{"id":21620,"date":"2026-02-13T22:43:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=21620"},"modified":"2026-02-13T22:43:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:43:01","slug":"showcase-shaping-new-drinking-trends-daily-business-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=21620","title":{"rendered":"Showcase shaping new drinking trends \u2013 Daily Business Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
\n<\/figure>\n
Bartender sessions are very popular<\/p>\n
Scotland\u2019s biggest spirits tasting event offers a chance to discover new flavours, writes JULENA DRUMI<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
Cocktails are becoming an increasingly popular option among those seeking new flavours and an opportunity to create their own favourite tipple. At the Drinkmonger Spirits Fair, which returns to Mansfield Traquair in March, bartenders will host sessions and share practical serves that visitors can recreate at home.<\/p>\n
Now in its third year, the event brings together more than 30 producers and over 150 spirits and mixed drinks, positioning it as Scotland\u2019s largest multi-category spirits tasting. <\/p>\n
Visitors can explore gin, agave spirits (tequila & mezcal), whisky and rum, alongside vermouths and liqueurs, with Japanese sake and shochu introduced as a discovery highlight for 2026.<\/p>\n
The event arrives at a time when drinking habits are evolving, with bars reporting rising interest in cocktails, agave spirits and aperitif-style serves alongside established favourites. Organisers say the show has grown to reflect how people now discover drinks \u2013 socially, through bartenders and shared experiences rather than traditional structured tastings.<\/p>\n
Organised by the team behind Royal Mile Whiskies \u2013 winner of Specialist Spirits Retailer of the Year at the Spirits Business Awards 2025 \u2013 and the long-running Whisky Fringe (which sold out in under an hour in 2025), the drinks show combines specialist credibility with a relaxed, accessible format.<\/p>\n
Guests can move freely around the venue, chatting with producers and bartenders and trying drinks neat, mixed or in simple cocktails at their own pace.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Mansfield Traquair will once again host the Drinkmonger Spirits Fair<\/p>\n
New for 2026, partner brands have been paired with award-winning Edinburgh bartenders across three sessions each day, including Robert Meek (Bar Manager, Port of Leith Distillery) and Sian Buchan (Co-Owner, Uno Mas). The sessions focus on approachable serves and practical techniques visitors can recreate at home, highlighting the role of local bartenders in shaping drinking trends.<\/p>\n
Scottish producers including Pickering\u2019s Gin and North Uist Distillery will appear alongside international brands such as Don Julio, Casamigos, Redbreast and Nikka, with rum producers including Black Tot and Doorly\u2019s also featured, allowing visitors to compare styles across multiple categories in one place.<\/p>\n
An on-site festival shop will allow visitors to purchase favourites discovered during the event, with a \u00a310 voucher included with each ticket redeemable against a \u00a340+ purchase at the Drinkmonger Festival Shop on the day, or later at Drinkmonger Bruntsfield, Pitlochry or online (valid until the end of April 2026).<\/p>\n
Sam Brabbs, purchasing manager at The Dormant Distillery Company, said: \u201cWe\u2019ve worked hard over the last few years to make Drinkmonger Spirits Fair feel like the city\u2019s fantastic bar scene under one roof. You can wander around, chat to the people behind the drinks, try some cocktails and explore an intriguing range of spirits you might never normally order, and leave with ideas you can actually recreate at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see it grow into Scotland\u2019s largest multi-category spirits tasting, and we\u2019d love anyone with an interest in spirits to pick up a ticket and come down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Held throughout the ornate halls of Mansfield Traquair, the fair is designed as a social day out as much as a tasting experience, showcasing Edinburgh\u2019s bartending talent and giving visitors the chance to explore a wide range of spirit categories in one place.<\/p>\n
The Drinkmonger Spirits Fair is at Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh on 14-15 March<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magazine.dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp_mag14\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cocktail-sessions-at-Drinkmongers-Fair.png?resize=1024%2C672&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magazine.dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp_mag14\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mansfield-Traquair-cocktails.png?resize=1024%2C678&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n