hoot the redeemer

first time inhootthe redeemer on friday. it brought back memories of sneaking in the previous pub there many a time as an underaged drinker. what a face-lift it has had! quirky decor and old cinema seats. was overwhelmed by the lucky dip machines where you can let the machine decide your drinking fate, didn't know where to start so i let a friend decided what we were having instead. so much going on that it becomes quite tough to decide what u want to drink if i'm honest. will try again.

i cannot express enough how much i love this place. edinburgh has always felt inferior to glasgow's nightlife scene. however, this quirky new edition may be a game-changer.

i love anything different andhootcertainly is that. if you are into craft brews the on-tap selection will make your day. there is also a generous selection of spirits to satisfy any taste.

i really enjoyed their boozy slushies. this sort of thing can often be nothing but sugary chemical-filled water, with little alcohol to be found, but the rum one certainly packed a punch.

a shout out has to go to the boozy ice cream vending machine. if more bars sold this the world would be a happier place.

make it your mission to check out hoot. except don't, because i'd love to keep this little gem to myself.

as soon as i heard abouthootthe redeemer, i was pretty keen to check it out. a 1950s funfair themed bar is right up my street and i was sold pretty quickly. just like panda & sons, you would not think it was a bar from the outside due to to the signs talking about fortune tellers. you walk down the stairs where you are met with a secret door, again like panda & sons. inside you are greeted with almost a miss match of different styles of chair, some are red leather booths, wooden tables and theatre style seats. the walls have retro style posters and artwork. overall the whole look just works perfectly. the first time i visited was about a week after they had first opened so it was pretty busy but did get a chance to try the mystic ball cocktail which was delightful. my second trip was a sunday afternoon visit, so i was finally able to try out the pinch n sip machine, which is such a fun and quirky idea. you put £1 in the machine, which is like one of those grab games, pick out two flavours, take the them up to the bar and they will make you a cocktail! you don't have to use both the flavours you pick together, you can keep on for your next drink which is a good idea if you pick two very different flavours. i was lucky enough to get pineapple and kiwi, i was asked what spirit i would like (gin... obviously) and ended up with such a summery tasty little cocktail! 

a must visit place if you, like me, enjoy somewhere a little quirky. try to get their early enough so you can get a proper look around before it gets busy!

also they sell boozy ice cream. yes... booze and ice cream.... together!

great little place on hanover street. as quirky as it's sister bar panda and sons,hootthe redeemer allows you to use those arcade grabbing machines to select ingredients for you cocktails. take these ingredients to the bar and the bar staff will create a cocktail round these flavours and a spirit of your choice. the only draw back for this is whilst it costs £1 to have a go on the machine (which goes towards the cost of your cocktail) if you don't get anything out with your two attempts you are left with nothing. my first cocktail cost £7 (£6 at the bar and the £1 on the machine). the second cost me £9 (£6 at the bar but three attempts to get ingredients and only ending up with one). a little bit unfair i feel. that said, you don't have to use this option and there are plenty of cocktails on the standard menu and the cocktails i was made by the bar staff were excellent. a fun, quirky place worth checking out.