Having launched successfully last year, Edinburgh Cocktail Week is back and it is bigger than before. Much bigger.

This year's expanded format sees the city-wide cocktail festival spread across seven days with 83 participating bars - 30 more than last year.

The full list features many 5pm Dining members so you can book in for a bite between beverages.

At a quick glance, Badger and Co, Bar Soba, The Grand Café at The Scotsman and Rabble leap out.

We have written about the event before so you know the basics:

Each of the 83 bars has designed a unique Signature Cocktail which can be enjoyed for just £4 each with an ECW wristband. The wristbands cost £6 for a weekday band (valid Monday to Friday) and £8 for a weekend band (valid Saturday and Sunday).

Wristbands can be bought here.

Cocktail Village

We have also mentioned the Cocktail Village at Festival Square. Featuring fifteen, individually themed pop-ups bars, this will be the social hub of the event.

And, of course, there is no shortage of parties away from Festival Square.

Thrill-seeking wristband-holders are invited to join Chivas Regal for a whisky-themed Escape Room at Nightcap. Designed for both experienced and amateur whisky drinkers, attendees must use their senses to guide themselves through a labyrinth of flavour.

The idea is that guests will collect whisky along the way before creating their own personalised blend at the end of the challenge. To finish, guests will enjoy a complimentary cocktail in the Nightcap Lounge.

Another addition this year is The Secret Spirits Study pop-up on Queen Street – a master class hub by day and underground bar by night, hosted by Wemyss Malts and Darnley's Gin.

Those eager to sample and get creative can look forward to experiential master classes such as Mixed Drinks Through the Ages which explores the past, present and future of cocktails through sampling and hands-on cocktail-making.

In the evening The Secret Spirits Study will transform into a hidden cocktail bar with a programme of bar takeovers with mixologists from across Scotland showcasing their skills.

Distillery visits

Alternatively, you could be one of the first to take a tour of the Sweetdram distillery as it opens for the first time, exclusively for wristband-holders. Tour tickets cost £6 each and include samples of Sweetdram’s Escubac (described specifically as not a gin) and their Smoked Spiced Rum.

Local gin producers Pickering’s Gin are also joining in the cocktail debauchery by collaborating with Brewhemia to offer wristband-holders a whirlwind week of gin-soaked tastings, cocktail competitions, parties and gin shenanigans.

Organiser Gary Anderson commented: ‘After twelve months of planning and organising, we're excited to see Edinburgh Cocktail Week come to life and welcome everyone to our bigger, better event. There is so much to do this year between hopping around bars and discovering new tastes, to attending parties and master classes, distillery tours and interactive challenges. Or just hanging out in the Cocktail Village with your friends - there's no experience like it in Scotland, so we say make the most of it and see you at the bar!'