Converted police boxes around town seem to be the preserve of coffee shops (think The Drip, Sam’s Coffee Box, Waverley Cafe).
Not any longer. For the duration of the 2022 Edinburgh International Festival, the whisky experts at Cask 88 have opened the world’s smallest whisky bar on Princes Street – right in the face of Johnny Walker, to be exact!
The black-and-gold police box literally fits two people: the bartender – and you. Step inside, sit down in front of the wee bar and that’s it. It’s full.
But that’s all part of the appeal. Personal attention, a good dose of quirkiness and single-cask whiskies? We’ll take that.
Barman Jamie Harbour first talks you through the limited-edition whiskies behind the tiny bar, weaving tales of railways and witches, allowing you to decide which you’d like to try.
Maybe it’s “Isobel Gowdie” from the Scottish Witchcraft Series, taking you back to the legends from the 1600s. Or perhaps it’s from the Scottish Express Series, a voyage of discovery based on railways across the country.
Once you’ve decided which strikes your tastebuds – it was a peaty selection from the Unfiltered Series for me – Jamie (or PC Peat as he’s become known) – pours a dram for you.
Here’s where it gets even more unique (not that you can get degrees of uniqueness!): the cups are edible, being made of wafer. It’s a bit like a sugar cone for whisky. All said we agree with the sentiments of the head of sales, Carl Johnstone:
“A visit to our bar will give you a great insight into who we are and the wonderful world of single-cask whisky.”
Crib notes
As the bar only fits one person (bartender aside) at a time, we suggest booking your place online via Eventbrite – click here for more info.
There’s also branded merch on sale (t-shirts, caps) while bottles of the good stuff are available online via the Cask 88 website. When we say limited edition, we mean limited edition – once they’re gone, they’re gone.
By the way, the bottles from the Scottish Witchcraft Series glow in the dark. How cool is that?
Need-to-know basis
Opening hours: 12 pm to 7 pm every day
Open until: 28 August 2022
Where: 148 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 4BL
More info: cask88.com