The Commonwealth Games are now a heart beat away and tickets are still available (click here). If you’re planning to attend and support your team, you might like to pop along to the Kelvingrove Café (1161-1163 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8TB/telephone 0141 221 8988) in the heart of the city, where their bartender Mal Spence, in partnership with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, has painstakingly created something really special, the Commonwealth Cocktail.

Initially working with 300 ingredients, the final ‘record breaking’ blend is made up of 71 ingredients sourced from each of the competing nations across the world to create the ‘summery’ and fruity drink. Into the mix there’s wild Scottish Strawberries, English Apples, Logan Berries from Canada, Citronella from the Seychelles, Jamican Okra, Dragonfruit from Belize, cashew nuts from Sierra Leone, saffron from Pakistan and much much more!
Most classic cocktails have three or four ingredients. This cocktail has 71. To find a recipe that could combine all these different flavours and also taste good was a challenge I couldn’t resist. It’s been a case of trial and error as many of the combinations of ingredients just didn’t work – I went through over 300 different ingredients before finding the final perfect blend” said Mal.
I feel that the results are well worth it – the drink tastes great and is a celebration of all the nations and territories making their way to Glasgow this month.”
So are you in Glasgow on the 23rd July? Well Kelvingrove Café are giving 71 of the exclusive Commonwealth Cocktails away for FREE so you’ll need to be quick.