Kowloon Correspondents' Club - Barton Arcade, Manchester

Them Liquorists, Manchester's self-styled sauce slingers, tellers of tall tales and the purveyors of the most innovative/high class bar crawls I've ever been on, have done it again.

This time they've only gone and got themselves a proper bloody bar in Manchester city centre, which has popped up for the next two months to serve you beautifully crafted Belvedere cocktails (guess who they've partnered with...), an injection of oriental glamour and, as they informed me the other night, 'to get a bit of our luxury into your mouths,' - a phrase which works somewhat better when you see the (lecherous) faces they pulled with that.

To bring you the Kowloon Correspondents Club, The Liquorists have taken over a unit in the graceful, victorian Barton Arcade mall. Barton Arcade has been one of my favourite architectural gems since I first moved to Manchester twelve years ago and unfortunately has become a little underused these days, so it's great to see people using it again in a creative, playful way.

We kicked off our night with a Belvedere masterclass; tasting different expressions of the gin and the brand's signature Zephyr cocktail (heavy on the pink grapefruit). I'm not going to wax lyrical about the aceness of Belvedere because I've done that before, but I will wax on about KCC (as the kids are calling it).

Kowloon serves cocktails made of Belvedere vodka and some other stuff (skillfully) thrown in for good measure. As the staff are all part of The Liquorists you know that they know their stuff and that they know their way around the bar - if you go early, before the rush, they're also all pretty nice chaps who will explain anything you need to know about the drink you are drinking.

KCC is offering free Belvedere masterclasses so get yourself down there early - not only will you get some free booze, but you'll learn some knowledge that will make you sound super cool in front of your friends AND it's genuinely a very fun way to start of an evening.

So pop down to Barton Arcade, marvel at the beautiful victorian engineering and then slip into the moody/cosy/quirky space that is KCC - be quick, it's only there for a couple of months.

Ps good news - between 5 and 7pm EVERYTHING at the bar is half price. Would be rude not to...

Kowloon Correspondents Club is open Thurs through Sat, 5pm  - midnight.

Kowloon Correspondents Club, Off Deansgate/Off St Anne's Square, Manchester M3 2BW - Twitter

www.theliquorists.com

Drinks Enthusiast Spirit Tasting Night - 24/7, Manchester

There are worse things to do of an evening, than spending your night with a group of new people, learning about spirits and tasting drinks. No, really, there are.

And that’s the premise of The Drinks Enthusiast’s Spirit Tasting nights – book your ticket, turn up, meet new people, taste spirits, learn lots of interesting facts and then end of with a cocktail created especially for the night.

Oh, but it’s much more than that – Dave, aka Drinks Enthusiast, is a passionate, eloquent speaker who knows more about the brands he’s teaching you about, than the brands do themselves.

First up were two gins, both from G-Vine – the first gins to be distilled in France, apparently and, interestingly, made from grapes. We sipped both the green Fluraison version (hints of apple, green cardamom and floral sweetness) and the grey Nouaison (muskier, deeper and full of nutmeg overtones). Flouraison is marketed at the lay-dees and the grey for the gents – because of course, girls have no ability to appreciate a heavier drink and have to be all floral and twee. I for one, with my upright equalist principles, found this is a little insulting (although very good marketing) and rebelled and preferred the Nouaison. So there, clever marketing peoples!

Next in the tasting list was the June grape liquer – also made by G-vine; I’m guessing that this one is only marketed at the girls. Peach colour-way on the bottle, super sweet taste like frostie sweets/artificial peach flavouring – no way I was going to like this one. But to give it it’s due (and to look cool sprouting facts that I actually learnt from Dave...) it’s a grape liquer blended from three different types of grape and is very special because grape liqueuers are very rare. Still mings though.

Lastly we tasted a Roberto Cavalli vodka from Italy – yes, as in the fashion designer Roberto Cavalli. It’s Italy’s first vodka, so they got a well-known name in to design them a swanky bottle and give it some gravitas (oh and a £60 price tag). It’s clean, it’s smooth, but that’s where it ends – like high-edn fashions, this drink is all style over substance – it would make a great mixer, but with that price tag I’ll be sticking to the Smirnoff (which is actually decent as a mixer, just don’t start drinking it neat, I’d suggest a Belvedere for that..).

We finished the night off with a cocktail created especially by Allan Hudd, Bar Manager at 24 Bar and Grill for the tasting session (actually there was a choice of two, lucky us). I opted for the Nouaison Basil Smash as the other on offer was something with the June liquer. Heady, aromatic perfumes wafted up from the smashed basil and the over-powering pepperiness was toned down by the warm muskiness from the gin; the spicy notes in both complimenting perfectly – great choice by moi (yeah taking all the credit…!).

A spirit tasting night is a great alternative to throwing unknown, cheap drinks down your neck and being pawed at by strangers who think wearing a hat indoors is ok – at £15 a ticket it’s bloody good value too; ok you might not be taken by all the drinks you taste, but when else would you be bold enough to order something you’ve never heard of before?

NB The June liquer actually tasted gorgeous in the cocktail that was created with it, so not all bad.

Ps I was given my ticket to the trail for free, but was in no way obliged to say nice things about the night – please see HERE for examples of freebies that haven’t received such a glowing review (ouch!).

Ski Club - Spinngfields, Manchester

Ok, so I’ve been lazy with the blog – sorry, I’ve been dealing with life by sticking my head in the sand and putting my fingers in my ears. Enough of the complaining (as I’ll be doing a lot of that in the following post, so get ready) – the recent wintry weather has stirred me to write up a night I was invited to at Ski Club; with snow on the ground, what an opportune time to share.

