World Gin Day: What to drink & where in Manchester

It’s an exciting time to be a gin lover here in Manchester, what with the recent news that we’ll be getting our very own distillery in the Green Quarter. 

Lucky, then, that our mixology seems up to scratch, with many of Manchester's creative bartenders conjuring up some serious magic to go alongside old favourites, while also ensuring a gin and tonic no longer means a glug of Gordon’s, Britvic straight from the tap and – shudder – ‘ice and a slice’ (whoever coined that term...) at the pub. 

Intrigued? You should be. We've spoken to some of our favourite spots around the city to find out what we should all be drinking:

Gorilla

Set up on a mezzanine as the crowning glory of the bar below, Gorilla's gin parlour is what sets it aside from others – especially when they’re busy creating a different house gin and tonic concoction that rotates daily, comes served in an aroma-enhancing copa glass and usually won't cost you more than a fiver.

Whatever’s on the blackboard that day, they'll happily knock up any combination that works for you; Bar Manager Joe White recommends a Beefeater 24 gin with radish and thyme: “Beefeater 24 is infused with Sencha tea and prominent flavours of orange and grapefruit, making it ideal to use with thyme. The sweetness from the gin works well with radish, blending delicately with gentle spice and sweet orange gently leading to floral thyme.”

Don’t forget Sundays also see a nifty £5 deal on a Red Snapper – the Bloody Mary’s ginnier sister, whose botanicals are a good match for the tomato juice base. 

Cane and Grain

Cane and Grain’s sumptuous first floor bar is, by far, one of the city’s best boozers. Despite the frequent hysteria downstairs, the semi-secret drinking den is a brooding, relaxed haven away from it all – made only better by the cucumber water that arrives on your table. Nice touch. And with head honcho Massimo Zitti at the helm, who's become something of a stalwart of the city’s drinks scene, the cocktail list is succinct and spot-on, and packed with molecular mastery.

What to drink? Dig the Dizz Fizz – Cane and Grain’s bestselling cocktail “mixing N2O Strawberry infused Portobello Road 171, home-made peach, rose and hibiscus liquor, clear lemon and ginger sweetened with vanilla and black cardamom syrup. Gently topped with white chocolate and mint C2O foam.” 

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Want to make some classic gin cocktails at home? Check our guide

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Epernay

Epernay’s forte might well lie in the realm of fizz, with over 30 champagnes to choose from including 16 by the glass, but cocktails don't lag far behind. With around 24 different cocktails on the menu, there's plenty of scope to take you from sunny afternoon bevs outside overlooking the Great Northern complex, right through to a candlelit evening nightcap.

Pull up a seat on the terrace and go for Holiday Blues, a mix of Star of Bombay gin, Earl Grey tea infused with blanc vermouth, blue Curaçao, lemon juice, absinthe and lemonade, served up in a highball glass with a garnish of a lemon wheel, mint sprig and a mini postcard.

“The idea behind this drink is to transport you mentally to whichever your favourite beach holiday destination may be,” explains Lewis Cooke, Head Bartender. “Of course this is a blue drink which helps with the imagery, and garnished with a postcard from the drink to Epernay it has a novel and fun touch. The drink stems from a bartender favourite called the Corpse Reviver Number Two, but long and blue. As a drunk man once said, there are two types of drinks in this world: blue and dissapointing.”

Go for blue, every time. 

Mr Cooper's House and Garden

And where better to sup on a refreshing gin-based tipple than within the calm of Mr Cooper’s House and Garden, which channels the quaint charm of a perennial English summer with its indoor 30-ft tree, cascading wall of plants and, above all else, its bevy of botanical drinks.

The cocktail menu changes seasonally, but it’s a sturdy gin list that impresses us the most, with bottles from distilleries across England and beyond – including Belgian, American and German gins distinguished by categoroes of floral, citrus and savoury or spice. We reckon it's worth matching your surroundings with a classic British brand, so go for Hunters, which is made at Cheshire distillery Langleys and comes served with apple and thyme. If in doubt, though, let the bar rustle up a bespoke serve based on what you're after.

Kosmonaut

The well-stocked bar at Kosmonaut may cater particularly nicely to our thirst for craft beer, but the small and perfectly-formed cocktail menu is also well worth your perusal, putting a playful spin on serious booze.

Stepping in as proof is the Lolz, which Assistant General Manager Kay Carroll-Gray explains is a “pink grapefruit infused Beefeater gin with pomegranate liqueur, Spanish bitters, topped with rose lemonade and garnished with a coupla lollies! I think it’s great because the grapefruit goes really well with the Spanish bitters, and the rose lemonade really complements it. And it looks mint!”

[Photo: Seb Matthes / MANOX]

Common

These days one does not simply order a gin and tonic. Or, one can, but what about the tonic? The garnish? Er, which gin? These days it's a bit of a minefield out there, but at Common a dedicated gin menu has it all played out for you with combos such as Thomas Dakin served with Fever Tree tonic and an orange garnish, or Jensen's Old Tom with Fever Tree and rosemary.

The best one? "Kyrö Napue 100% rye gin is the new favourite here at Common HQ,” reckons Common's Big Kahuna, Johnny Sture. “Served with cranberries, we get the stuff from a whisky distillery in Finland and think it’s an unusual take on a classic pairing.” 

[Photo: Adam Bruderer]

Atlas

Manchester's original gin haunt, Atlas is not only a step above others in its immediate Deansgate Locks environs, but also an icon citywide. Why so? Might have something to do with the 250-strong gin selection, which you'll be able to enjoy from the comfort of their outside terrace when the weather's up to it. 

The so-called Gin Bible may have booze from pretty much every country imaginable, but we recommend you stick closer to home with the small batch, quadruple-distilled Scottish gin Caorunn (pronounced 'ka-roon', btw), which is made by the whisky producers at Speyside's Balmenach distillery, packed with Scottish botanicals such as rowan berry, heather, dandelion and coul blush apple.