Still all open
Every bar and restaurant that has taken part in Inverness Cocktail Week since 2025 is still open. The best way to keep it that way is to go and see them.
Still pouring in Inverness
Venues that have taken part in Inverness Cocktail Week and are open now. Tap one to see what they poured.
- B& B Hotel
- Blackfriars
- The Babette
- Beira
- The Caledonian
- Coyote Burger
- Encore Une Fois
- Fig & Thistle
- Fig & Thistle Bistro
- Gellions
- Highlander
- Jimmy Badgers
- Little Italy
- Maccallums
- The Malt Room
- Number 27 Bar & Kitchen
- Perk Coffee & Doughnuts
- Playback
- Scotch & Rye
- Scran
- Soundbar
- Uile-bheist Taproom
- The Wee Bar
- The White House
Signed up for Inverness Cocktail Week February 2027
What Inverness Cocktail Week does for hospitality
Inverness Cocktail Week is about getting people out to local bars and restaurants. The venues host and pour and we bring the customers.
Real footfall
Wristband holders plan their ten days around the line-up, so venues meet people who have never been through the door, often at a quieter time of year.
Money in the till
Every signature cocktail is bought at the bar, so the money goes straight into the venue's own till, along with whatever else people order while they're in.
Awareness
The guide, the website, social ads, emails and local press put every venue taking part in front of people across Inverness.
What Inverness venues said
Inverness Cocktail Week is a fantastic boost for the city’s hospitality scene. The atmosphere throughout the week was brilliant and it’s great to see events like this helping showcase Inverness as a vibrant destination for food and drink.
Highlander, operations manager, after Inverness Cocktail Week 2026Cocktail week is more than great drinks, it’s a celebration of the people, venues and businesses that bring our community to life
Jimmy Badgers, general manager, after Inverness Cocktail Week 2026A fantastic increase in footfall during a quiet period for the trade with lots of businesses benefitting from new customers.
Maccallums, manager, after Inverness Cocktail Week 2026
Why your local needs you
A bar or restaurant is someone's first job, a regular order for local suppliers, the place you go for birthdays and the reason Inverness still feels alive after six o'clock.
Costs have climbed on every side: wages, energy, food, business rates and VAT. When a venue closes, the staff, the regulars and the nights out go with it. The best thing any of us can do is simple: go out and go local.
How you can help
- Go midweekWeekends are busy. A Tuesday or Wednesday visit goes further.
- Try somewhere newPick the bar you always walk past and finally go in.
- Book, then turn upCan't make it? Cancel, so someone else can have the table.
- Leave a reviewA kind review takes a minute and helps the next person choose them.
- Bring the groupBirthdays, leaving dos and catch ups. Book them local.
- Buy a gift cardChristmas sorted and money through the door when it's needed.
- Back the VAT cutSign the #VATsTheProblem petition for a 10% VAT rate on hospitality. Sign it here.
- Support the peopleGive to The Ben, which looks after people who work in Scottish hospitality. Donate.
Why VAT matters
In the UK, VAT on eating and drinking out is 20%. The campaign points out that France, Spain and Italy charge 10% on hospitality.
The #VATsTheProblem campaign, led by chef Tom Kerridge and backed by UKHospitality, the British Beer & Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping, is asking for a 10% rate for hospitality. More than 400,000 people signed its petition before it was handed in at Downing Street on 14 October 2026.
The Budget on 28 October 2026 did not cut it, so the campaign carries on. We're behind it.
Sign the petitionVAT on UK hospitality now, and what the #VATsTheProblem campaign is asking for.
The Ben: Scotland's hospitality charity
When a venue closes, the people who worked there feel it first. The Ben (the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland) has looked after people in Scotland's drinks and hospitality industry since 1864.
It gives financial, social and emotional support to current and former workers anywhere in Scotland who have worked in the industry full time for two years. That includes one-off emergency grants, help with household and utility bills, mental health support, white goods and furnishings and mobility help. Every application is assessed in confidence.
Work or worked in Scottish hospitality and struggling? Apply to The Ben or call 0141 353 3596.
The Ben is registered in Scotland, charity number SC005604.
Plan your night out
Questions
What venues have closed in Inverness?
None. Every venue that has taken part in Inverness Cocktail Week since 2025 is still open.
How can I support Inverness hospitality?
Go out locally, midweek if you can. Try somewhere new, book and turn up, leave a review, bring your group and buy gift cards from local venues. You can also sign the #VATsTheProblem petition for a 10% VAT rate on hospitality. And you can give to The Ben, which looks after people who work in Scottish hospitality.
What does Inverness Cocktail Week do for local hospitality?
For ten days, wristband holders plan their nights around the venues taking part, so they meet new customers. Every cocktail is bought at the bar, so the money goes into the venue's own till and the guide, website, ads and local press put every venue in front of people across Inverness.
What is the #VATsTheProblem campaign?
A campaign led by chef Tom Kerridge, with UKHospitality, the British Beer & Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping, asking the UK Government to cut VAT on hospitality from 20% to 10%. More than 400,000 people had signed its petition by October 2026. The Budget on 28 October 2026 did not cut the rate and the campaign is carrying on.
Is there help for hospitality workers in Scotland?
Yes. The Ben, Scotland's drinks and hospitality charity (SC005604), gives financial, social and emotional support to current and former workers anywhere in Scotland who have worked in the industry full time for two years, including one-off emergency grants and help with bills. You can apply online or call 0141 353 3596.
The next Inverness Cocktail Week
The next Inverness Cocktail Week runs 19 to 28 February 2027. One wristband unlocks signature cocktails from £5.