I spot Hop & Bottle. I spot the bottles in the window; craft beer after craft beer; a Tempest brew…read moreI'd never tried and some interesting looking offerings from breweries I'd yet to come by. My face is resembling the love-hearts-for-eyes emoji and I haven't even set foot inside. You see, Berwick is great for many, many things. It's a beautiful place and one I've visited on countless occasions. But, as far as beer goes, it's a real ale in real old pubs kind of place and there's no shame in that! So imagine my delight when we discover the warm and beardy Ray and his shop of beery wonders. It's time for a shake up in Berwick in the shape of this unashamedly hipster craft beer and vinyl haunt. (Bring Your Own Vinyl is the last Wednesday of every month from 5pm. - You're welcome!) H & B ticks all the boxes. You can sit in and have a beer. There's radlers on offer for the lightweights - myself included! - and kombucha if you're so inclined. (Left Field kombucha, mmm!) Oh, and there's gin too! You can buy any beer to take away. Dogs are very much welcome. There's a guitar if the mood calls for it and chat if you fancy it. If not, sit back, relax and enjoy your brew! Tell Ray what you like and he'll steer you in the right direction. - He's oozing with passion for beer, his business and local brews. We loved everything we tried and can't wait to come back. The difficulty is having just one, especially so because you're in damn good company. I visited with my boyfriend and his 97 year old grandad and, before we knew it, hours had passed and we'd got swept up in good beer, good chat and all-round good vibes. An awesome little spot in the borders if you're a craft beer lover!

Despite getting the wellies out, the poncho's purchased and the ark carved for Taste, it was sadly…read morecancelled, so Saturday was spent checking out the great places Edinburgh has to offer. Also, thanks to twitter, I found out that we could still 'taste' as The Bon Vivants Companion and Sipsmith had hastily arranged a tasting in place of the scheduled stand at Loch Meadows... The Sipsmith tasting was fab and the Summer Cup with its fresh hints of cucumber (which I normally loathe) was a revelation and has ruined Pimms for me due to its superiority. The Sipsmith Gin was also great - even neat and is a new favourite. Could I be biased about TBVC? Well, as someone who loves the Bon Vivant, I've also checked out TBVC which is also totally fab all of the time and never disappoints which is why all these reviews are all 5 stars. . Staff really know their stuff - I hate discovering a certain type of wine when I've been travelling to discover, I'll never see it again just because I've returned home and I speak to someone in a Wine Merchants who has no idea and won't offer to do a bit of hunting for me. Not the case at TBVC and even 'Its really rare' won't put them off. If you are looking for some of the rarer spirits and great wine, this is the place to come as a first stop instead of trudging round town and getting sore tootsie's. Yes, there is some high end stock but there's also some reasonably priced bottles. It is definitely the place to come for some special occasion wine or a boozy gift :-) I'm hoping to attend some of the regular tastings held in the basement this year now I'm twitter stalking and at the risk of letting the secret out, this is a great way to find out what is happening here. The guys at the Bon Vivant and Bon Vivant's Companion are great at posting events on twitter, hence attending the last minute Sipsmith tasting. TBVC - just awesome and I love it :-)

I've joined the raving party as The Bon Vivant's Companion literally made my night after a…read moredisappointing meal out. Anchor Steam? In Edinburgh? Snuggled in beside Le Chouffe? Interested in my recommendation to check out Lost Coast (Downtown Brown and Tangerine Wheat Beer.... YUM) to import? Bring these babies in as well as the summer beer from Anchor Steam and you have my heart in your hands. Oh and Zichichi wine too, please. When the designated driver more excited about finding beer than eating food, you know you are onto a winner. Hugs to this place, and lots of them!

This is what a customer emailed to the IWSC -…read more Every visit is a pleasure. Kim and Stuart are accommodating, knowledgeable, friendly and willing to go that extra mile to help or answer any queries. I can even take my children along safe in the knowledge they can sit at the little table with crayons and paper while I have a glass of wine and a chat and make my purchases. They carry an excellent range of wines and spirits catering for all tastes and every budget or occasion. Mostly Wine is how shopping should be, I cannot recommend them highly enough. - Jay Todd

Tried two diiferent single malt scotch whiskeys each at 46% abv - Loch Lomand 12 and Berry Bros &…read moreRudd. Both were very strong tasting whiskeys although I felt the Berry Bros was slightly smoother with a better aroma. This shop has a large humidor with a good selection of fine cigars and accessories. The owner was very nice and had an in depth understanding about whiskey and cigars. A display of classic smoking pipes were affixed to the wall across from the massive whiskey bottle inventory and sitting lounge.

During my recent trip to Europe I started to dabble with whiskey. So this whiskey shop was the…read moreperfect place to try some real strong stuff. I was on a food and drink tour that explained two of their whiskeys which were around 90 proof. They literally smelled like rubbing alcohol but tasted decent. This shop also had a humidor with an excellent selection of cigars. This was a great experience.

We popped in on a whim while on holiday because it was cold and I spied the liquor! We were very…read morepleasantly surprised. The ladies there were very knowledgeable, answering any and all questions we had, and offered samples as well! Who knew? The liquors we tried were all very good, flavorful, rich and definitely lend themselves to experimentation. My favorite was the Gooseberry however we enjoyed the Black Currant as well. Honestly, we didn't try one thing that wasn't exceptional. The down low is that if you use or enjoy oils, vinegars, or liquors, you really should stop in. Small batches of all these items. You get great information while trying before you buy. Bring back your bottles for discounted refills! We ended up making a purchase as a gift and some to fly home with. We most definitely will go back on all of our return trips.

I stumbled upon Demijohn by mistake and then entered the establishment with the express intention…read moreof not buying anything at all. What. A. Fail. Demijohn is a so-called 'liquid deli' on Victoria Street, right off the Grassmarket, which is, in my most humble opinion, the place for quirky shopping. It's also the area that will have your money flying out your pockets before you've had the chance to figure out what's going on. So, my flatmate and I stumbled into the shop, dazzled by the large curvaceous bottles on display in the shop window. These are the kind of bottles that look like they belong in an apothecary or in a giant's chemistry lab. All we wanted to do, in that very naive way of ours, was to have a few tasters of the delicious, decadent looking alcohol. The woman who worked there was very kind and patient, and not at all put off by our excited yelps at all the different delicious liqueurs and spirits that swam in the bottles, which were many times the size of our heads. Me, I'm a fan of port. I know some people find it sickening, but I'll choose port over dessert (almost) any day. I also love elderberries. Demijohn, would you believe, has elderberry port! We were sold. Apart from deliciously fruity liqueurs, whisky and sloe gin, Demijohn also has an array of olive oils and vinegars that look to die for. The deal with this place is that you have to buy a bottle. The apothecary kind. The prices range from 10 pounds up, depending on the size of the bottle. Then, you try the different delectable boozes, point excitedly at the one you crave, and get your bottle filled. Not only do you get tasty liquids from this process, but a pretty snazzy vessel for it too. You can come back and refill your bottle at any time so that you don't have to spend money on another. Demijohn is just plain awesome. I highly recommend stopping by to have a look. At your own risk, that is.