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MANCHESTER can hold its own as far as great wine lists and excellent original cocktails go. We have a fantastic and eclectic selection of bars around the city, manned by award-winning mixologists who wouldn’t look out of place in London or other major cities. Near the top of that list is Epernay which, despite its central location, still exudes a whiff off ‘those in the know’ secrecy.
At Epernay, we try to have a drink for everyone and then hopefully another one after that.
Epernay is primarily known for its selection of carefully chosen wines and great collection of Champagnes, including 15 available by the glass. It is also a high volume cocktail bar. They have divided the cocktail list into Fizzy, Funky, Quirky and Serious - making sure that no matter what the company or the occasion, there’s going to be a drink to suit. And it’s going to be a good one.
Fizzy – As you’d expect, with Champagne and Prosecco at their core.
Funky – Fun, easy going drinks that anyone can get into.
Quirky – A little bit different but not too daring. Some interesting flavours which slightly push boundaries.
Serious – Drinks that are definitely more interesting – not in a scary way, but more adventurous.
“Cocktails have been popular since the 1800’s, although fashions have changed within that,” says Lewis. “The combination of technology and well know references about historic cocktails means people can get access to whatever they feel like, and new ideas are always being introduced.”
“At Epernay, we try to have a drink for everyone and then hopefully another one after that. At the moment we’ve got 24 different cocktails on the menu; some are quite serious, for the seasoned drinker if you will. We have an interesting range for the more adventurous, and we have drinks which are really easily accessible and fun. I guess we don’t take ourselves too seriously but at the same time, we really do.”
They offer table service cocktails, tailoring their offering to a Manchester crowd who famously ‘do things differently here’. Manc humour is very much in evidence in the playful names that are puns or play on words.
“We make sure we nail the classics, making them the way they should be made,” says Lewis. “Balancing drinks is a huge thing that people find difficult, but don’t realise. We make sure all the ingredients and sweet, sour elements work in tandem. We also try to keep up with the trends, pushing our limits slightly with some quite unusual ingredients, so Manchester doesn’t lag behind.”
“I think the average drinker is more educated now than they ever were. Our cocktail list of 24 reflects something extra, just from us. People come here for the experience, to savour their drink and the atmosphere and to talk to their friends and the bar staff. It’s not about just downing a few for an immediate effect.”
We asked Lewis to give us a little more detail about some of their most interesting cocktails.
‘Just before Nine’ from the Quirky section is sort of a play on a favourite after dinner mint chocolate. It is quite dramatic and completely black thanks to the addition of finely ground bamboo charcoal which doesn’t affect the flavour – nor leaves you with a spooky looking mouth. Other ingredients include Konik's Tail Vodka, mint, spiced chocolate, vermouth and citrus.
You’ll find ‘From the Colony’ on the Serious section of the menu and it contains edible ants. “For us it’s about being a little bit adventurous but not in an intimidating way”, says Lewis, ”we infuse the ants into cocoa liqueur but not just for the sake of it, there is a reason. The formic acid adds an unusual acidity like you’d use lime or lemon juice. There aren’t any insects floating in the drink or anything, it just imparts an interesting background flavour.”
‘Tea and Toast’, another on the Serious section uses water-bathed toast, which has been infused into vermouth to create a more textured mouth-feel. They infuse whiskey with tea and then milk-wash it by adding milk to let it curdle. The proteins mop up the caseins in the spirit which takes away the colour and adds a slight creaminess (that’s the science bit). Blended together, it captures the comforting essence of tea and toast in a drink.
On the slightly more tongue in cheek side, on the Funky section, you’ll see Epernay’s Cheeky Vimto No2. Their take on the original uses reduced Blue Wicked and mixes it with a bit of Port, gin and lemon juice. It’s simple, fun and good to drink – which is the main thing.
“We care about our drinks, it’s our craft and our art form, we are all about people having a good time here. I think that separates us from the other bars a little bit,” says Lewis. “We manage the line between having fun and caring so much about what we do and our guests’ experience.”
Epernay also runs weekly tailor-made cocktail masterclasses which are a touch more serious – but not boring. People come to learn a little more about the story behind classic drinks and how to tweak drinks to suit their own tastes.
Epernay, Unit 1A Watson Streeet, Great Northern Tower, Manchester M3 4EE
Epernay from Manchester Confidential on Vimeo.
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