Perth Cocktail Week: ten days of cocktails from 6 November

Perth is about to get a bit more shaken and stirred. Perth Cocktail Week returns for ten days from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 November, and this time it's doing something it has never done before: it's holding court in autumn, whereas previous editions have landed in May. The festival runs across Perth city centre from midday until 23:45, and it is put on in collaboration with Perth & Kinross Council.

The whole thing revolves around a wristband, which costs between £14.90 and £16.90 and is non-refundable. Once you have it, you can use it as much as you like across the ten days to unlock signature cocktails from £5, mocktails from £5, and hundreds of special offers on food and drink at bars and restaurants across the city. The signature cocktails are the headline act, and they never run more than £7. A few of the ones to look out for include The Old Ship Spritz at The Old Ship Inn, the Hot Apple Pie at The Twa Tams, the Royal Mango at Rishi's Indian Aroma and the Noughty Fizz at La Cave à Vin. If you are skipping the alcohol, there is a wide range of vegan cocktails clearly marked on the printed guide.

Getting your hands on a wristband is a two-step process. First, you order it online through the Perth Cocktail Week website. Then you collect it, along with the venue guide, from either Kisa's at 1 Mill Street, where collection runs from 12:00 to 18:00, or Perth Museum on St John's Place, which opens Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 16:30 and Sunday 11:00 to 15:30. You show the barcode on your ticket at collection, and a friend can pick yours up if you pass them the QR code. After that, from 6 to 15 November, you just flash the wristband and get going.

The scale of the thing is worth noting. Twenty-three venues have signed up, from the likes of The Old Ship Inn, The Twa Tams and Rishi's Indian Aroma to the Perth Theatre, Perth Playhouse, The Bank Bar & Beer Garden, The Maltings and The Parklands Hotel, among many others. It is not just about the drinks, either: there are food offers woven in, like an appetiser menu at Kisa's, buy-one-get-one-half-price pizzas at Willows, a 10% discount on the total food bill at Maya's and deals at Lamesa. You can start with a signature cocktail at Kisa's and then head over to the Perth Theatre for a pre-dinner drink, with food options at Mae Ping Thai, Rishi's Indian Aroma, Everest Inn, Breizh and Enzo.

There is some real weight behind the numbers, too. Councillor Eric Drysdale, leader of the council, and founder Alice Christison have pointed out that the previous edition brought in over £350,000, sold 2,621 wristbands and racked up a million social media views. It also sets the stage for the big Christmas Lights Switch-on weekend on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, so it is a handy way to get the city going before the festive rush properly kicks in. Whether you are in it for the signature serves, the mocktails or the food deals, it is a ten-day run that makes a lot of Perth's bars and restaurants worth a visit.