Be the change you want to see in the world by drinking prosecco cocktails out of a disco ball
A new cocktail bar which aims to “change the world one drink at a time” has found a Leeds outpost from which to do just that.
We wrongly predicted last month that Red Door - which currently has venues in Liverpool and Chester, as well as a hidden basement bar in Manchester - would have an eye on the Call Lane property that most recently housed The Black Swan, however the company has officially applied for a license transfer relating to the premises of 11-13 Hirst’s Yard.
That address might sound familiar - it was previously home to Hirst’s Yard (the imaginatively-named bar) before it closed for permanently on Saturday 8 July.
The current Red Doors combine atmosphere of neighbourhood hang-outs, rough-and-ready roadhouses, and if-you-know-you-know speakeasies, and pride themselves on bartenders’ knowledge and standards when it comes to all things alcohol.
Some attention-grabbing cocktails on the menu include “The one with the balloon” which includes something called “custard essence” and comes with a balloon of lemongrass-infused helium on the side, and a concoction of Ketel One, Licor 43, and a whole bottle of prosecco. Oh yeah, and it’s served inside a disco ball. Maybe share that one with a friend.
It’s not all flashy gimmicks though, with the bar stocking a range of specialist and rare rums and tequilas, as well as “The League of Extraordinary Products” - a shelf of super-premium drinks which represent the best of their kind, such as a 40 year old Highland Park single malt, which retails at around £2000 a bottle. £90 for that disco ball sounds pretty frugal in comparison…
The Red Door brand holds sentimental value to Living Ventures, the hospitality group that also operates Gusto, The Alchemist, and Blackhouse. The Manchester venue is in the previous site of JW Johnsons, the first location operated by LV founders Dave Hinds and Tim Bacon back in the early 1990s.
Hinds describes Red Door as “the bar we always talked about opening” which Bacon tragically never got a chance to see; dying from cancer at 52, just months before the bar opened in June 2016.
Despite having several branches each with a focus on expertly made drinks and great music, each Red Door venue has a personality and ambience tailored to its city and the venue. We can’t wait to see how Leeds is interpreted and reflected in the new Hirst’s Yard opening, and look forward to bringing you all the information as we hear it.
