The Best Ways To Celebrate Burns Night This Weekend
Saturday the 25th January marks the Scottish tradition of Burns Night; the celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns. Here we have compiled some of the best ways to celebrate the night, from cocktail making at home, to dining out in some of the best Michelin star restaurants. All including whiskey of course!
Burns Night With London’s Oldest Whisky Specialist
London’s oldest whisky specialist Milroy’s is bringing Burns Night to Spitalfields this Friday 24th January.
Head East to celebrate Burns Night with complimentary drinks thanks to Crabbie Whisky, alongside haggis, poetry, music and laughter in honour of Scotland’s most iconic bard.
The sister site to the iconic Milroy’s of Soho is a four-storey whisky lovers’ paradise; from the world class cocktail bar The Proofing Room in the basement to the casual ground floor Whisky Bar to The Dram House & Cigar Terrace, offering two exclusive floors of Whisky to members and friends.
Tickets for the Milroy’s of Spitalfields event with Crabbie’s can be purchased here, priced at £20pp.
Celebrate With A Whiskey Masterclass
The time has come to toast to the life of Robert Burns with The Nest Rooftop Bar at Treehouse Hotel who are launching their inaugural Burns Night Whisky Masterclass on Saturday 25th January.
Welcoming everyone from whisky beginners to aficionados, put your senses to the test with a dram or two from a number of Scotland’s leading distilleries including GlenDronach, BenRiach and GlenGlassaugh, to be sampled alongside an array of seasonal Scottish canapes designed to bring out the best of both worlds.
Tickets for the masterclass including tastings and canapes are available at £45 per person here.
Michelin Dining At The Harwood Arms
For one day only, London’s only Michelin-starred pub will be serving a veritable feast of Scottish delights, available for lunch or dinner on the 25th January and priced at £50 per person.
With its warm interiors and laid-back atmosphere, The Harwood Arms is the perfect setting for those wanting to mark the annual festivities and enjoy some exceptional food. Designed by celebrated Head Chef and the Queen of Game herself Sally Abé, revellers will be served a celebratory three-course set menu, available for both lunch and dinner, that will kick off with that will kick off with a new take on a traditional dish, ‘Haggis Faggots’, as the first course.
As champions of seasonal British game and wild food at The Harwood Arms, it should come as no surprise this will be followed by a gloriously hearty main course of ‘Venison, Neeps & Tatties’. Rich, delicious and a Scottish classic, this dish will feature some of the finest sourced game available.
And because no Burns Night is complete without at least a couple of drams, the meal will finish with a rich and indulgent chocolate malt cake, served with a very special homemade whisky ice cream.
To book a table, email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7386 1847.
Traditional Scottish Dining At 34 Mayfair
London restaurant 34 Mayfair will be serving some of their unique dishes for Burns Night including: Loin of Glencoe venison with ‘Scotch broth’ & neeps, Isle of Mull scallops, cauliflower, haggis crust & parsley oil, and a limited edition Raspberry & whiskey cranachan coupe with deep fried Mars bar for adventurous foodies.
The restaurant is known for its carefully sourced meat, seasonal game and seafood, cooked on a bespoke Argentinian charcoal grill powered by natural fuel.
Find out more here.
The Bobby Burns Cocktail Experience
The Rivington restaurant in Greenwich, has a seasonal menu reflecting the diverse culinary heritage of the British Isles, and this weekend has a special cocktail to commemorate Burns Night.
The Bobby Burns cocktail will combine Chivas 12yr whiskey, Antica Formula sweet vermouth, Drambuie liquor and Peychaud’s Bitters.
Find out more here.
Comfort Food In Covent Garden
Situated in the heart of Covent Garden, J Sheekey has been offering the finest fish, oysters, shellfish and fruits de mer since the 1890s.
A space filled with Victorian charm, guests can celebrate Burns Night with delicious Scottish seafood additions to the menu which include: Puff pastry baked isle of muscle scallop with champagne butter sauce, an Isle of Gigha halibut with spiced carrot & steamed razor and for dessert, a Whisky millionaires shortbread.
Find out more here.
Bingo and Burns Night at Liquorette
London’s ultimate cocktail destination Liquorette is celebrating Burns Night, with an American twist.
