Edinburgh wizard-themed bar announces Christmas events and festive cocktail menu

Speakeasy bar,The Cauldron Magical Experience, has launched its programme of festive events and drinks.

The Cauldron festive programme of events includes Mrs Clause – drag queen Ellie Diamond.

Opened in June, the pop-up speakeasy travelled to Edinburgh from New York and London and is offering something different this festive season. Visitors to the hidden bar can look forward to Christmas cocktails, mixology classes and drag queen Ellie Diamond dolled up as Mrs Clause.

The team say: "In characteristically dramatic style, visitors to the magical pop up will be blown away by bubbling brews and smouldering spirits, while even Santa will be spellbinding and transformed.

"Wizards and witches can don their robes and wield their wands in front of the Christmas tree, to conjure incredible potions using molecular mixology and a little bit of magic."

For the first time, witches and wizards are welcome to summon drinks at the bar, including brand new Christmas tipples, which include a Candy Cane shot, the hot, spiced and enchanting ‘Very Happy Christmas’ and the cheeky but refreshing ‘Mrs Clause’.

The real life Mrs Clause - drag queen, Ellie Diamond - will be in her grotto from 5pm every Saturday in the run up to Christmas (7, 14 and 21 December) to find out whether Scotland’s sorcerers have been naughty or nice. Visitors will be judged on whether they have performed good or bad magic during 2019, and will be presented with an appropriate drink to suit.

Matthew Cortland, co-founder of The Magic of Things, the 'imagineering studio' behind The Cauldron Magical Experience, said: “Christmas is undoubtedly the most magical time of the year, so it makes sense for us to celebrate it in style – with a twist!

"We like our visitors to experience the unexpected, so our Santa is more slay than sleigh and our Christmas sparkle is more of an explosion. Come and warm up in our dungeon this December and make your own Christmas magic.”

Hidden in plain sight beneath Edinburgh’s Frederick Street, The Cauldron offers immersive cocktail classes, with tickets starting at £29.99 per person, which includes three drinks, all materials and supplies. Alcohol-free, gluten and vegan options are available.

At the cocktail classes guests use the equipment (including a working magic wand, which is imbibed with technology) at their wand-interactive workstation, which includes a cauldron, mixing utensils, and fresh and bottled potion-making ingredients, to brew two drinkable potions that change colour, bubble, and smoke.

As well as a range of cocktails, The Cauldron is also home to ‘Three Sisters Pale Ale’, a limited edition Innis & Gunn collaboration. Made exclusively for The Cauldron Edinburgh, the beer is infused with rosemary, honey and thistle and re-imagined using an old Scot’s brewing recipe.