The dedicated drinks feature Liquid Academy Live hosted by DrinkThink Managing Director, Scott Gemmell, is ScotHot’s cutting edge drinks hub and demo theatre. This is where the world of mixology, bartenders and influential key players will take you on a journey to discover delicious gins, unique rums, weird and wonderful spirits, little known craft beers and new non-alcoholic alternatives that will have you guessing if it’s 0% or not!

The Liquid Academy Live Programme is NOW LIVE - view full programme below!

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Wednesday 26^th February

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10:15 - 11:15	Head Bartenders BIG Breakfast
	The Bartender Big Breakfast is back! Join our panellist speakers as we discuss the questions on the hottest topics in bartending today. Sign up to this session before 7th February 2025 to reserve your seat and receive a VIP Bartenders goody bag on the day. Coffee and pastries will be served at the beginning of the session for all who have registered plus an exclusive opportunity to test out new concoctions with a variety of the latest products on the market.
11:30 - 12:30	SLTN Industry Question Time - Publicans on Parade
	Hear from a panel of leading Scottish publicans, an on-trade round up of where we are today from a political, legal, economical and professional perspective. Hosted by Gordon Davidson Editor of SLTN.
13:00 - 13:45	Let's Talk About Rum, Baby
	Taste a full spectrum of rums available on the market today. Meet the makers themselves, taste and savour their fine spirits and hear their stories of how their brand and product was created.
14:00 - 14:45	Tequila Me Softly
	Meet the new makers and shakers producing Tequila, Reposado, Anejo and Mezcal in this year’s fastest growing category. Taste each product and hear from the producers on their journey to producing these fine art spirits.
15:00 - 18:00	Caledonian Bartenders Cup 2025
	Scotland's national bartenders cup has found its new home on the Liquid Academy Live stage at ScotHot. See the very best bartenders in the country battle it out to become king or queen of the cocktail scene. The task is to create an aperitif or digestif to be paired with a food dish of choice. Think you have what it takes to be the Caledonian Bartenders Cup Champion of 2025? For full details on the competition criteria and to enter click here. Sponsored by

Thursday 27^th February

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10:30 - 11:15	Something Other Than Alcohol
	For moderate to low and non-alcoholic drink thinkers, this feature will showcase the shift in drinking culture in Scotland through productive innovations, supply chain diversification and maturation.
11:30 - 12:15	Drink Industry Question Time with SLTA
	Chaired by Scottish License Trade Association chief, Colin Wilkinson and joined by a panel of guests (to be announced soon). Hear from industry leaders about the challenges and changes facing operators today in on-trade and off-trade in Scotland, all with a view to expanding the debate on how to better help and represent the entirety of the drinks industry going forward in the north of UK in 2025.
12:30 - 13:15	Brand Take over

14:30 - 15:15	Vine of the Times
	Jazz up your wine and bubbles offering with our panel of wine experts who will help to inspire your menu ideas and share their insights. The panel includes producers, sommeliers, wine critics & restaurant owners to give you an all-round overview of the current market.
15:30 - 16:15	Unusual Suspects
	Come and try weird and wonderful spirits that you may never have thought to feature on your menu. The producers of these unusual suspects will be on the panel taking you through the tasting journey and giving you an insight into how it came about.