How to get a free cocktail with an Edinburgh Gin Fringe passport

This August, Edinburgh Gin are encouraging Fringe visitors to get into the spirit of the festival by drinking their way around Edinburgh with a ‘gin passport’.

Published 11th Aug 2017
Updated 18 th Sep 2023

Created to celebrate the 70th year of the world’s biggest arts festival, the passport allows gin lovers the chance to check out pop-up bars and events across the city – and enjoy a free cocktail at the end of their journey.

How to use the gin passport

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Picture: Collect stamps at all six locations and enjoy a free cocktail with a completed passport, Edinburgh Gin

The Edinburgh Gin passport (available from the Edinburgh Gin West End distillery, or any of the pop-up bars) helps festival-goers to plan a route around the city, with plenty of cocktail stops along the way.

Passport holders can seek out six different pop-up gin bars across Edinburgh, each with a selection of exclusive signature Edinburgh Gin cocktails.

passport

Picture: The flagship Edinburgh Gin pop-up bar on The Mound includes the new Tipple Trailer, Edinburgh Gin

After collecting a stamp at each pop-up venue (with the purchase of a signature serve), the passport can be traded in for a complimentary cocktail at Edinburgh Gin’s flagship pop-up bar on the Mound.

What to drink at the pop-up bars

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Picture: From classic gin fizzes to alcoholic slushies, each pop-up bar has a different selection of bespoke Edinburgh Gin cocktails, Edinburgh Gin

The range of signature cocktails on offer has been inspired by the city itself, as well as various luminaries who have called Edinburgh home over the years.

Hayden Gale, from One Point Eight Bar in London, collaborated with Edinburgh Gin to produce a series of exclusive cocktails for the brand’s flagship bar on The Mound.

“Inspired by botanicals from Seaside Edinburgh Gin, we wanted to give festival-goers the feeling of enjoying an ice cream on the beach with the Ice Cream Collins,” explains Gale.

Passport holders can also enjoy drinks like The Golden Snitch, Dr Jekyll’s Weakness and the Miss Jean Brodie, all inspired by Edinburgh literature.

“When we were creating the cocktails, we focused on Edinburgh being a city full of life, with an abundant mix of cultures that becomes even greater during the Edinburgh Festival,” explains Sara Pizzaro from The Place, where one of the pop-up bars is located.

“Our homemade basil lemonade, which is in The Golden Snitch, was inspired by some of our Italian co-workers and friends.

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"We then teamed the lemonade with Seaside Edinburgh Gin, bringing together flavours of Italy with the Edinburgh coastline.”

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Picture: The cocktails have been created specially for each pop-up bar, Edinburgh Gin

The New Town Treasure and the Edburgian 3.0 offer nods to the city’s unique character, and drinks like the Edwyn Collins pay homage to some of the city’s famous residents.

Each pop-up bar has three signature cocktails, specially created for the festival, as well as classics like G&Ts and gin fizzes.

 

Where to find the pop-up bars

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Picture: The gin passport encourages visitors to explore Edinburgh during the Fringe, Edinburgh Gin

The six pop-up bars are headed up by the flagship Edinburgh Gin bar at Contini @ The Mound.

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Visitors can enjoy bespoke cocktails and signature gin serves from the Tipple Trailer on the outdoor terrace, while soaking up the buzz of the festival.

Nearby on George Street, Edinburgh Gin’s second pop-up bar offers gin-based tipples to enjoy in between shows in the city centre.

The passport will also guide visitors to the Edinburgh Gin Terrace at The Place Hotel on York Place, The Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre on Rose Street and the New Amphion Bar at Gilded Balloon Teviot.

The final destination is 99 Hanover Street which – in addition to serving up signature cocktails – is also hosting Edinburgh’s Gin’s new The Art & Science of Gin event.

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Picture: The Art & Science of Gin show explores the history of gin, as well as how it’s made, Edinburgh Gin

Using projection mapping technology, the interactive, immersive and multi-sensory show explores everything from Edinburgh’s gin craze of the 1700s to the global search for botanicals and modern-day distillation.

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The show (which runs three times daily until 27th August, excluding Mondays) brings the art and science of gin distilling to life in a completely unique way, plus guests can enjoy a gin tasting session during the performance.

The Edinburgh Gin passport is available throughout August, with pop-up bars open daily until 28th August.

Gillian is a writer and blogger from Edinburgh, with a penchant for drinking cocktails, exploring the city's independent shops and trying out as many new restaurants as possible.
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