IF THERE'S one thing to be taken from last night's cocktail pageantry in the Town Hall's most lofty and noble space, it's that Manchester bloody loves a cocktail. Still.
"We've always said we wanted to stand against the bigger boys like Living Ventures and compete."
With 560 tickets sold (550 of which were women, there's always next time chaps), it shows no signs of abating. The latest resurgence in cocktail culture over the past decade has swept through Manchester bars like a juggernaut through a martini tower.
Everybody's chucking them together.
Some do it well, some are middling coattail grabbers and some you'd like to thrash with a kipper for daring to turn out such acrid hogwash.
But there are a rare Manchester few that make love to the mouth.
The finest of which were showing off here: The Alchemist, Manchester House, Mr Cooper's, Epernay, Harvey Nics, Epernay, Sandinista, Whiskey Jar (well done with the tail), El Capo and Lucha Libre (jalapeno margarita though?) were all here hustling their wares and flaring - that's a bartender colloquialism for being a flash git.
Omnipresent burger outfit Almost Famous were there to soak it all up. Keep everyone perpendicular. While Harvey Nics were there to straighten hair and paint nails for some reason. Why not eh?
Elixir
Deansgate's relative newboy Elixir stole the show, scooping two of the four awards on the night for 'Best Overall' and 'Best Personality'.
"We're absolutely chuffed," said Elixir owner Dan Purnell, who also runs the event management team Escapade Bars. "We've always said we wanted to stand against the bigger boys like Living Ventures and compete. We've done that tonight and it's great for Elixir."
"These events started in Manchester," continued Purnell, "and they've spread to other cities, London, Edinburgh, Leeds. The Manchester event keeps improving so expect a bigger, better bash next time around."
That's something the whole city can agree on. Forget Piccadilly Gardens, HS2 and fracking. Manchester needs more cocktails. Now.