The Ski Club is the newest (although pretty old now, hey? – ed) pop-up concept from Heart Soul Rock & Roll; those people behind Spinningfield's summer pop-up, Yacht Club. Being canny to the fact that Manchester's inclement climate isn't conducive to high sales of booze in an outside, barely covered venue, they've moved indoors to Quay House and recreated the high life on the ski slopes a la 1972.

Ski Club - vintage slopes luxury, apparently - thanks to City Life

Wood clad, with leather seats and faux fur throws, coupled with dim lighting and vintage pictures of the slopes, the decor is meant to invoke the snug hillside cabins of St Moritz; unfortunately none of the styling perks up the rather cold and soulless space that Ski Club seems to be. Maybe I visited on the wrong night (seriously PR people, you're going to have a press night? Please make sure there’s some ambiance in the place you're trying desperately to sell us),  or maybe it’s just soulless; but three cocktails in and I was still shivering under my blanket.

Those aforementioned PR people had kindly invited a bunch of press/blogger types to come together for a tasting of the Ski Club’s fare in the hope we'd get busy writing gushing prose about. Bad move. What we were served at Ski Club can only be described as vile.

As you readers are aware, if I’m invited somewhere to eat, then I’ll judge that place harsher than somewhere I just rock up to and actually pay for my food at (yeah, I do pay for food you know...); if you know someone is there to review, you make damn sure everything is tip top standard. If you invite a whole crowd of reviewers (a la the Ski Club night), then you make sure the food and service is so damn hot I’m burning my fingers on it and talking about it for years to come.

Arancini snowballs

Porcini arancini balls were massive, almost snowball sized dusty abominations that tasted of gravel. Sundried tomato, mozzarella and pesto on a stick – meh, I could get that at Pesto and that’s not saying much. Some sort of sausage roll had greasy pastry as thick as rhino skin and the fondue? Well I've already discussed that before - but let's get it off my chest again because it was so disappointing - claggy, cold, contemptible.  The only edible eats were some cured meats - but if they'd fucked up opening the packet and plating it, then I'd be even more worried about what's happening in the kitchen than I already am.

Oh and a note to the Ski Club staff - if someone asks you if the food served is gluten free, and that person is sitting in the group of press you invited to see how amazing this place is, please have the decency to get back to that person whilst the food is still on the table and not after it has been cleared and they've gone hungry. Thanks.

If the food's not up to scratch then at least you can rely on the drinks right? There's a good choice of spirits and beers, plus some quirky cocktail concoctions; even a blue coconut thing (Tiffany and Coco) - stylish to look at, yes, but the flavours in all the drinks fell somewhat flat and were smothered by an overabundance of sweetness. Great if you have a sweet tooth - I prefer something a bit bitter, with a kick (says a lot for you personality - ed), rather than the nursery soothers served, but they seemed to go down well with others in the party.

Blue drink - no advisable to drink off or on the slopes

The ski club will be hanging around in Spinningfields (above Artzu Gallery) until March if you fancy warming your cockles after a day on out the slopes of Manchester's shopping streets - however I'll take my apres-ski elsewhere.

Ps The bar staff, in contrast to the waiting staff, were exceptional.

Food - 2/10
Atmosphere - 5/10
Service - 6/10 (score greatly increased by the bar staff)
Value for money - n/a

Total - 13/30

Go again? No thanks. I'll be interested to see what Heart Soul Rock & Roll dream up next, as Yacht Club was pretty decent. Let's hope this is a seasonal blip for them.

The Ski Club, Quay House,  Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3JE - Facebook - Twitter - info@skiclub.co.uk

Please note I was invited to Ski Club as part of a press night and was given my food and drink for free. I am under no obligation to say anything nice in return for this - as is pretty evident from this review!

Whiskey Tasting Night - The Violet Hour, West Didsbury

As many of my readership can attest, this is a lady who likes the odd tipple, and there's no tipple this lady likes more than Woodford bourbon (well, maybe some champers, but that's no surprise is it?).

So when good friend and the man with the BEST job in the world mentioned he would be conducting a Woodford/American whiskey tasting night at The Violet Hour in West Didsbury, how could I not pop along and show him my support by eagerly listening to his wisdom and tasting ALL the drinks he made. What a great friend I am hey?

The Violet Hour - wonderful photography from Carl Sukonik/The Vain Photography

Premise of the night was very simple, Tom Vernon, the American Whiskey Ambassador for Bacardi Brown Foreman would introduce three of his brands; Gentleman Jack, Woodford and Jack Single Barrel by giving us a (large) measure of each to taste/savour/down. Then we'd get a classic cocktail made from each (and be shown how to make them too - now I'm going to look like a PRO at Christmas) and plenty of history, anecdotes and tasting notes along the way.

Not all these drinks were mine... (are you sure? - ed)

We were first introduced to Gentleman Jack, a Tennessee whiskey, NOT a bourbon; this is Jack Daniels given the posh treatment - gently mellowed in charred oak barrels for two years then re-mellowed through a unique charcoal filtering process (did you know the Jack Daniels distillery is the ONLY distiller with their own cooper - ie. they make ALL their own barrels? (See I was listening/not getting too pissed. Really. Promise.). Indeed it was pretty smooth, with that oakiness as a slight warm burn on the back of the throat and a good mouthful of stone fruits as well.