In celebration of the traditional Scottish holiday, the New York bodega inspired bar has signed up to DrinkUp. London’s Scotch Whisky Weekend – joining forces with Chivas Regal to bring you £6 Scotch whisky cocktails all weekend as well as a night full of bingo shenanigans from Bobby’s Burns Bingo.
Global Chivas ambassador Rhy Wilson will be calling the numbers and handing out the prizes ranging from Chivas 12 and 18yo bottles, home whisky blending kits, nights out at Liquorette and tickets to Chivas Blend experience.
It wouldn’t be Burns Night without the Whisky and a good weekend isn’t complete without a fun night out, so why not join the two together to make it a Liquorette night to remember.
Find out more here.
Subterranean Scotch Tasting
This Burns Night, Hide Below, the award-winning subterranean bar tucked beneath Hide restaurant, will be hosting a night of fine and rare whiskies and food in celebration of Scotland’s finest poet and lyricist.
Following welcome cocktails, Colin Dunn, European Whisky Ambassador for Diageo, will guide guests through a tasting of five special whiskies, between them aged for 141 years and including three from distilleries no longer in existence.
To complement the whiskies, renowned Michelin-starred chef Ollie Dabbous has created a bespoke menu inspired by Scottish dishes including, of course, haggis.
Find out more here.
Modern-British Dining at Le Caprice
Iconic Modern-British London restaurant Le Caprice has several lunch and dinner specials to celebrate Burns Night.
To start, guests can indulge in an Arbroath smoked haddock soup with soft boiled quail eggs or Venison carpaccio with pickled artichokes and truffled cream.
For main course, a Lion of Glencoe venison, haggis croquette, bashed neeps and buttered kale can be enjoyed, or a traditional Fillet of halibut with Isle of Mull scallop, roasted celeriac and dill butter sauce.
Finally, for dessert, Le Caprice’s pays homage to one of Scotland’s most famous beverages with a moreish Scotch whisky Dundee sundae.
Find out more here.
Burns Special Thali Lunch
One of London’s finest Indian restaurants, Benares, is currently offering guests a delectable choice of dishes to celebrate Burns Night, innovatively fusing Indian and Scottish influences.
Served in traditional Thali style – with a selection of delicious dishes on a traditional Indian platter – choices include:
- Macchi & Shorba– Tandoor Smoked Haddock & Pumpkin Soup
- Murg Mahkni – Chicken in Tomato and Fenugreek Gravy
- Tari Wala Gosht – Slow Cooked Lamb in Whole Spices
- Burns Pudding – Scotch Whisky infused pudding with an Indian Twist: dried fruit, nuts and spices, served with custard
As well as bespoke dishes, a Burns Night Special Cocktail, pictured above is also being served. The Burns Cocktail mixes Glenmorangie Single Malt with Cocchi Americano Di Torino Vermouthwith 20 years old Tawny Port for a chocolate and butty finish, balanced with Chocolate Bitters.
An à la carte French- Scottish Twist
For Burns night this year, French restaurant les 110 de Taillevent have created a special menu by Scottish Head Chef Ross Bryans. Ross has previously worked at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and won the Scottish land challenge in early 2000. He was also a finalist in the Great British Menu in 2018!
The Burns Night menu features 6 Scottish inspired courses for £70, including Balmoral peet smoked roasted beef fillet with smokey whisky jus and a salmon, lobster and langoustine ravioli.
Find out more here.
Scottish Super At The Jugged Hare
To celebrate Burns Night this year, Talisker Whisky has partnered with The Jugged Hare to elevate their Traditional Burns Night Supper on January 25th.
Guests will enjoy a five-course Scottish themed supper, created by Head Chef Rafael
Liuth, with select dishes made using Talisker Whisky. Each course will also be
accompanied by a fine wine, chosen by Sommelier Gui Mahaut. As with any traditional
Burns Night celebration, guests will also have the opportunity to watch a traditional
bagpiper address the haggis.
A welcome Talisker whisky cocktail of the ‘Sea Sour’ will be served ahead of the dinner.
As tradition states, at the end of the Burns Night feast, guests will raise a dram of Talisker
whisky, to the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns.
Tickets available to book via Design My Night for £85 per person, all-inclusive.
