Leith cocktail festival which supports local charities to return this winter

Yule Fest is heading to Leith this November. Picture: Yule Fest

Following on from the huge success of this summer’s first-ever Chill Fest, which celebrates EH6’s thriving bar scene and donates money to two Leith charities, the team behind the month-long festival are bringing back the concept for Christmas, with a festive flavour and even more special offers and events than before.

Yule Fest will be offering a host of limited-edition winter warmer cocktails, special discounts and exclusive events to help locals get into the yuletide spirit.

Launching on Monday 5th November and running until Saturday 5th January, Leith will become a “Christmassy cocktail community”, with 15 of the district’s top bars offering an array of delicious cocktails that capture the true flavour of the most wonderful time of the year, for just £5 each.

A range of Christmas-themed cocktails will be on offer. Picture: Yule Fest

Popular bars including The Lioness of Leith, Finn & Bear, Noble’s, The Roseleaf, Sofi’s and Malmaison have all come together to create an exciting programme which can be accessed thanks to a special £5 wristband.

Special-edition cocktails will be on the menu for just £5 each, as well as exclusive discounts on winter dishes and coffee/cake combos, to help get people who sign up for the event get their “hygge on” and enjoy the Christmas spirit.

Bars including The Granary, Bar Brigg and the Black Pig & Oyster will also be hosting some special seasonal events, including cheese and mulled wine evenings at Tapa, and a festive Christmas market at Sofi’s to help with Christmas shopping ideas.

A spokesperson for the festival said: “It couldn’t be simpler to get involved; simply purchase your Yule Fest wristband for £5 from www.yulefestleith.com, and keep it for the duration of the festival.

“Every time you head to one of the participating bars, simply show your wristband to the bartender to be entitled to that bar’s signature cocktail for just £5, as well as any of their other Yule Fest discounts and offers. The wristband can be used as little or as often as you like, so you can spend the festive season sampling all 15 signature cocktails throughout November and December, and go back for your favourite whenever you fancy.”

Sponsored by both Oro Gin and Edinburgh taxi company, Central Taxis, and organised by the teams behind Malmaison on The Shore and the Boda Bar Group, proceeds from Yule Fest Leith wristbands will be donated to two local charities supporting Leith residents.

The first, Hidden Door, is an arts organisation which opens up urban spaces as a platform for emerging artists, musicians and filmmakers; they were most recently responsible for restoring Leith Theatre as a live music venue earlier this year.

The second, Leithers Don’t Litter, is a community initiative dedicated to keeping the streets of Leith clean, safe and litter-free for current residents and future generations.

Ray Clynick, founder and head distiller at Oro Gin, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring Yule Fest in its first year, as well as supporting the bars of Leith and the very worthy charities benefitting from the festival.

“We can’t wait to see customers enjoying the cocktails this festive season, especially those using our smooth Oro Gin.”

Tony Kenmuir, chairman of Central Taxis, said: “It’s a privilege to be sponsoring the first-ever Yule Fest, supporting both the nightlife of Leith and the charities that work to make life in Leith even better.

“We are dedicated to getting our customers where they need to be, and we hope to see many passengers taking advantage of the festive spirit, having a wonderful time over the course of Yule Fest, with Central Taxis here to get you home quickly and safely, every night.”

• To find out more check out www.yulefestleith.com

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