Gentleman Jack was given the whiskey sour treatment - very simply just whiskey (obviously), mixed with sugars, bitters, the sharp bite of lemon and some egg white to give you a nice creamy mouth feel (oi! I'm talking about booze you rude people!). See the bottom of the blog post to make your own whiskey sour.

Tom doing his thang - again thanks to the amazing Carl Sukonik/The Vain Photography

Next drink was my favourite EVER - a Woodford. Even without Tom's spiel I can tell you that this bourbon is a far more punchy and layered little number as it contains much more rye than the Gentleman Jack (18% compared to Gentleman's 8% - ok, I didn't know the percentages until I got Tom's informative chat). Woodford is full of toffee and maple notes (that's why it makes such a good caramel for morning pancakes!) with some peppery, anise flavours to really perk it up at the end. Even though it's more punchy, it has less of an aggressive nose/throat than the Gentleman Jack due to the aging processes it goes through.

The Woodford was turned in to one of my top ten favourite cocktails; the quintessential prohibition drink that's gone through a massive resurgence lately, the stately and sophisticated (and darn right boozey) Manhattan. The story goes it was created at the Manhattan club for Winston Churchill's mother - how it was when she was pregnant and in France, no one knows, it's been lost in the mists of time...

Woodford Manhattan and terrible photo

The last whiskey of the night was the Jack Single Barrel - that's the super posh stuff that Jack Daniel's makes. As it says on the tin (ok bottle), this is a single barrel bottling; each batch is created from ONE single barrel (approx 250 bottles). This whiskey has oodles of flavour and a much higher abv (45%!) thanks to it being stored in the Angel's Roost - the top of the warehouse where the temperature differences are more pronounced, thus meaning the whiskey has had more interaction with the wood; the whiskey sucking in and absorbing all those charred oaky tannins and being softened by its interaction with the wood.

Each batch of Jack Single Barrel differs from the each other depending on what time of year it was made, where it has been stored in the warehouse and what the weather has been like whilst it's been in the barrel (yes, even little nuances like that make a whole lot of difference); each batch will have different tasting notes, different characteristics and different complexities - this batch was silky soft and mellow with burnt toffee and charcoal notes coming through on the finish. A smooth, complex and extremely exquisite drink, poo poohing those toffee noses who look down on American Whiskey as a second rate drink - and this little tipple nearly, ever so nearly knocked Woodford down from its lofty perch in my esteem (don't tell Woodford though...).

For the Single Barrel a very special, simple drink (that actually takes a little time and quite a bit of care to make properly) that can actually claim to be one of my very favourites and one of the very first cocktails ever created in them good ol' days; an Old Fashioned (yeah that one in Madmen. No I haven't watched Madmen. Yes I know I'm probably missing out. Thanks.) - whiskey, sugar syrup, bitters and a little twist of orange. Tom's version = perfection.

Thanks to Dan (left) and Tom for a wonderful, fun evening

The Violet Hour is a perfect little hideaway that has recently opened on Burton Road in West Didsbury - whilst I lived there (yonks ago whilst at Uni - not telling you how long that was), it had always been a derelict butcher shop, a broken down blot on the blossoming Burton Road scene. Thankfully owner/manager Dan had a vision to create a bustling little bar with a great selection of quality drinks and (soon to come) warming stews and creative nibbles (think home made pork scratching and gourmet popcorn, yum) - the pared back brick work and warm lighting creating a friendly, welcoming space - if you like a proper drink, this is the place to go.

So how much did supporting my friend (er don't you mean filling your boots with a ton of booze? - ed) cost? Pretty reasonable actually - for three (large) tasting measures, three exceptionally created cocktails (Tom is pretty skillful in that area) and more canapes than I could actually eat, I only had to shell out £15. I think it was more than worth it and will be booking myself and anyone who will come with me (and who wouldn't? Booze and food and ME hey?) on to the next spirit night The Violet Hour hosts (apparently there will be lots - check their Twitter and Facebook for more info/before they all sell out!).

All eagerly listening to Tom in the lovely surroundings of The Violet Hour -

again from Carl Sukonik/The Vain Photography (who has a brilliant eye, check him out!)

The Violet Hour, 236 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 - Facebook - Twitter - 0161 434 9521

Ps Thanks to Carl Sukonik of The Vain Photography for letting me use his beautifully shot photos and for sparing you any more of my out of focus/blurry attempts. Check out his website and twitter for more info about how you can book this highly talented/lovely chap.


How to make a Whiskey Sour like Tom Vernon aka the jammiest man in the world

60ml Gentleman Jack
2 tsp sugar
20ml fresh lemon (and no, it is NOT acceptable to use the stuff in a bottle. EVER.)
Bitters to taste (get creative, there's a wide variety of bitters out there)
Egg white from one egg (save the yolk for your hangover cure the next morning...)
Cocktail shaker
Lowball glass with ice cubes in
Cheeky grin - optional

1. Pop all the ingredients bar the bitters in a cocktail shaker and shake about a bit dry ie. NOT with ice (don't just shake the shaker with nothing in, that's not how you make a cocktail).

2. Whilst shaking, regale people with anecdotes/facts about whiskey you have learnt from this blog - or in Tom's version, with amazing tales from having the best job in the world where you just get to talk a lot about whiskey, drink a lot of whiskey and fly out to America every three minutes (not that I'm jealous or anything).

