As the World Cup 2026 kicks off, Scotland is preparing to meet Brazil in their first round. Fittingly, the first official football match in Brazil was organised by Largs man, Charles Miller, on the 14th of April, 1895, so it's only right that our wee town came together to celebrate over the weekend with the launch of Samba on the Seafront!
To mark this historic meeting, Brazil and the United Kingdom are uniting for the UK–Brazil Season of Culture. Led by Faroque Hussain from the Brazilian Consulate, this pioneering transatlantic celebration has brought together selected Scottish and Brazilian producers to create a range of commemorative products, including an exclusive whisky.
Farooque’s vision for the project was to channel that spirit of cultural exchange into something meaningful, raising funds for International Play Association (IPA) a children’s charity supporting those facing deprivation in both Scotland and Brazil.
The Tartan
It couldn't be a Scottish collaboration without a tartan, and Faroque approached the fantastic folk at Slanj Tartan, Glasgow to create the perfect pattern. They quickly recognised the connection between Largs and Brazil with the story of Charles Miller, who is widely known for introducing football to Brazil.
With the focus of the project on supporting children through sport and art, Slanj Tartan approached children at Largs Primary school to help with the design. Not only did they get to learn about the history and design process of Scotland's national fabric, they also produced some incredible designs.
The final winning design was the creation of Indie Menzies - now the youngest person to have designed an official tartan! The final tartan features colours from the Brazilian flag, Brazilian culture, the Scottish flag and a touch of red to symbolise the Largs school colours.
The Whisky
If Scotland is known for one thing aside from tartan, it's whisky!
This unprecedented project brings together 8 Doors Distillery (Scotland), Lamas Destilaria (Brazil) and Casa Studart Cachaçaria (Brazil), celebrating craftsmanship, cultural exchange, and innovation across the global spirits category. Sharing a unified name and labels linked together by the use of the newly created Spirit of Brazil tartan, each spirit reflects its own history while celebrating a shared cultural connection.
It's no secret that we here at Geraldo's love the water of life, and we're honoured to not only be the exclusive retailer of the 8 Doors Spirit of Brazil 28 Year Old Single Malt, but also the only shop in the UK to offer the host all three of the limited edition Spirit of Brazil whiskies together! Visit us in Largs to see the other exclusive whiskies and learn a wee bit more.
The Spirit of Brazil 28 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a one-off charity bottling. All profits from this release will support the work of the IPA in Scotland and Brazil. By purchasing a bottle, you are helping to support initiatives that create opportunities for play and development for children in communities across Scotland and Brazil.
This is a rare 28-year-old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Distilled and filled into cask in 1998, the year Scotland last met Brazil on the World Cup stage, this lightly peated Single Malt has matured quietly for nearly three decades. Now bottled as a single cask release, it marks their reunion in 2026.
Limited to just 270 bottles, this is a whisky shaped by time, place and shared story.
The Chocolate
It wouldn't be a Geraldo's celebration without chocolate, would it? As part of the Samba on the Seafront celebrations, we have some exclusive Brigadeiro chocolates made by Andrea Morrison of My Brazilian Kitchen. They’re a traditional Brazilian chocolate made with fresh cream, and dark chocolate, and they're available exclusively in-store.
Samba on the Seafront is a month‑long 'passport trail' celebrating the build‑up to Scotland’s World Cup clash with Brazil on June 24. Each participating venue has a secret password, with entrants required to collect them and submit the full set online for a chance to win £100.
Treat yourself to these delicious Brazilian delicacies and be sure to ask for the password when you buy to be in with a chance of winning!
