Promotion
ONE very merry week, from 8-14 August, saw Manchester Loves Cocktails make its debut. Wielding mixology magic citywide, a jam-packed 45+ events programme spanned tastings to dinners to masterclasses and a series of special cocktail menus.
We left feeling distinctly tipsy but thoroughly impressed with the evening
With so much on, it was (unfortunately) impossible to attend everything, but it would have been a travesty to miss out altogether. Thursday 11, therefore, saw Confidential head down to El Gato Negro for the Ginaissance; in partnership with The American Bar at The Savoy and Portobello Road Gin. The Savoy’s internationally-acclaimed bartenders, dapper in cream and black, took over the tapas venue for one night only and served up an exclusive cocktail menu using the esteemed gin brand Portobello Road. Add in El Gato Negro’s alfresco bar, complete with retractable roof, and you have a match made in boozy heaven.
Having settled in, one of the barmen guided us through the menu: from the likes of Berry Wall to Fly Shuttle, whose cereal tones gave a nod to Stretford’s Kellogg’s factory.
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Manchester history was a key theme. The Temperance, for instance, was inspired by the name of a Thursday club night at the Haçienda. With a long night ahead, you’d need a good dose of caffeine, hence the AeroPress coffee element. This was paired with citrus flavours like Solerno and burnt orange caramel and topped with a print of Madonna on edible rice paper, harking back to the night she rocked Tony Wilson’s iconic institution.
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Great Abel, meanwhile, took the bell of Manchester Town Hall as its namesake, itself named after Mayor Abel Heywood. Honey symbolised the Manchester worker bee, with a crisp honey wafer and gold leaf garnish. A delicious medley of coconut water, Ottoman syrup, Fernet-Branca Menta, Peychaud’s Bitters, the drink was even served in a bell-shaped glass.
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This astonishing attention to detail continued with Sister Suffragette, whose graduated gold-tinged vessel represented the Manchester suffragists’ harrowing journey to ultimately win the vote. The red colour also indicated their suffering - which, the bartender told us, had seen one of his own relatives jailed - furthered by the slightly sour note provided with cardamom bitters. Other ingredients included Visciolata del Cardinale, champagne syrup, cardamom bitters, Laphroaig and Cognac - with a single carved block of ice for minimal dilution.
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Needless to say, we left feeling distinctly tipsy but thoroughly impressed with the evening. It certainly whet our appetite for the next round. Roll on Manchester Loves Cocktails 2017...
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