3. Pour in to a low ball/old fashioned glass (the little short, squat ones) over ice and shake some bitters in over the top - you can prep the glasses by sugaring the rims if you want to be ultra professional.

4. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel and serve with a winning smile. Lapping up praise - optional.

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Sneak Preview - Miracle on High Street - Northern Quarter, Manchester

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – well it is at 100 High Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter; where festive bar with food, Miracle has popped up; spreading seasonal cheer, warming your cockles and trying to get you through the dark days/nights until Father Christmas actually arrives.

With fairy lights twinkling their festive messages, walls clad in wood to warm your soul and food so hearty I’m sure it beats when placed in front of you; Miracle is attempting to take the seasonal emphasis off the Manchester markets/Spinningfields and bring some joy to the Northern Quarter.

Yeah and you knows it - crafty craft work by the audacious Crass Stitch

Primarily a bar that does food, Miracle is accessed through Socio Rehab and is a sister bar to Almost Famous and Keko Moku. Following in the footsteps of its family brand, Miracle concentrates on quirky cocktails and, like Famous and Home Sweet Home, easy but well thought out food that has been designed to be similar but different enough to the other establishments.

The food at Miracle is a cross between quirky takes on festive food (Christmas dinner in bap anyone? Replete with sprouts, roasties and cranberry sauce…) and hearty wintry fare - they have a list of eight stews on at all times and a chowder so thick its viscosity is being investigated by material physicists.

The Miracle Sandwich groans under the weight of the filling; out bursts plenty of buttery turkey (they slow cook it so it’s rich and moist), roast potatoes and bacon cooked sprouts with a lovely bitter edge from the slightly burnt edges – served up with pigs in blankets, it’s a meal in a bun.

Miracle sandwich, sprouts and all

Pork and cider stew is served in a bread bowl – big hunks of sweet pork and offset by the sweetly sour cider, the lid of the bowl a great tool for dipping and for ferrying the food to your mouth. Beef and ale stew on the other hand is served in a half pint glass with a bread lid (see what they did there?) – the beef could have done with slightly more cooking and the wholegrain with the beef and ale made it slightly too sweet and cloying for my tastes; still a lovely warming little pot to line your stomach for the vast quantities of cocktails they turn out here.

Pork and cider in a nifty bowl you can eat

As a sister bar to Famous and Home Sweet Home, there’s the signature sweet potato/potato fries you find on both menus (guess it makes ordering stock easier/cheaper) – this time jazzed up with a good dose of pepper/festive seasoning and a smattering of that moist turkey. And it wouldn't be a Christmas theme place is they didn't offer pigs in blankets... (so they do).

The aforementioned cocktails is where Miracle has put most of their creative effort; they're dressed up like fancy little presents and taste as sweet as the season – the Apres Ski tasting exactly like a melted mint vienetta and taking me back (happily) to sitting at my Dad’s kitchen table circa 1992. The Berry Merry Xmas is a big mouthy hit of berries and booze that’ll warm you up and put hairs on your chest before you step out in the cold weather (bit too fruity for me) and the Christmas in New York is one that really split the group - dark, chocolate stout with bourbon and a vanilla ice cream float; far too bitter and needed a sweeter/more creamy ice cream in there, but I'm a non-stout lover so that verdict should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Stout and ice-cream - acquired taste me thinks

My bugbear at Miracle is the service; basically it's a do it yourself thing - you decide on what you want to eat, go to the kitchen to order and go back to get it; great for saving on the wage bill, but I'm a grumpy lazy bones who likes to be waited on hand and foot (just saying). However the bar staff and the kitchen staff are very friendly, so a tick to them there.

Miracle isn’t Almost Famous; it’s her quieter, friendlier, more homely sister. If it was an everyday place, open every day of the year, then I'm sure I'd tire of it pretty quickly - however it's here for only one season, it's a happy little pop up that's trying to bring creativity and cheer to the Christmas menu, offering a great alternative to the flabby turkey and dull Christmas puddings on offer across the rest of the city.

And when can you try this out? This THURSDAY (22nd Nov) is the big grand opening. Which makes tonight CHRISTMAS EVE! And an opening couldn't happen without PRESENTS - the first 50 people through the door tomorrow night receive free sliders and the first 100 get a free drink. Looks like Father Christmas has come early. Check out the Twitter for opening times.

Price for one Miracle sandwich, three stews, one gobble gobble (turkey) fries, one pigs in blanket, one pudding and four cocktails (drinks £7 each) - £63.50

Food - 7/10 - for Christmas food it's pretty good
Atmosphere - 9/10
Service - 6/10 full marks to bar and kitchen, but I had to get up off my lazy arse and serve myself
Value for money - 7/10 big portions and small prices make this unusual in the Christmas rip of schemes (however the cocktails are a little pricey, try just drinking off the main bar to save cash!)

Total - 29/40

Go again - yes as it's a fun and quirky place that's full of Christmas cheer and a bit of an exciting alternative to the usual festive offerings

Miracle, Access through Socio Rehab, 100 High Street, Manchester M1 4HP - Twitter

Please note I was comped my meal here but am under no obligation to write anything nice.

Liquorice Bar - Manchester

So lately on the blog we’ve gone through dirty meat, we’ve gone through posh restaurants; but now, dear readers I think you need some booze and some posh booze in the form of a new cocktail bar called Liquorice.

