Martini Month With Lady Libertine X Grey Goose

By Eve Lily

Eve Lily leaves the Edinburgh rain at the top of the stairs and slips into another world as Lady Libertine X Grey Goose open Martini month with cocktails, music and a little after-dark mischief.

It's safe to say that there are some places you walk into and immediately know you’re going to have a good night.

Lady Libertine has always been that girl. A little mysterious. A little dangerous. The kind that catches your eye from across the room, takes you down a narrow staircase, through the velvet curtain and into somewhere you’re not entirely sure you were supposed to find. I can't say I don't relate...

The basement vault bar is the kind of place that feels more at home in Lower Manhattan than St Andrew Square. There is something almost prohibition-era about it...the old bank vault, the low light, the sense that whatever happens downstairs is allowed to stay downstairs.

It was actually the first bar I visited when I came back to Edinburgh from Australia. I remember walking in and thinking: "Oh, okay. This is not the Edinburgh I remember." It felt different. Darker. More interesting. Like the city had been getting on with things while I was away.

So, when the invitation came to join Lady Libertine and Grey Goose for the launch of a month-long Martini celebration, it felt like the perfect excuse to make another return.

LEAVING THE RAIN BEHIND

Edinburgh had delivered the sort of cold, wet October evening that makes you want to go straight home. Instead, I found myself heading down the stairs at Lady Libertine, leaving the rain, the wind and whatever responsibilities I had upstairs behind me.

There’s something wonderfully indulgent about a Martini. Perhaps it’s the ritual, perhaps it’s the glass, perhaps it’s simply the knowledge that you’re no longer drinking something that could be described as sensible.

Grey Goose feels suited to the occasion. The French vodka is made from just two ingredients, the first being soft winter wheat from Picardie, and the second, spring water from Gensac-la-Pallue - distilled only once, a process designed to preserve the character of those ingredients.

Downstairs, however, nobody seemed particularly interested in restraint.

The room was filling, glasses were moving across the bar and the first notes of the evening were beginning to take over.

THE SOUND OF THE WEEKEND

DJ Mash was behind the decks, joined by saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski. The combination gave the evening a soundtrack somewhere between late-night DJ set and live jazz. It was the kind of music that makes a room feel like it has its own pulse.

As the music moved around the room, so did everyone else.

You arrive with your coat still damp, the past week still in your head, and then - as if by magic - somewhere between the first Martini and the second song, you realise you’ve completely forgotten about it.

The outside world feels very far away and the weekend has begun.

THE MARTINI MENU

Bar Manager, Ben Waddell designed three new Grey Goose creations: The High Priestess, The Sinner and Smoke & Mirrors.

Each has its own personality, and the names alone suggest these aren't Martinis designed to be ordered quietly and forgotten about.

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

The lighter, more playful pour…lychee and mint bring freshness and floral sweetness, while Cocchi Americano adds a subtle bitter-citrus edge.

THE SINNER

Taking the dirty martini somewhere considerably more indulgent. Cheddar-infused Grey Goose, Noilly Prat and pickle brine make for a savoury, salty and slightly creamy combination that is every bit as wicked as its name suggests.

SMOKE & MIRRORS

Leaning into the darker side of martini drinking, bringing together Grey Goose, smoky mezcal and Cocchi Americano for something earthy, bittersweet and quietly complex.

KISS ON THE LIPS

Then there was Ellie Velvet.

Draped accordingly, she was offering something slightly more revealing than the usual party entertainment: kiss readings.

Guests were invited to press their lips to a card, leaving behind a kiss print for Ellie to interpret. It was playful, intimate and - dare I say? - just the right amount of ridiculous...the sort of thing that makes perfect sense after a Martini.

Naturally, I had to find out what mine had to say….

Apparently, my heart-shaped lips are something of a calling card. They attract people, I’m told, and reveal someone accepting and non-judgemental, a loyal friend who can be trusted with a secret. So far, so flattering.

Ellie also managed to discover that I’m a creative thinker, always busy, always on the go, with plenty I want to achieve… which, I have to admit, felt rather close to home.

At first, I wasn’t too sure how much could really be determined from a lipstick mark on a card, but I’ve since been swayed. She got a few things surprisingly right. Especially the part about keeping secrets.

There was something fitting about the whole thing. A night built around giving yourself over to the unexpected; a new cocktail, a saxophone solo, a stranger’s conversation or finding out what your own lips apparently reveal about you...

MARTINI MONTH HAS ARRIVED

The Grey Goose launch was only the beginning.

Throughout October, Lady Libertine will continue its Martini Month celebration with a programme of DJs, live music, cocktails and late-night events, building towards Halloween.

Fridays bring live music and cocktails, while Saturdays belong to the DJs, with a different line-up taking over the bar each weekend.

The Grey Goose Martini menu will be available throughout the month, alongside the full October programme.