Whisky stories are just at the end of the phone box line

For two weekends this summer, starting today, Thursday, visitors to Edinburgh’s Fireside Arches will be transported to the home of Jura Single Malt Whisky.

They will be connected, island style, via experiential phone boxes that will let guests sample the new Jura range.

Nestled off the west coast of Scotland, Jura has one road, one pub, one distillery… and three phone boxes. With very limited 4G or mobile reception, these phone boxes are one of the ways the islanders stay connected to each other and the mainland.

Now for a limited time, visitors to Fireside will get a taste of island life, as Jura’s phone boxes are recreated at Fireside’s open-air courtyard – with a copper-cladding – a nod to the distillery’s tall stills – and turned into a sampling bar.

Upon entering the phone box, guests will find three drams from Jura’s new core range waiting on them and then, the phone will ring.

A local to Jura will be on the end of the line, who will speak about the ins and outs of island life and the stories behind the new range as they sample each whisky. There will also be a sampling bar alongside the phone boxes serving the new Jura signature series.

Graham Logan, distillery manager at Jura Single Malt Whisky, said: ‘Who better to give Edinburgh a real sense of Jura and our new whiskies than the local island community themselves. We are incredibly proud of the new range and wanted to make our guests feel as if they’re sitting in the Jura pub, glass of whisky in hand and part of the community – a taste of island life in Edinburgh.

‘We’re looking forward to welcoming as many people as possible to our phone boxes and can’t wait to hear what you think of the new range.’

Anyone who misses Jura at Fireside can head to Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms, where head bartender Lachlan Rooney has created a unique community themed cocktail using Jura Seven Wood and ingredients representative of Edinburgh.

And for those enjoying the heat wave from the comfort of their gardens, the ‘Jura Sunset’ is also a refreshing and simple cocktail to make at home and a delicious modern take on the classic whisky highball.

Perfect for summer nights, mix 50mls Jura 10 with 5mls fresh lemon juice, top with San Pellegrino Blood Orange and garnish with a lemon slice. The citrus notes in the Jura spirit pair perfectly with the sharp fruity notes within the blood orange.

Jura Single Malt Whisky will be at the Fireside Arches, East Market Street, from 3.30pm (Thursday and Friday) and noon (Saturday and Sunday), Thursday 28 June to Sunday 1 July and Thursday 5 July to Sunday 8 July. Entry to Fireside cost is free.