Located on Pall Mall, off King Street – one of Manchester’s more salubrious streets and based on the old Destino’s site (it’s still got the same owner, they wanted to rebrand and thought a cocktail bar would be a great addition to that area of town), Liquorice is an upmarket bar that sports neutral walls, leather banquets and a wood topped bar.

Serving cocktails and drinks, it’s aiming to be an after work place during the week and then a bit more upbeat at the weekend. Their manager Ben Brooks (who was trained by Neil Garner and, claim to fame, was on Come Dine With Me) has designed a cocktail menu that’s inclusive rather than one that alienates people with unknown liquors and bizarre taste combinations; however there’s some still signature flares thrown in for good measure, which will make Liquorice stand out from the crowd.

When we visited there was a relaxed after work vibe and we managed to get a seat at the bar; chatting with the staff it was clear that a) they’re a friendly bunch and b) they know what they’re talking about. After sampling some of the more usual drinks I plunged in to that signature cocktail – after all, I am a massive fan of liquorice, so why wouldn’t I?

The sharpness of the orange is toned down by the salty, sweetness of the liquorice – sort of like chewing a fruit salad and a blackjack together, but without the chewy gak on your teeth or diabetes. It’s a stunning looking and lovely tasting signature drink that I think Ben can be proud of knocking up.

Chatting to Ben, the idea is to get the place buzzing and build up the clientele going form strength to strength and just making it a fun place to hang out and get some good drinks – there was even a cheeky hint that they may go on to open other things. If they keep the winning formula of good drinks, good chat and good atmosphere; then I don’t think it’ll be too long before they do that.

Ps Liquorice is also serving food, so you can line your bellies before imbibing too much (Nosh knows all the consequences that brings!). There’s going to be some old Destinos favourites on the menu such as pumpkin ravioli, seabass and meatballs.

Pps If you go this weekend (17-19th Aug) it's their opening weekend - so expect lots of freebie and fun!
Go and see them, you need cocktails!

Liquorice Bar, 50 Pall Mall, Off King Street, Manchester M2 1AQ - Twitter - 0161 832 4600

Brew Dog Bar - Manchester

Say ‘real beer’ and many people think of flat caps, tweed and country pubs that smell a little fruity. The following words do not usually signify real beer ‘punk,’ ‘young’ and ‘attitude.’ However some young punks on the British brewing scene are challenging this idea and last week landed in Manchester – home of flat caps and ale sippers galore – opening their alter to the craft beer with a big bang, right in the city centre.

Brew Dog's new Manchester bar - very busy already!

Brew Dog are newbies on the beer scene, first brewing in 2007 as a reaction to British beer being a choice between stuffy real ale or some watery chemical piss and nothing in between. Brew Dog are very much the in between with their feisty DIY spirit, their willingness to try new (and sometimes crazy) methods and their appeal to a wider, younger audience than the CAMRA crew. Obviously something's working as they've become Scotland's biggest independent brewery, bottling about 120,000 bottles a month for export.

Brew Dog Manchester, from the outside and much better than my attempt - with thanks to themselves

So this beer then? Based in Aberdeen you could think Brew Dog would go the way of a traditional Scottish mild, but instead they've looked over to the pond to the craft beers our American cousins are brewing, mixed it up with some crazy attitude and quality ingredients, then given a nod to another Scottish export -high strength tramp juice. Known as much for their high strength beer as their crazy stunts (they got in to a beer strength fight with a German brewer, made a beer called The End of History that was 55% and then bottled it in taxidermy - indeed, then got in to an eight month long dispute with the Portman Group...), Brew Dog are now branching out and taking their craft beer ethos to the masses.

So what’s the difference, it's just a real ale place right? No. Brew Dog Manchester is a proper bar, none of the old sticky carpet shtick – there’s funky neon lights in the company blue, there’s the on trend hip distressed look and there are actually other drinks on offer; mainly different craft beers they look up to - but there's also wine, spirits and the odd soft drink or two.

I liked this sign - craft beer gets a cool makeover

However we’re not here to chat about the other drinks, it’s the beer that does the talking at Brew Dog. The draughts and guest kegs change regularly - it's best to check their Twitter for the day's specials, or they can be found on the chalkboards that are dotted around the place: we sampled the Dead Pony Club, a light, malty session beer; their infamous (and the beer they first brewed) Punk IPA, a feisty, citrusy, tropical kiss on the gob that doesn’t taste half as strong as the 5.4% (my favourite); the ruby red 5am Saint and the Riptide, an 8% stout that’s full of chocolate, mocha and berry flavours. Yeah I just said 8% stout. Mental. And that's not the highest they had on when we were there...

Stout and a branded glass

As we has popped along on opening night, we also got to sample the limited addition Dog A, which comes in at 15.1%. Darker than the stout and served in an impressive branded chalice (to let the aromas out apparently) it tasted akin to salmiakki mixed with marmite. Not two flavours I’d put together willingly – I drank it because I know it’s about £20 a bottle – plus I was given it, so I would have been rude not to. I don't think t'boy was that happy with me drinking so much of it though. Let's just say I don't remember much of the journey home, apart from that he was driving. And grumpy.

This is 15.1% - that's quite a lot of 15.1%. I drank it all.

There's food too. Designed by an ex-masterchef person, they've gripped the zeitgeist with posh burgers, pizzas and the odd cheese/charcuterie board chucked in too. To be honest I'm not going to give them too much 'oh you're just jumping on the band wagon' stick for this as they are a bar and this is bar style food. From the bits we tasted they've done a bloody good job of it too, serving the burgers rare and juicy. Word of warning - don't venture near the veggie pizza unless you have an asbestos mouth - I had to gulp down a pint in record time (well a half, I am a girl you know) just to stop from jumping off the balcony.

