More than 400 bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels across Scotland will serve up a nationwide celebration of cocktails, Scotch and world-class bartending from 14 October - 1 November 2026. Discover all you need to know.
Scotland Served, a World Class Cocktail Festival, is coming to Scottish bars this autumn, for three weeks of innovative whisky serves, guest bartenders and unexpected cocktail experiences.
In partnership with Johnnie Walker and The Singleton, participating venues will put a fresh spin on the whiskies through imaginative cocktails, from bright and refreshing serves to flavour-forward twists on classic favourites.
The festival will also coincide with a landmark moment for Scotland’s cocktail scene as World Class, the global platform for bartending excellence, brings more than 50 of the world’s leading bartenders to the home of Scotch this autumn to compete at the World Class Global Finals and for the coveted title of World Class Bartender of the Year 2026.
In a recent bonus episode of podcast Scran, The Scotsman Food and Drink Editor Rosalind Erskine spoke to last year’s winner of World Class, Emanuele ‘Lele' Mensah and Stefanie Anderson, who is the Diageo World Class Great Britain and Luxury Portfolio Scotland Ambassador.
Lele tells her how wonderful it was to win the competition, as well as how important the win is for the people who support him and for all people of colour who work in the industry. He also shares his very exciting plans for his new Shoreditch bar Asase.
He said: "Winning last year was very emotional for me because I competed three years in a row. I was second, third then got the chance to win it. This competition takes a lot; you need to think about how to bring to life these beautiful, luxury serves. For me it was also for the people behind me, my colleagues, my family and all the support I got. It means everything. For me representing Black bartenders and those of colour, being a point of reference for the next generation (is important).”
Lele has also been supporting this year’s GB World Class winner, Matt Arnold, as he prepares for the Global Finals. After making history as the first bartender to win the World Class GB title twice, Matt went on to finish runner-up at the 2023 Global Finals – missing out on the title by the narrowest of margins.
Matt’s route into hospitality began unexpectedly. He explained, saying: “I wanted to be an ice cream man. It was only after I got a bar job to fund my Economics degree that I fell totally in awe of our industry. As a result, I quickly swapped calculators for cocktail shakers and never looked back.”
Stef tells Rosalind how the competition came about, why it’s important for the industry and the opportunities it presents for the bar staff who get involved. She also gives some details on the competition 'challenges' they face like the theatrically entitled 'Slow train to Singleton'.
World Class is the equivalent of the Olympics for cocktails as it showcases every skill you can imagine, not just making cocktails. It’s presenting, it’s thinking on your feet and it’s working with some of the best spirits Diageo has to offer. For us it’s about supporting the industry and showcasing their amazing talents across 55 countries across the globe really to find who is the best bartender in the world
Stefanie Anderson, Diageo World Class Great Britain and Luxury Portfolio Scotland Ambassador
As for the cocktail festival, where customers can enjoy specially made drinks from bars all over the UK, including many in Scotland, Rosalind visited Kelvingrove Cafe in Glasgow which is taking part this year.
While there, Kirstie Oattes who runs Kelvingrove Cafe in Glasgow with her husband Barry, explained the festival and what cocktail-lovers can expect. Rosalind also got to try a couple of their signature cocktails, a Singleton 12 Years Old highball and a Johnnie Walker Black Ruby New York sour made by bartender Martin.
Kelvingrove Cafe is just one bar in Scotland taking part in the festival. The other participating bars in Scotland are:
Edinburgh
• 1820 Rooftop Bar, The Johnnie Walker Experience
• FKA
• Gleneagles Townhouse
• Hey Palu
• Panda & Sons
• Bramble
• Joao's Place at W Hotel
Glasgow
• Kelvingrove Cafe
• Pot Still
• The Gate
• The Finnieston
• Absent Ear
• Blue Dog
• Next Door
• Oran Mor
Perthshire
• American Bar at Gleneagles Hotel
Aberdeen
• Ninety-Nine
• The Tippling House
Dundee
• Draffens
Inverness area
• Malt Rooms
• The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery Bar
Ayrshire
• Lochgreen House Hotel
• Tides at Seamill Hydro Hotel
• Tales at Brig o’ Doon
Iain McPherson, bartender and owner of award-winning Edinburgh cocktail bar, Panda & Sons, said: “Edinburgh has an incredible cocktail scene and Scotland Served is a brilliant opportunity to put that on the map while celebrating the people behind the bars. We will be creating even more memorable experiences for our guests during the festival and showing just how versatile Scotch can be. It’s exciting to see venues across Scotland coming together for a celebration like this, and we’re looking forward to welcoming people through our doors and serving up something a little unexpected.”
For those looking for a new cocktail spot, planning a night out with friends or just curious to discover a different side of Scotch, Scotland Served offers three weeks of cocktail experiences across the country.
Scotland Served, a World Class Cocktail Festival runs from 14 October – 1 November across more than 400 venues nationwide.
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