An Evening To Remember At The Glasshouse
Enjoy an evening to remember and celebrate Burns Night on 25th January at The Glasshouse at The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire, just 18 miles away from London. A traditional Scottish dinner awaits, as well as whisky and hot toddies by the firepit. Live music will entertain guests in the stylish and spacious restaurant throughout the evening for the annual Scottish feast.
Guests are invited to indulge in a dinner of Scottish langoustines, Scottish highland rib of beef with a whisky cream sauce and raspberry cranachan followed by Talisker hot toddies or Roe & Co hot chocolate. Traditional Scottish haggis will of course be on the menu too, all to mark the birthday of Scotland’s national bard.
Guests can book attendance to the event for £68 per person and enjoy an experience to start the year in style, plus a free dram of whisky goes to anyone sporting tartan! Find out more here.
Host Celebrations From The Comfort Of Your Own Home
If you fancy a night in this weekend, why not celebrate Burns Night from the comfort of your own home with a range of different whiskeys and cocktails!
Cocktail making with Talisker Whiskey
Talisker Whisky, an award-winning Scottish tipple all the way from the Isle of Skye, is the perfect drink to toast with this Burns Night. With a deep smokiness and sea salt notes running through each of the three unique varieties, Talisker 10 Year Old, Talisker Skye, and Talisker Storm, the golden liquid not only works exceptionally well paired with traditional Scottish food, like haggis, it is also perfect in a cocktail, or enjoyed straight up.
Bobby Burns Talisker Cocktail
Enjoy this Bobby Burns Cocktail than with your whisky-loving friends or those looking to try something new on Burns Night. Created with Talisker 10 Year Old or Talisker Storm, this is a wonderfully balanced classic, with herbal fruit characters and honey notes of Benedictine and sweet vermouth.
Ingredients:
- 40ml Talisker 10 Year Old or Storm
- 20ml Belsazar Sweet Vermouth
- 5ml PX Sherry
- Dash Angostura Bitters
- Orange Zest ● Shortbread
Method:
- Combine Talisker Whisky, Belsazar, PX Sherry and Angostura Bitters
- Stir over cubed ice
- Strain into a chilled martini glass
Garnish:
- Use the oils from the orange zest to add fragrance to the drink and serve with a piece of shortbread.
Talisker Toddy
Designed for adventurers and whisky lovers alike, the Talisker Toddy is the perfect cocktail recipe to accompany a Burns Night Supper or a quiet night in. The classic Talisker Toddy is warming to the core, drawing on deep smoky flavours, synonymous with Talisker whisky. Complimented by the spice of ginger and fresh citrus of lemon, this is a wonderful cocktail to toast the occasion with.
Ingredients:
- 40ml Talisker 10 Year Old or Skye
- 10ml Ginger Liqueur
- 25ml Clover Honey
- 25ml Lemon Juice
- 25ml Apple Juice
- 75ml Boiling Water
Method:
- Rinse the glass with boiling water to bring to temperature
- Add Talisker Whisky, Ginger Liqueur, Clover Honey, Lemon Juice and Apple Juice to the glass and stir to combine
- Stir in the boiling water
Garnish:
- Finish with skewered honeycomb or a slice of orange zest pierced with 3 cloves
The Perfect Pairing
Matured solely in sherry casks, Mortlach whisky has been crafted to match rich and dark sherry character against old, refined oaky notes.
Dense with waxy, and earthy tones, this rich whisky is best paired with haggis. It will bring the flavours to life and reveal the peppery spice of the meat, enhancing the flavours.
This single malt is light and floral like Highgarden, but should not be underestimated as it still holds a strong Highland character.
This Clynelish Reserve is perfect paired with cranachan. It will bring out the sweet notes typical of cranachan with its signature waxy background making it the perfect combination for the tart raspberries. The tropical exotic fruits of papaya and mango provides this whisky with the ideal dessert feel.
Johnnie Walker's Premium Blue Label Whisky
With its combination of hand-picked whiskies from a range of exclusive distilleries it’s no wonder that Johnnie Walker’s Blue Label has won more awards for excellence than any other blended whisky. The famous notes of smoke, honey and fruit are this time held in a limited-edition bottle in collaboration with Glasgow textile studio Timorous Beasties, bringing to life the flora and fauna of Scotland.
The first is their collaboration with Johnnie Walker Blue Label, this blended scotch whisky is available from Selfridges for £275.00.
Whether you’re staying in or going out, have a great Burns Night!