I didn't take a picture of the food, so here is a picture of a man called Max who did the drinks tasting

Brew Dog's bar looks like it'll be a success and because it's owned by the brewery I'm hoping they won't be tempted to dumb down to the level of their neighbours just to pull in the punters; hopefully they'll spread the message that quality and quirkiness can go together to make a very drinkable, very likable product. There will be some bite back from the real ale purists, but personally I'd prefer to go to a place that I at least feel safe to sit down in as I know I'm not going to get stuck to the carpet topped bar stool that's had thirty years of over weight male buttock sweat seeping in to it.

Brew Dog Manchester, Peter Street, Manchester - Twitter

http://www.brewdog.com/

Whiskey Trail - The Liquorists, Manchester Northern Quarter

Mark Twain is famed for saying, "...too much of good whiskey is barely enough," and last week's Whiskey Tour, with bar consultants/boozy tour guides/general bon vivants The Liquorists, really lived up to Mark Twain's (and my) expectations - there was whiskey galore; plus plenty of good food and good chat thrown in for very good measure.

The concept of a Whiskey Trail is to sample some very good whiskey (note the 'e' you pedants, we're referring to non-Scotch here), taste it in a long drink and learn about the spirit - bit like non-geeky school trip for adults.

We started the night at Socio-Rehab; the old stomping ground of our guide Tom, who's one half of The Liquorists partnership. Gathered round in a booth with eight other strangers, I felt like a bit of a ninny, however Tom's warmth and boundless enthusiasm relaxed everyone immediately and we got off to a flying start with the American bourbon that is Woodford Reserve; sweet, salty caramel flavours with big hints of vanilla shining through. To highlight the versatility of the drink we were also served a Classic, apparently as drunk by those people on Mad Men all the time (how did they cope?), and a dark chocolate florentine. Perfect.

Classics and florentines at SocioRehab

From here we decamped to Trof NQ and their brand new bourbon bar - we scampered round our reserved table like excited primary-schoolers - our little faces all tuned in to Tom's captivating spiel about the Jim Beam and infamous mint julep in front of us - part history, part folklore, part innuendo, part tasting notes. To compliment we had a spoon of jelly and almonds, went down a treat I can tell you.

Mint julep - totally Hunter S Thompson

We formed a now less than orderly crocodile and popped in to the dark and moody Apotheca a few doors up; this time to the wonderful sight of two large drams, not just one! And we can say drams this time as one of them was the wonderful Auchentoshan - a smooth and delicate Scotch single malt; the only triple distilled malt in Scotland - see I was still listening, even if by this time I had a lovely warm feeling and things were getting a little hazy. This was contrasted against the fruity, slightly sweeter Yamazaki from Japan, which was one of my favourites from the trail.

By now we were all chatting amiably, no longer strangers, but partners on this unique guided discovery - good thing as we had the longest walk (all of two minutes) to Noho on Stevenson Square - to relax in some comfy sofas; just what we needed after four drams and three cocktails. Out came a Jameson, well we couldn't have trail without having a drink from the country that invented whiskey could we? Hmmm...they may have invented it, but I do think the Scots refined it (that's a debate for another post). Here we ate caramel and cheese popcorn, sounds gross but is surprisingly moreish.

This made the Jameson's taste nice! Basil, clove syrup and pepper cocktail at Noho

And for our last treat? A chow down at the Northern Quarter's now infamous secret meat den for plenty of alcohol absorbing, juicy, meaty, delicious (I could go on) burgers and addictive chicken wings - plus lots of Jack Daniels and cocktails that I think included root beer and cherries (yes 'I think,' I had to go by the photos I took and my twitter updates for this one). Good job Almost Famous had opened up especially for us as by this time we were all on the merry side.

End of the night, dirty beefy love mmmm.....

A tour through the whiskies of the world is something that may sound a little dry (no pun intended); obsessive booze geeks trailing around in chinos discussing tasting notes and cask weights, blah, bah, blah. Tom is obsessive, but in a very good way. His passion, interest and obvious knowledge shine through - coupled with an boundless friendliness and a true eagerness to actually know what you think about each drink, he makes the trail a very enjoyable and unforgettable experience.

Please don't fear that this is an overly boozy lads night out - it's not. The Liquorists have obviously gone to great pains to ensure the whole set-up is run as professional and smoothly as possible. Our tables were always reserved, the drinks were always ready and there were plenty of snacks and water to dilute the booze they were feeding us. For between £30-£40 it's a cheap night out, especially as we got through five whiskies, four cocktails and more food than I could fit in my gob (that's a lot, by the way).

Tom and his interesting spiel

The Whiskey Trail is on for the next five weeks so snap up your tickets here - you'll be gutted if you miss out, it really is that ace. Don't fear if it's already booked up; those sauce sessionistas will be back with a gin trail, and a vodka trail, and... well watch this space.

Want a bespoke party (they indeed will do these for 'a good deal'), or got some questions for Tom or his business partner Jody? Then head over to: http://www.theliquorists.com/ tom@theliquoristsonline.com or Twitter

Ps I was given the ticket to this trail for free, however I was under no obligation to write good things - Tom's enthusiasm for the drinks, his interest in us and just how jolly nice he was, plus the actual fabness of the trail means I think this definitely deserves a thumbs up.

