If you’re not drinking this January, or you’re looking to cut back, you’re in luck because the offerings for no and low alcohol alternatives in Manchester have, quite frankly, never been better.
Clever bartenders across the city have created new takes on classic cocktails like espresso martinis, negronis and amaretto sours, without the percentage.
The number of adults in the UK that no longer drink alcohol is at an all-time high.
Data from the Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE) show around 16.2% of people in the country now abstain completely, an increase of around 0.7%, whilst binge drinking has also reduced from 16.4% to 15.4%.
There’s a generational divide too, with the Alcohol Education Trust reporting that among 16 – 24 year-olds in 2018, an overwhelming majority of young adults (78 % of men and 85% of women) now go out to enjoy themselves and socialise, not to get drunk.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Nell’s at KAMPUS
Overall, ‘mindful’ drinking appears to be firmly on the rise, and it seems like in connection with that the traditional cold-turkey abstinence associated with Dry January could finally be on its way out.
In its place, many are opting to switch to low and no alcohol options – be that beers, cocktails, wines, or ‘spirit’ mixers – and the good news is there are so many different places you can go out in Manchester to enjoy them.
ADVERTISEMENT
The timing couldn’t really be better. Hospitality really needs our support this month, after most businesses saw eye-watering losses over Christmas – a period that typically brings in triple the takings of a ‘usual’ month in the trade.
Elaine Wrigley, co-owner of the popular city centre gin bar Atlas, which boasts the biggest collection of gin in Manchester, said they were “definitely seeing a lot more interest” in their low and no alcohol gin alternatives this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Atlas Bar
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a year on year growth, in interest, for non-alcoholic options, that are appealing to adults, and a genuine alternative,” she told The Manc.
“The emergence of known Gin brands creating zero alcohol alternatives, really does let us push the boundaries, though, and Tanqueray can be used to create a fabulous Gin Sling alternative, or Tom Collins.”
The gin bar, which stocks so many different bottles it’s created its own digital Gin Bible, also stocks a range of low-alcohol alternatives such as Seedlip, Tanqueray Zero, Gordon’s Zero, vegan-friendly ‘spirit’ Everleaf and Tuscan Tree, which is made in the style of a classic Italian apéritif.
Using these, they can make non-alcoholic cocktails like ‘nogronis’ – as well as offer a range of different ‘gin’ and tonic serves using premium mixers.
Image: MOJO Manchester
On the other side of town Manchester party bar MOJO, a spot where you might typically find yourself dancing on tables at 4 in the morning (surely it’s not just us?), has been selling a non-alcoholic range of cocktails for over a year in its venues.
ADVERTISEMENT
These are not mocktails but real cocktails using a range of nonalcoholic spirits created by Lyre.
James Hudson, business development and training manager for the group, which now has six bars across the UK, told us that a growing trend, which sees drinkers increasingly opting to alternate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, was one of the key drivers in creating the menu.
Image: MOJO
As a result, the bar now offers the 12 most popular cocktails from its 120-strong list as alcohol-free versions – and, he adds, they even had to change the name of one, an Amaretto Sour, as customers genuinely couldn’t tell the difference.
He said: “We looked at sort of ten or twelve out of our most popular cocktails out of our list of 120, and went, we want people to have those top twelve drinks – look the same, smell the same, taste as close as we can to it – erm, you know, and I think we’ve pretty much achieved it.”
He also touches on a point that’s growing in popularity, the idea that zero-proof drinks don’t mean we can’t have fun – but rather that we can remain in control on a night out.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Really if you’re stood next to somebody, if you didn’t want somebody to know you weren’t drinking, or you know when you can sometimes be out with a group of friends and some people are egging you on a bit, you think ‘I wanna keep drinking, I want to enjoy the night but I don’t want to drink any more alcohol […] because I don’t want to get too drunk’ […] people would be none the wiser.”
Image: Tariff and Dale
Elsewhere, spirits distributor Mangrove is working to promote ‘mindful January’ with a great range of drinks stocked at the likes of Tariff and Dale, the Common group (The Beagle, Nell’s at KAMPUS, Common), The Washhouse, Purezza, Motley and PLY.
Over at Nell’s, you’ll find a ‘dryish January’ menu featuring the likes of the Lo-Groni (a low ABV take on everyone’s favourite gin cocktail, made with Portobello Temperance, Aperol and vermouth), alongside a Manchester Mule, Lipton-inspired Peach Tea Spritz, and a drink that needs no introduction – the Virgin Mary.
NQ vegan pizzeria Purezza, meanwhile, is serving up drinks like La Dolce Vida (an espresso martini twist with Sea Arch 0% ABV, solo coffee concentrate, tonka bean droplet and house vanilla syrup), alongside long, fruity options like Paradiso and Life is Beautiful.
A selection of low and no alcohol cocktails available as part of ‘Mindful January’ at Manchester’s NQ vegan pizzeria, Purezza / Image: Mangrove
The company, which looks after two low and no alcohol gin alternatives, Portobello Road’s Temperance lower-alcohol spirit (4.2%) and Sea Arch non-alcoholic spirit, is also hosting a ‘Wellbeing Weekender’ on the 15 and 16 January at GRUB.
ADVERTISEMENT
The entire site will be dedicated to the wellness festival, with Mangrove running no and low cocktails there on the bars, alongside a holistic market and a variety of different events including workshops, guest talks and yoga classes- ranging from sleep yoga to aerial, to a beginners class.
