The festive season brings people together and what better way to kick start the festivities than to attend a Christmas fair! There is something really cosy about being surrounded by all things festive, decorations and the familiar scents of winter spices and even hearing the same songs year after year.
The Country Living Magazine is hosting a fair in Glasgow SEC from the 17th to 20th November. It is said to be the biggest Christmas fair in the city. Get in the festive spirit by browsing stalls ranging from beautiful decorations, handcrafted homeware, accessories, fashion and many Scottish food and drink brands. Watch celebrity chefs’ cooking demos, meet the makers and relax at the Champagne Bar whilst enjoying some live music.
The Country Living Magazine has kindly given us a discount code – use the code GLA10 for 20% off the tickets. Buy here.
Drink Guide to Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair
There are many wonderful Scottish drink producers at the Glasgow Christmas Fair this year. Here’s a list of each brand to get you excited and well prepared. You can also meet many of the makers; for more details see here.
Spirits
Lind & Lime Gin
An Edinburgh-based London Dry Gin brand made with seven botanicals, most importantly juniper, pink peppercorns and lime. Comes in stunning bottle so makes an excellent gift.
Deerness Distillery
An Orkney-based distillery producing award-winning spirits and liqueurs. Choose from three gins (including a pink gin), vodka or coffee liqueur.
The Isle of Barra Distillery
Isle of Barra spirits are distilled and bottled on the remote Scottish island of Barra. Their Atlantic Gin is the ideal island gin, with 17 botanicals, including seaweed. They also made dark rum and gin liqueurs. There’s even whisky in the making so you might get lucky and sample at least their new make.
Gin Bothy
Nestled in the Angus Glens of Scotland, Gin Bothy make a range of gins and spiced rums using locally foraged botanicals. Check out their cute gift sets.
Highland Liquor Company
Highland Liquor Company’s stall is worth paying a visit to. Their Ullapool-based distillery makes some excellent gins and both Seven Crofts gins come in beautiful green and blue bottles.
Azu Spirits Ltd
Azu Spirits create blind tasting kits, which are designed for sharing. The boxes come with six individually numbered 100ml bottles, a guide, tasting tips and a ‘reveal’ envelope. They have several gin- and whisky-tasting sets available. A great game for Christmas with the family!
Orkney Gin Company
Orkney Gin Company is a family-run business. They have several gins but have also recently branched out into akvavit. In fact, it is Scotland’s first akvavit.
Purist Gin
Purist Gin is a Glasgow-based gin brand. They showcase various artists’ artwork on their everchanging labels. Their gin is distilled using 100% renewable energy.
Wild Thyme Spirits
This is a small-batch spirits producer from the Isle of Colonsay. Their line-up includes a peaty vodka, Colonsay London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin, Navy Strength Gin and a delicious Bramble Liqueur. Don’t forget to check out their gift pack selection.
Other
Orkney Brewery
Know someone who loves a craft beer? Make sure to visit Orkney Brewery’s stand for their award-winning ales, available in casks and bottles. They will have special gift packs available.
The Wee Tea Company
You may wonder why I’m including tea in this list… The Wee Tea Company is blending great teas in Scotland. Think tea-based cocktails – they have an amazing selection of fruit and berry teas that work well in many recipes.
Chocco Bar
Hot chocolate sachets made from the finest Belgian chocolate. Booze hot chocolate, anyone?
Taste of Orkney
Orkney-based producers have a large presence at this event. And why not? Many great spirits come from the island, including Highland Park, Scapa, J. Gow Rum and Kirkjuvagr Gins. Don’t forget to check their food selection too.
Beehype
Check out the amazing selection of honeys at this stall. Cacao honey for your next cocktail?
Northern Lights Bakery
Boozy Christmas cakes, anyone?
Chocolates of Glenshiel
Talking about boozy… This brand makes chocolates using Scottish gins and whiskies. The actual chocolates also look really pretty!
Island Smokery
OK, not a drink, but who doesn’t love a nice whisky (or wine) and cheese pairing? Island Smokery makes delicious smoked and flavoured cheddars as well as smoked aioli.
Isle of Mull Seaweed
Well, your cheese will need a chutney… Isle of Mull Seaweed makes both sweet and spicy chutney using island seaweed.
Whisky Frames
Not a drinkable gift, but still very cool. We whisky lovers tend to love anything to do with whisky (minus whisky stones!), especially if it’s an item made using the cask. Whisky Frames and Barrel Smiths make homeware items and gifts from reclaimed whisky barrels. The wooden gifts are handcrafted in their Scottish workshops. All items can be personalised.
Tasting Sessions at Christmas Fair
To make the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair even more fun, there are several tasting sessions you can prebook online. Choose from gin-tasting sessions, festive gin cocktails to chocolate tastings.
Book here.
Overall
This is a great day out with friends, and you might just get your Christmas shopping done early or find some tasty produce for your Christmas table. All this while supporting small businesses.
Don’t forget to take the advantage of the discount code mentioned at the beginning of this post.
Are you a Christmas person? Do you love a Christmas fair?
Disclaimer: This blog post was sponsored by Country Living Magazine.
