I’ve always held that an excellent cocktail is absolutely something worthy of geeking out over.
That opinion’s been met with more than its share of side-eyes over the years, but after growing up in my grandfather’s beverage store, and working there once I was of age, I stand firmly by the notion: cocktail mixing is an art form, and a fascinating one at that. Part chemistry, part adapting molecular gastronomy, part aesthetic appeal: mixology can easily be full-on geeky-worthy—and spark fannish delight—all on its own.
But, should one be so inclined, one could pair the gloriously-nerdy mixing of drinks with existing beloved fandoms to create an exponentially more exciting and immersive experience. And one bar in Edinburgh—The Cocktail Geeks—has crafted an expertise out of doing exactly that.
Starting as a pop-up bar celebrating Game of Thrones in late 2016, the Geeks have since expanded to their own permanent space in the heart of the city, rotating themed menus and decor every 3-or-so months to dazzle with imaginative and jaw-droopingly impressive recipes. With recent runs inspired by such franchises as Jurassic Park, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Witcher, they’ve most recently been saving anyone who drops in from the curse of the boring cocktail with their latest theme, Heroes & Villains.
The Geeks would be more than worth a visit—or two, or ten—for their innovative menus alone, but what sets the ambiance apart, and prepares the visitor for a true event to be enjoyed alongside all the deliciousness, is the impeccable dedication and attention to detail given to making the seating space feel alive with the vibe of sheer joyous nerdery. Previous themes have boasted everything from swords, costumes, shields, and fairy lights, but this theme takes things to a new level, busting out a caped uniform for an original hero—The Cocktail Geek—to don in her own ‘Adventures Of’ comic, which gorgeously-and-very-conveniently also holds the drinks list.
Such mind-blowing creativity is the product of a glut of in-house imagination, with the talents of the owners and team members old and new contributing to everything from fashion design to comic art and authorship. Not the types to only display their skills in static fashion, the Geeks keep it exciting in their presentation. The comic book around which the decor imagery is based is an original tale with original art, and presenting it as a bookend around the menu is a genius way of amping up anticipation for the main event—the drinks—and giving a taste of narrative that keeps the visitor rooted in what brought them here rather than to just any old pub: the stories of superheroes (and their foils), and the (mis)adventures to be had along the way.
If the creativity and innovation of the team are already on display to full effect in the atmosphere and staging of the space, the amplification of all that and more in the drinks themselves is like dialing all that fabulousness up with a super-soldier dose of vita-rays: it’s just as impressive, but multiplied by each new glass. In similar fashion to situating the menu inside a book, every menu item’s description reads like a story just the same. There’s of course a deeply satisfying celebration of spectacle in the very concept of the bar, but it’s especially fitting and entertaining when the theme is superheroes.
Some of the recipes are layered and nuanced in both their tastes and geekery: Weapon X marries the two most prominent geographic influences on the character of Logan from X-Men, Japan (rice wine and plum sake) and Canada (Pike Creek whiskey and maple shrub), for a layered and precise taste as well as a complex commentary to highlight some of the “softer” iterations of Wolverine.
Similarly, Themysciran tastes much like an afternoon in the Mediterranean feels, with feta and olive brine creating a thickness that is unfairly drinkable and fitting for the climate it evokes. Long Live The King taps into the liminal magic of the Ancestral Plane in both colour and motion as it swirls glitter and flowers ahead of a vibrant passionfruit savour that feels elegant enough for Wakandan royalty from start to finish.
Other drinks are about theatrics, but never at the expense of flavor: Maximum Effort, a Deadpool-inspired drink, dips into chimichanga territory with tequila and a flavor profile suited to any taqueria—mango, chipotle, jalapeño, lime—but caps the ensemble with candy floss in a way that feels giddily-quintessential to the flamboyant character.
Then there’s Pym Particles—a double-play on both the character and the classic Pimm’s Cup reimagined in a deeply-Scottish manner with Irn Bru and peated whisky, all alongside a vial of boba for peak science-vibes:
F**kin’ Diabolical, which comes in a bloody bucket that suits both the fandom and the brooding stout-and-spice of the drink:
And Sorcerer Supreme, which tastes a bit like a boozy Capri Sun and uses glorious cardamom of all things, and on top of everything comes with its own delightful Cloak of Levitation:
Perhaps the most dramatic display, however, is I Can Do This All Day, a childlike wonder of a bourbon-drink that celebrates the kind of classic Americana befitting of the Captain, and somehow really does manage to deliver green apple and popcorn and caramel/toffee and bacon all at the same time. And involves mini fireworks!
The menu doesn’t have a single low note (yes, I have enjoyed all of it—not all at once!); this is par for the course when it comes to the Geeks, but this theme clearly highlights the breadth of their skills and the ways they deliver newness and experimentation with every change of menu. From vegan options to house-made lemonade to a mocktail (among many) that tastes more like gingerbread than some actual gingerbread, there truly is something for everyone. Moreover, given that all of the recipes are created by the staff for the particular theme at hand, asking anyone serving you to share their contributions to the menu gets you deleted scene-level stories of how the magic came to be.
Spanning various eras, publishers, and mediums, from Marvel to DC to Cartoon Network and more—plus a Teenage Mutant Pizza Martini thrown in!—Heroes and Villains runs until 29 May, but if you can’t make it before The Cocktail Geek flies away toward new adventures, don’t worry: The Upside Down, celebrating the upcoming season of Stranger Things, launches on 8th June.
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