City Centre

The Speak In Code team ‘Double Down’ on their cocktail making craft with new basement bar

We couldn't have been left any more impressed.

Danny Jones - 1st April 2026

Just over on Jackson’s Row, an often overlooked side street in Manchester city centre, cult favourite late-night drinking spot and cocktail connoisseurs, Speak In Code, have just launched a new basement bar called Double Down, and it’s already living up to its title.

Taking that moniker seriously, not just in name but by nature, Double Down is an entirely new concept that is centred around just a few core but simple pillars: really good drinks, great service, and strictly “no gimmicks”; they save all that for behind the curtain.

Oh, and hip-hop – they love great, old school hip-hop, and it really does add to the overall levels of chill.

There’s a lot of focus and decades of expertise that go into this place, but fortunately, they’ve done all the work for you, and far ahead of time, meaning you don’t have to think; you can just drink.

In here, cocktails aren’t just treated like part of the menu or even ‘an art’, as so many places claim these days: this is pure science and craftsmanship approached with the utmost calm and precision, and it shows in the whole experience.

From freezing and carefully cutting their own ice with a rather large state-of-the-art machine and batching their own mixes served on tap – you heard us right – to perfecting aromatics and distillates with chemistry set-ups that Heisenberg would be proud of, we were blown away by the attention to detail.

They’re even training up an ex-alum from another award-winning bar in Manchester to specifically become their ice expert, with each different type of cube, ball, oblong, crush, etc. adding its own effect.

Seriously, it’s the real deal in here…

For instance, all of their various and equally delicious mixes are kept at different pressures and temperatures on separate taps. It takes 28 hours in the full cycle, but just six seconds to pour, saving everyone time so they can crack on with the good times.

We’ve seen the ‘pornstar martini on draught’-type approach before, but nothing quite like this.

As well as monitoring the gauges on a regular cycle like clockwork and preparing literal gallons’ worth of the stuff in advance, they’ve also got single lines for everything (yes, even the Guinness), so not a drop is anything less than perfection.

They still, of course, have very gifted bartenders making things in front of you for those who love watching magicians at work, but these batched drinks are designed not only to maximise flavour but also the amount of time you spend with your people, sipping your bevs and enjoying the truly charming room.

It’s also more than capable of turning the party levels up when called upon; the hope is that the capacity will soon jump up above 140, plus they’re already gearing up to replace some of the tables and chairs with extra comfy booths, bank seating and other 1970s-influenced flourishes.

Best of all, although this is a super stylish and laid-back, mid-century modern space, with low-lit vibes – not to mention the utmost lo-fi soundtrack you’ll find in town – you’re invited to take as much interest in the full process as you like.

They don’t just love this stuff; they live for it, and to repeat a phrase that the team themselves have taken to using, your job is simple: “Don’t think, just drink.”

Read more:

• A new bar dedicated to women’s sports is opening at Weir Mill in Stockport
• Mexican chain Wahaca might be returning to Manchester
• The best beer gardens in Manchester city centre for when the sun is shining

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Featured Images — The Manc Group