 and celebrates the city’s hospitality sector.
Around 40 bars, pubs, restaurants and clubs have already signed up to take part, with organisers expecting around 50 venues in total to be involved by the time the event takes place.
Fife-born Alice Christison and Dundonian Ross McGregor who run marketing firm Marketing After Dark, are the duo behind the event.
The idea of Dundee Cocktail Week is to encourage the public into the town centre and promote hospitality businesses who continue to struggle to attract customers back as a result of the coronavirus pandemic closures.
The public will be able to purchase a special wristband which will see them get access to £5 drinks and discounted food items, depending on the venue’s offering.
Wristbands can be purchased online and can be collected from the brand’s stall in the Overgate Shopping Centre in the heat of the city.
Alice says the establishment of an event like Dundee Cocktail Week will help generate interest in the local scene, and will also help put money into venues tills.
She said: “The agency has been running for two years and we work with a lot of hospitality firms including restaurants, nightclubs, butchers and also hairdressers.
“I’ve lived in Dundee since 2016 and I feel like the event is to encourage footfall to Dundee itself. It is such an amazing city and there’s so much to offer and I don’t think there’s enough events that showcase the hospitality side as much as Edinburgh or Glasgow.
“Hospitality has had such a difficult time with covid and closures, and now with the cost of living crisis as well, this event will really showcase them and what Dundee is about. I do think we have such a great offering of venues in the city that people just don’t know exist.”
How does it work?
While some venues will offer one cocktail which will be priced at £5, others may offer a range of cocktails or a create a full menu crafted around £5 drinks.
Non-related hospitality firms are also getting involved by introducing special discounts for the 10-day event.
The venue’s commitment to what they offer is up to them and the two levels of wristbands will differentiate from the standard one allowing access to the £5 drinks and the VIP one giving access to exclusive discounts. VIPs may also be able to enjoy secret menus and upgrades when visiting certain venues and will get access to beauty and hair discounts plus more.
What venues are involved in Dundee Cocktail Week?
There are currently more than 40 bars and restaurants involved.
A range of venues from niche bars to popular well-known ones all feature.
The bars
- 3 Session Street
- Afrobeats
- Aura
- Bertie Mooneys
- Captains Cabin
- Church Dundee
- Club Tropicana
- Duck Slatterys
- Duke’s Corner
- Dusa
- Grosvenor Casino
- Hawkhill Tavern
- Innis and Gunn Taproom
- Jute Cafe Bar
- Kilted Kangaroo
- Malmaison
- St Andrews Brewing Company
- Sportsterz
- The Barrelman
- The Braes
- The Caird and Capones
- The Speedwell
- The Sleeperz Hotel
- The Tinsmith
- The West House
- The Nether Inn
- The Pillars Bar
- The Salty Dog
- Tonic
- Tom’s
The restaurants
- Andreou’s Dundee
- Don Michelle
- Daisy Tasker
- Eh9 Espresso
- Frankie and Benny’s
- Gallery 48
- Henry’s Coffee House
- Jahangir
- Tailend
- Taza Dundee
- The Selkie
- The Giddy Goose
- The Flame Tree Cafe
- Taypark House
Where does the money generated from Dundee Cocktail Week go?
Early bird tickets are priced at £5 for the standard wristband and £9 for the VIP.
The price of a standard wristband will then rise to £8 and the VIP one is £12.
A donation from every wristband sale will go to The Ben: The Scottish Licensed Trade Benevolent Society. This charity helps those working in hospitality who are facing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
There is a £200 listing fee for businesses and the ticket sales from the wristbands go towards paying for the marketing, tickets and staff for the event.
Anything profit-wise will be reinvested into the event and go towards The Ben, too.
St Andrews Cocktail Week
Organisers are already looking at provisional space in the city to host additional events next year as part of the week.
Alice has confirmed that the duo will indeed also bring their event to St Andrews, but has remained tight-lipped on when it will take place in 2023.
“We’re really focused on Dundee just now, but we do have plans to extend to St Andrews. We have some venues already signed up.”
Those in attendance must be 18 years or over.
For more information on tickets or the event visit dundeecocktailweek.co.uk
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