The Edinburgh Fringe
AUGUST 2022
Halli hallå,
August equals The Fringe Festival for Edinburgh locals. It is near impossible to avoid this massive arts festival which takes over the city centre. In spite of not being able to enjoy the city as usual it's great fun to be able to explore thousands of shows, food and drinks stalls and other festivities that's in every corner.
The problem for someone who is as indecisive as me is that with thousands of shows to browse, it's so difficult to choose what to actually go and see. Luckily enough I was invited to check out one of the the Pick of the Fringe shows organised at Johnnie Walker Princes Street which offered 15 minute previews of three different Fringe acts.
It was so much fun and during our show there was a stand up comedienne, a magician and a comedic singer who entertained and wowed us with their skills. Definitely recommended for anyone who fancies a little preview of what the fringe is about and to discover performers you might've not stumbled across if not for this. It also made me realise that I'm definitely missing out by not booking more shows as there's some really talented entertainers out there right on our doorstep!
Another of the highlights this month was exploring The World's Smallest Whisky Bar which Cask 88 set up in a police box right at the west end of Princes Street. They had three different whiskies on offer: a Deanston, a Linkwood and a Ledaig. The Linkwood was probably my favourite, because of the wine cask finish and the story about the Scottish witch Isabel Gowdie that accompanied the dram. Each whisky came with its own story and people had the opportunity to book a 10 minute slot to try one of them out.
The whisky wasn't served in traditional glassware either - in fact, it wasn't served in glassware at all - but a "cupffee" - a wafer cup which was edible and completely biodegradable and made with natural ingredients. It definitely gave all whisky as biscuity scent but it was fun to try something different and an alternative to plastic cups that often pop up at festival stands.
Besides the Fringe I finally also had the chance for a catch up with the Larkfire team over drinks and dinner at Lady Libertine and the new Gleneagles Townhouse. The Townhouse is spectacular with its impressive interior design, great service and lovely food. I'd highly recommend the Ricotta Agnolotti with chanterelles and goats cheese and their sourdough with salted butter.
As a go-to drink we enjoyed Balvenie 14 Espresso Martinis which were quite the treat - and the secret is to not add any additional sugar syrup to keep the balance of the flavours with the hint of sweetness that you find in the Caribbean Rum-finished whisky.
August sure was a busy, but really fun month for me as I somehow also managed to squeeze in my first visit to the Whisky Fringe here in Edinburgh - which was a brilliant show in a beautiful venue of the Mansfield Traquair. One of the stand out whiskies here was The Lakes Distillery The One Manzanilla! You really got that wonderful, almost saline, manzanilla character coming through but still in balance with the spirit. Following the show we headed up north for a few days away in Cullen, a lovely wee seaside town on the east coast and managed to visit Glencadam Distillery on the way back for a quick stop. It will be very exciting to see what the Visitor Centre will look like when it opens for their 200th year anniversary in 2025, when they can finally welcome visitors on a more regular basis to the distillery.
Once back in Edinburgh I also had the opportunity to visit Young Spirits, who have a bottling hall and offices on the outskirts of Edinburgh. They have some fun releases coming up under their Ferg & Harris brand as they are bottling some quite amazing casks, that I got to sample. I was really impressed by the quality of their spirit and will be excited to follow along in their journey, as they are still a fairly young company. Lovers of Ledaig, Old Pulteney and Springbank might have to keep an eye open in the coming months...
As I write this I am actually in Sweden for a visit to family and friends. We took a road trip up to Dalarna, the part of Sweden where I was born, and enjoyed a lovely wholesome stay in Tällberg with a delicious dinner and wonderful views over the lake Silvan.
As we had a balcony which was basking in the sun I couldn't resist a dram of The Scalasaig Maiden Voyage that I had in my suitcase, but was glad that I also had a trusty can of Larkfire with me as well since the tap water tasted a lot like iron and it was way too hot in the sun to not add a few drops of water. I Can definitely recommend this whisky if you like a bit of well-balanced smoke and sherry in your glass. It's surprisingly tricky to find Swedish whisky in bars around more remote parts of the country, but I always try to have a look at what's on offer, and if you are visiting then try to have a look out for Gammelstilla Whisky which is one of the smaller producers that make some great stuff!
Glad to have a trusty can of Larkfire!
Next month I will be co-hosting a whisky tasting presenting independently bottled whisky from the Nordics and take part in a panel discussion about whisky and social media. We also have a wedding in Lithuania to attend so I'm curious to see if I can find some Lithuanian whisky somewhere - although rumour has it that the bride's granddad makes bathtub spirits so will be interesting to see what might be served...
Until next month!