Bakerie - Northern Quarter, Manchester

The smell of freshly baking bread is very intoxicating, apparently eager home sellers will bake a loaf just before having viewers round and supermarkets will pump the scent into certain parts of the store willy nilly. It conjours up images of home in Berkshire, all gathered round the Aga; even if you didn't have one and grew up on a Redrow estate in Wales.

Bakerie, on the very edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, has set itself up as a baker of fresh bread and a seller of good wine - according to the website it's the perfect place to chill out with your mates with good bread and wine around you. And it's certainly a chilled out space - walls in neutral, earthy tones are mostly unadorned, bar the recipes for Bakerie's bread that they make in house. There's an open kitchen with wholesome looking boys baking fresh batches; booths with blocky, leather seats and slightly subdued lighting to take the strain of your eyes.

Bakerie - paired back and modern, with thanks to Manchester Bars

What’s different about this place, and very refreshing, is that Bakerie hasn’t followed suit with other places in the Northern Quarter that have baking as their mantra - there's no vintage materials, no sickly pastels, no bunting and servers dressed up to the nines like 1940s hookers. Bakerie has a sophisticated, almost masculine atmosphere, without being overbearing or full on 'lads.'

Food is a mixed bag here – all of it is pretty decent, it’s just sometimes the prices seem a little high for what you get. The boards are an absolute bargain – choose five small dishes from a list of about seven; you get that AND a whole basket of assorted breads for just £6.50. I needed help finishing mine - this would work brilliantly as a starter for two or as part of a larger sharing meal.

Good value veggie board (don't worry, there's a meat one too!)

I chose the veggie board – garlicky homous, stickily spicy sweet potato, juicy stuffed vine leaves and alright (but very wholesome feeling) bean salad. Beautiful and bargainous – you even get a salad garnish to boot. The side of bread was massive - about five slices of all the different loaves they bake up - and good bread too. Light without being cakey, not too salty and some of it still warm even.

T’boy went down the comfort route and opted for the goulash; thick, warming and paprika-y though a little 2D in the flavour – it was lacking an extra layer of flavour I’ve found elsewhere, that rich undercurrent of umami savouriness. This was served with a hunk of Bakerie’s bread, but for £8.45 there wasn’t as much food on the plate and it just seemed a tad too much for what we were served.

Goulash and big hunk of bread

The staff are great, the food is pretty good, they have brilliant drinks and it seems like they cater for everyone - there's gluten free, vegan and veggie options galore. Whilst we were eating there was a good mix of families (distracted), students (hungover), suits (deep in discussion) and general bods all getting what they wanted and looking pretty happy about it too.

Bakerie’s a good place for honest food – there doesn’t seem to be anything pretentious or over styled here and it’s nice to see somewhere that makes their own bread, but then isn’t committed to shoving the fact down your throat at every single turn. It’s just there, they do it and that’s that. But the best thing about the place is that it’s not all about the food – here’s a space that’s equally good for having a drink in and not feeling like you have to order; a hard feat to manage, but one they’ve pulled off well and by serving quality food too, usually it’s one thing or the other in these places.

Price for one veggie board, one goulash and two beers (both t’boys) – £21.85

Food – 7/10
Atmosphere – 9/10
Service – 8/10
Value for money – 7/10

Total – 31/40

Go again? Yes it’s a great place for after work food and drinks, or for whiling away a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Bakerie, 43-45 Lever Street, Norther Quarter, Manchester M60 7HP - 0161 236 9014 - Twitter - Facebook

Smoak, Malmaison Hotel - Manchester

Smoak is Malmaison Manchester's new restaurant; a big, bold brasserie marketing itself as an homage to the grill, good provenance and plenty of meat.

Situated on the ground floor of the hotel you're greeted by friendly staff dressed down in jeans and converse, in a bid by the hotel to tell you that this isn't a stuffy old hotel restaurant; it's got mixologists and stripped zinc and house wine served in tumblers - it's cool don't cha know it?

Smoak's sunken bar

This theme carries in to the bar area; all leather, neon and vintage accessories, bumping out the we're cool, gritty and industrial vibe - which I suppose is what a grill feels it should be, rather than starched table clothes and silver service. There's at counter dining with a short bar menu for the pushed business man and there's a cocktail menu with the house signature, the Smoak Stack. Served a little impractically in a kilner jar (the lid kept dripping on my leg), the Smoak Stack is a very drinkable mix of buffalo trace bourbon, pear juice, caramel liqueur and smoked apple wood smoke from the 'smoaking' gun - it's a big cocktail, with a big price (£9). Lifting the lid off the smoke rises out, a wonderful scent and piece of theatre hammering home the message that all their meat is cooked on a josper grill and meat needs wood smoke, yadda yadda.

Smoak Stack

The restaurant's a two tier affair of well spaced tables - the pared back theme runs through with rough grey walls, bare faced grey columns and zinc tumblers for your water. We had a great seat opposite the meat fridge; a glass fronted affair with steaks stacked high and hanging carcasses - it was total meat porn and is worth a trip to salivate at this alter of the beast.

Meat porn, er I mean fridge...

As with all hotel menus, Smoak's is a bit of a mismatch, pleasing all punters rather than concentrating on one direction; therefore there's salads, a curry, fish fingers and pasta - we decided to order off the grill; why come to a restaurant so keen on marketing this aspect to have a dish we could get somewhere else?

