Promotion
MANCHESTER'S first ever week-long cocktail festival launches this August, serving up an exciting programme of events for drink enthusiasts.
High
lights include The Savoy London’s ‘American Bar’ takeover of El Gato Negro.
Taking place from 8-14 August, the festival is seven days of mixing, shaking, drinking, tasting, and debating across the city’s coolest bars, restaurants and venues, including Hawksmoor, The Pen and Pencil, El Gato Negro, Cane and Grain, Mojo, Gorilla, Trof, Crazy Pedro's, Cottonopolis, and The Alchemist.
The festival features a packed schedule of one-off events, tasting dinners, masterclass sessions, competitions and parties. Highlights include The Savoy London’s ‘American Bar’ take over of El Gato Negro, a whiskey cocktail pairing dinner at Tariff and Dale in association with Woodford; and a Bourbon Masterclass and Blues Party at The Fitzgerald.
And all the venues will collaborate with one of world’s best spirit brands on a one-off cocktail menu. Available only for festival week, each cocktail is just £4.50 for festival wristband holders. Wristbands cost just £10 (£5 for those working in the bar industry) from www.lovescocktails.co.uk.
Participating spirit brands include Portobello Road Gin, El Jimador, Bacardi, Ketel One, Tanqueray, Hudson Whiskey, Montelobos Mezcal, and Licor 43.
Manchester Loves Cocktails: Festival Highlights
Over 40 events will take place exclusively for wristband holders. Top events include:
The Savoy’s world-renowned ‘American Bar’ taking over El Gato Negro for The Evolution of the Gin Cocktail, in association with Portobello Road Gin.
A ‘Gin Journey’ tour around the city’s finest cocktail bars, hosted by The Gin Boss, Leon Dalloway.
A whiskey cocktail pairing dinner at Tariff and Dale in association with Woodford.
A tequila-fuelled ‘Gringo Bingo’ at Blackdog in association with El Jimador.
A night of American Gin and Swing Dancing at Cane and Grane in association with Death’s Door Gin.
A Bourbon Masterclass and Blues Party at The Fitzgerald, in association with Hudson.
There is also a series of events, tastings and masterclasses designed for bartenders and those that work in the drinks industry. A ‘War of The Roses’ cocktail competition will see them pitted against their trans-Pennine counterparts to crown either Manchester or Leeds the cocktail capital of the North.
The festival has taken place in Leeds under the name ‘Leeds Loves Cocktails’ for the past four years, attracting thousands of cocktail fans to its events.
Founder of Manchester Loves Cocktails, Nick Fox says, “Manchester is one of the UK’s greatest destinations for cocktail lovers. The standard of cocktails is on par with the top bars of London and New York and it’s about time the city has a festival to celebrate Manchester’s incredible talent and diverse cocktail scene. The North definitely has a lot to offer, and I want us to celebrate that fact with a week-long cocktail festival.
“We’ll be encouraging guests to ‘drink better, not more’ by exploring the story behind people’s favourite spirits, as well as some spirits they may have not come across before with tasting masterclasses and events.”
To access the events and purchase cocktails at the discounted price of £4.50, buy a Manchester Loves Cocktails wristband for £10. Trade wristbands are available for people working in the bar industry for £5 – proof of employment must be shown upon collection.
Buy your wristband and find out more at www.lovescocktails.co.uk. Stay up-to-date with festival news on Twitter and Instagram @MCRCocktails or using #MLC16
