Rusty Weiss
As Scotland’s boisterous Tartan Army packs up and heads to Miami, one Scottish tech company is making sure the city gets a proper send-off — and a tongue-in-cheek apology for all the empty beer taps.
During nearly two weeks in June, an estimated 50,000 Scottish fans turned Boston into a raucous celebration for the country’s first World Cup in 28 years. They didn’t just cheer Scotland’s 1-0 win over Haiti — they drank the city dry.
Boston Bars Left Parched by the Tartan Army
Bars in Boston took a serious beating. The Sam Adams Taproom alone poured more than 3,000 pints, went through 70 kegs, and had to call for an emergency beer delivery after the Scottish fans knocked back four times the amount they usually sell over a busy holiday weekend.
Hennessy’s, a longtime local favorite, tripled its typical St. Patrick’s Day sales and still couldn’t keep up, running completely dry. Even liquor stores felt the pressure — one clerk recalled fans actually booing a guy who tried to buy a bottle of water instead of beer.
The Tartan Army has taken over every pub and bar in Boston. It’s truly “No Scotland, No Party” 🏴 https://t.co/tpE89d2xui pic.twitter.com/tC3aVBZwRI
— John Reed (@J_Reed20) June 13, 2026
Now, with the Tartan Army packing up and moving on to Miami, a Scottish AI startup called Wordsmith is stepping in to say thanks — and do it with a wink. They’ve put up a big billboard on McClellan Highway in East Boston that simply says: “Boston, your bars fought bravely.”
A full-page ad in the Boston Globe owns up to the chaos, apologizes for the emptied taps, and invites locals to film 10-second farewell videos to the departing fans. The top 367 clips will screen at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.
The number 367 isn’t random — it marks 367 AD, when ancestral Scottish tribes launched the “Great Conspiracy” invasion of Roman Britain. This time, Wordsmith chose a friendlier approach: sending 367 bottles of custom-labeled Scotch to Boston’s in-house corporate lawyers, calling it “humanitarian aid.”
Brilliant!
A Scottish startup has taken out billboards in Boston to thank/apologise to the city for the 50k scots that descended on the city.
— Seb Johnson (@SebJohnsonUK) June 24, 2026
It has also sent 367 bottles of custom Scotch to Boston.
The 50k strong Tartan Army travelled to the city for their first world cup in 28 years and… pic.twitter.com/Anzln9AXZs
A Peaceful Nod to Scottish History – With Whisky
“The Tartan Army traveled 3,000 miles, lost their voices, found Boston’s bars and emptied most of them — exactly as our ancestors would have wanted,” said Ross McNairn, Wordsmith CEO and co-founder. “Boston put up with the bagpipes, ran out of beer, and treated us like family. The farewell films are our thank-you, and the whisky is our apology. Slàinte.”
Wordsmith, an AI platform for in-house legal teams used by more than 500 companies, including BT, Canva, and the Financial Times, recently raised $70 million in Series B funding. The whisky gift doubles as a subtle pitch: a toast to lawyers bringing more work in-house.
Even with the beer shortages, plenty of Bostonians came away impressed by the Scottish fans. They loved the nonstop energy, the bagpipe processions winding through Fenway, and how remarkably clean the streets stayed despite the crowds.
Wordsmith’s light-hearted campaign nails that warm, good-natured send-off feeling — the perfect wrap-up to one of the most unforgettable World Cup takeovers Boston has ever experienced.