Sausage sampler

The starter of steak tartare was presented elegantly and simply; a large portion of achingly tender, superb quality beef with a heady mix of shallots and capers cutting through the sweet, deep umami flavour of the beef. There's a choice of mild or spicy, however I felt the mild was lively enough, letting the top quality beef sing loud rather than end up as a backing note. A sausage sampler was all there with the flavour, but the portion was small for the £8 and the overly fiddled presentation jarred with the industrial, meaty image Smoak is trying to conjure.

Steak tartare - truly divine, best dish of the evening

The boy felt it rude not to order a steak for mains; the menu lists provenance of each cut including meat from Donald Russels and breeds such as Belted Galoways and Short Horn Cross. The fillet was perfection; exactly as medium rare should be. A tender, well flavoured and obviously quality piece of meat that had been granted the care and attention it commanded.



Side of bone marrow

The baked half shells was an impressive dish - half a lobster, crab, a fat juicy scallop, prawns, crayfish, razor clams, clams and mussels galore; all coated in a buttery garlic sauce richly flavoured with the aniseed kiss of fennel. The sauce was brilliantly and expertly tasteful, and lashings off it too; most of the dish was cooked to absolute perfection, however the lobster claws and razor clams were chewy and overcooked - a gripe I would usually overlook when the rest of the dish was so sublime; were it not for the £35 price tag.

Half baked shells

Expert cooking and flavouring followed in to the puddings; a fruit terrine, wafer thin slivers of fruit in a champagne jelly, was as excellent, light, sublime creation; an inspired bright flash of mint creating a fresh, delightful end to a meal. The baked alaska was a very sweet treat, but didn't stand up to the height standard of the terrine - the sponge weirdly tasted shop bought and was very hard and the small garnish of strawberry sauce could have been larger adding an interesting, sharp edge to a very sweet dish, rather than the red dribble it was.
The food at Smoak is, overall, very good - it's large plates of food, given the time and quality of cooking it affords with excellent, attentive and well informed service. There's a large selection of drinks and a good choice of wines by the glass from a well stocked cellar, rather than the ubiquitous vinegary pinot grigiot. The only real issue is the price; Lounge 10 is offering a fillet AND plenty of sides for £22 and Smoak's is £30 for a fillet, a small piece of bone marrow and a mushroom - whether this is a calculated ploy aimed at those on expenses or the need to recoup the installing of a josper (£18k just for the grill I've heard), I'm not sure; but don't they know there's a recession on?!

Price for one cocktail, one beer, four glasses of wine (all different), two starters, two mains, two puddings, two sides and one port (service not included) - £141.85

Food - 8/10
Service - 8/10

Atmosphere - 8/10

Value for money - 6/10

Total - 30/40

Go again - I'd go back, but only if someone else was paying! (Or I'd not order a steak as some of the other mains are pretty well priced!).

Smoak, Manchester Malmaison, Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1LZ - 0161 278 1000 - smoak.manchester@malmaison.com

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Electrik Bar - Chorlton, Manchester

Where do old DJs go when they hang up their headphones? Some become big name record producers, some crash and burn spectacularly and some get graveyard slots on Radio Hull. And some open bars, as have Jake and Luke of  Manchester's legendary Unabombers - is this where their reputations lay down and die?

Electrik is the latest offering from Jake and Luke Unabomber and is decked out in mismatched chairs, wood and previous Electric Chair posters trumpeting past successes; a fitting decor in the largely young professional populated Chorlton. It's the young, middle class idea of hangover heaven.

Electrik - with thanks to Deltrams

The vibe is funky, with a great jukebox and playlists from staff, public and the Manchester great and good like Guy Garvey. By day it's a relaxed eating/drinking joint with a book exchange, wifi and daily papers. By night the atmosphere steps up a gear and gets quite busy with locals appreciating the music and sampling the victuals.

Food is as relaxed as the surroundings, however this attitude produces some pretty underwhelming outputs from the kitchen.

Boy ate the burger; we were hoping for great things as the menu descried it as being made with bourbon beer and served in a Barbakan bun (chi chi bakery up the road, if you ain't using their bread you ain't on message); unfortunately the texture of the meat was too soft and mushy, almost if the burger had been (shh don't say it) bought it. The overall taste of the dish was far too sweet and a real let down.

Burger

My falafel and haloumi burger hardly fared better; consisting of a few large chunks of crunchy but soft falafel with hunks of overly fried and greasy haloumi. The pitta it was served in fell apart and there was a severe lack of seasoning; however the addition of salsa and hummus meant there was at least some flavour and a lot of value for the princely sum of £5. Better than the boy's, but I still couldn't get excited.

Falafell

Electrik's a great bar with a good selection of drinks; including cask ales, Hendricks gin and alright cocktails. The service is a bit slack due to staff becoming swamped at busy times, but here's a lot of thought been put in to making this a relaxed and friendly joint that's good for whiling away a few Saturday morning hours, catching up with good friends or getting the night started. A few tweeks with the food and they'll be bang on - just like their DJ sets used to be.

Ps Check out the Electrik website and twitter for event updates, there's some very interesting things going on there, plus they've been nominated for second year running as Best Bar in the Manchester Food and Drink Awards.

Price for two mains - £10.50

Food - 4/10
Service - 5/10
Atmosphere - 8/10
Value for money - 8/10

Total - 25/40

Go again? - Yes for drinks, but not for the food.


Electrik, 559a Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, Manchester M21 0AE - 0161 831 3315 - info@electrikbar.co.uk

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http://www.electrikbar.co.uk/