If you’ve got space in your Edinburgh Fringe Festival itinerary, Hendrick’s Gin has just launched a couple of free and rather surreal pop-up events.
These include a trip on the virtual airplane that is Hendrick’s Air, presumably travelling in first class.
It takes place at The Scotsman Hotel’s in-house cinema, The Scotsman Picturehouse (20 North Bridge), and will involve boarding their Cucumber Blimp to Girvan, where this gin, which launched back in 1999, is distilled.
Don’t worry about getting home from South Ayrshire afterwards, as this event is purely theatrical, and will involve a gratis drink or two.
This experience will be running for three sittings only, on Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Friday 27 August, with each show at 5pm, and just 15 tickets available for each night. They’re expected to sell out fast and are free to book now, here.
Alternatively, reserve a table for around 7pm at one of Edinburgh’s best independents - modern Italian bar, Hey Palu (49 Bread Street) on Tuesday August 24; the speakeasy that’s designed to look like a barber, Panda & Sons (79 Queen Street) on Wednesday August 25, or cocktail bar and live music venue, The Voodoo Rooms (19a West Register Street) on Friday August 27. (Contact each venue directly to secure your spot).
Again, the exact details are slightly vague, but Hendrick’s are promising some fleeting and probably very eccentric table-side theatricality, as well as a tipple, featuring their rose and cucumber infused gin, and “a little trinket to remember the night by” (hopefully diamonds, rather than a keyring or bottle opener).
If you can’t make it to any of these events, you’ll still find their pop-up until September 5 at one of the capital’s most vertiginous vantage points - way up on the grassy roof of the Glasshouse Hotel (2 Greenside Place), where they’re hosting a Cucumber Lemonade Garden.
It’s open Thursday to Sunday, 4-10pm, and is set up in the style of a magical summer garden, with deck chairs to lounge in, cocktails and lawn games to play with friends. Booking not required.
