My Wednesday evening was a lot better than usual this week. Instead of walking the dog and going for a swim, I went along to a rather fabulous party hosted by vodka giant, Grey Goose: Le Martini et Vous. The party was held in a really cool bar in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, called Devil’s Advocate. Have you been? I didn’t even know it was there. Located halfway up a curious stone stairway, Devil’s Advocate has a certain rustic charm that oozes cool; dimly lit with a mezzanine level and terrace, the venue is all wooden features and stone walls. Perfect for sipping martinis.
The party was in full swing when we arrived (I took the absolutely fabulous Kelly of Dress Sense as my guest) and we were immediately handed one of four cocktails on offer: Picardie Mule (sweet), Aviation Et Sal (salty), Dom La Poire (umami), Grey Goose & Sour (sour) and La Miel Amer (bitter). The superbly dressed waitresses were also serving the Grey Goose signature cocktail, Grey Goose Le Fizz, as well as a mocktail named Lame Mule for those who were behaving themselves on a school night. All were delicious, but my favourite was the Le Fizz: Grey Goose, elderflower liqueur, lime juice and soda water. (And I adored the grey goose topped silver swizzlers which came in the chic, frosted flute).
At the party, we bumped into lots of lovely fashion people, including Gordon Millar of Scot Street Style (watch out for his descent on Dundee later this year), Anna and Jonathan Freemantle (of Edinburgh International Fashion Festival, which is on now), Tessa Hartmann (founder of the Scottish Fashion Awards), Ann Russell (of Frock Trade), Dundee jeweller Jane Gowans and her lovely assistant Beth (Jane is nominated for a Scottish Fashion Awards in September), the witty and hilarious Harvey Nichols Edinburgh team, as well as the gorgeous editors of new fashion-meets-e-commerce site, Crave. We also saw Scottish actress, Rose Leslie (aka Ygritte from hit TV show Game of Thrones), who was tiny and beautiful and beyond lovely.
The evening included a personal consultation with a specialist cocktail bartender, who asked us what sorts of flavours we like before making us our very own bespoke martini cocktails. Bespoke cocktails! Could there by anything more fabulous? My cocktail contained Grey Goose (obvs), Gran Lusso, fresh basil, elderflower, oil squeezed from actual olives and a twist of grapefruit to add some tanginess. It was yummy but oh-so-strong! Just the one for me.
So what was this party in aid of? Well, the world’s most intimate martini bar. The brand new Grey Goose van currently positioned outside Harvey Nichols on Multrees Walk. The van is this tiny, bright blue vehicle that looks like a French bakery delivery van from the outside, but is actually a mini cocktail bar on the inside. It fits just two guests and a mixologist – a great attraction and a really fun thing to do if you’re in Edinburgh this weekend. The Grey Goose van will be there until 23rdJuly and you can make an appointment to have your very own bespoke martini consultation inside. It’s too cute, and a super marketing campaign. You’ll also get a glass of fizz at Harvey Nichols and your bespoke recipe to take away – I would suggest taking it up to the Forth Floor bar, where the Harvey Nichols team will mix you another of your bespoke cocktails. It’s a great start to spending some of the summer in the ever-vibrant city of Edinburgh.
Kelly and I on the blue carpet, which is just as well as I chose my new red Winser London miracle dress.
Anna Freemantle
Rose Leslie
Tessa Hartmann
Rose and I. She was tiny and beautiful and a lovely lady. (Sorry for the poor quality pic).
The Grey Goose goody bag contained a bottle of the famous vodka.
The Camionette (delivery van) Grey Goose martini bar, parked outside Harvey Nichols Edinburgh.