All the funds raised from the weekender will go towards supporting So Let’s Talk, a nonprofit mental health advocacy group that works to better improve the lives and working conditions of those within hospitality.
Founded by Patrick Howley, a former hospitality heavyweight with over a decade in the industry, So Let’s Talk is making big moves to change the narrative around low and no drinks – even going so far as to launch its own collaboration with brewer Tiny Rebel to help raise funds and awareness for its cause.
Image: So Let’s Talk
Featuring artwork by Good Good Graffiti aka Shawn Sharpe, taken from an SLT mural campaign that shines a light on the work they do on the mental, physical and financial health of hospitality professionals, all money from the beer sales go straight back into the nonprofit.
“We wanted to give the industry a product we could profit share on. A way in which we could subsidise some of the cost of our sessions at a time where hospitality businesses may want our services but can’t afford to pay for them,” said Patrick.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It was only natural for us to think about creating beers but we didn’t want to offer hospitality professionals something that was potentially destructive.
“So we decided on creating low and no beers that would offer hospitality professionals a mindful option after a shift/ on their days off.
“We use the money from the beer sales to invest in the work we do at SLT be it evolution of our sessions or creation of new products for the industry.”
You can find SLT’s Tiny Rebel collab at a range of different venues in Manchester, including Noho, Feel Good Club, Tariff and Dale, Common and Co,, Revs De Cuba, Vodka Revolution, Wandering Palate, Club House and more.
Image: So Let’s Talk
Image: So Let’s Talk
More venues in Manchester where you can find low and no alcoholic cocktails and beers this January
The Washhouse
Recently crowned as one of the best secret bars in Manchester, The Washhouse has a full section or low no alcohol cocktails on its menu.
ADVERTISEMENT
Piccadilly Tap
Piccadilly Tap has got quite a few low alcohol beers on offer including pilsner Bitburger Drive and grapefruit beer Schofferhofer on keg. As for cans and bottles, think Schneider Weisse, Beavertown Lazer Crush IPA, Adnams Ghost Ship Pale Ale.
The Gasworks
The Gasworks on First Street has a decent alcohol free range of beers and is looking to expand it even further this month.
Revolucion De Cuba
Revolucion De Cuba has a great range of alcohol-free cocktails available this month.
Junkyard Golf Club
Junkyard Golf Club has a selection of cocktails available as mocktails.
Food Sorcery
The cookery school in Didsbury has some great low and no alternatives on its bar for those who don’t want to drink alcohol.
First Street Bar and Kitchen, Vocation & Co at Society MCR and Evelyn’s / The Daisy all also get an honourable mention as places to look at when you’re after a decent alcohol free or low alcohol drink.
Featured image – Tariff and Dale / MOJO
Eats
Chorlton’s Horse and Jockey is reintroduced to the suburbs after stunning transformation
Danny Jones
The much-loved Horse and Jockey in Chorlton is back open for business following a major and marvellous refurbishment, which has seen the heart and soul of the pub restored to its former glory.
Opening just in time for the bulk of cosy boozer season, we’re about to spend A LOT of time in here.
With an impressive culinary pedigree to boot, the ‘new and improved’ Horse and Jockey was always bound to be a hit with critics and natives alike, we just weren’t expecting them to knock it quite so far out of the park – or, in this case, Chorlton Green.
Credit: The Manc Group
Giving the already gorgeous 200-year-old structure a new lick of paint and then some, the new Horse and Jockey looks set to reassert itself as one prettiest, cosiest and tastiest pubs in central Manchester.
Benefitting from sitting just outside the city centre, you’ve still got plenty of footfall from those who have seen Chorlton become a foodie destination all of its own, and those who have lived there all their lives.
Yes, you’ll still find plenty of old boys sipping their well-deserved pints and dogs curling up on the carpets here.
Now boasting up to 82 covers outside in the familiar evergreen beer garden, with table service in the summer, you can see this being a go-to spot for grub and a reliable watering hole for all year-round.
It’s also worth noting that it’s a pretty roomy venue inside as well, with an entirely refurbished upstairs seating area and a dedicated private dining space now, too.
Other touches we especially liked are bringing Chorlton Ale – which used to be brewed right here in the Jockey itself prior to Covid – back on draught. It may be made elsewhere nowadays, but we’re glad to see it being shipped back to and served out of its ancestral home.
Credit: The Manc
And it just gets better.
As well as supporting the local art scene by sourcing works from Greater Manchester creatives, they really are aiming to make this a community cornerstone.
They’ve taken the holistic idea of a public house right back to its roots, providing not only a place to meet, eat and drink for regulars, but also a real social outlet right in the middle of the suburb.
It’s also about supporting and celebrating traditional British pubs and the Northern working-class culture that goes along with it.
The majority of the furniture is even salvaged from the pubs we sadly lost up and down the country, not to mention other businesses that have unfortunately closed post-pandemic and the continuing struggles facing the industry.
We’re lucky to have people like this putting drinks in our hands and keeping our bellies full, so we’re glad that they’re doing what they can to pay homage to those who have come before them as well.
Perhaps most heartwarming is that not only have they kept pre-existing staff in post during the switch-over, but they’re all welcoming back familiar faces from the past. Once again, this is about championing the beauty of British pub culture in all of its facets.
Bookings are live already, and if you’ve tried the Sunday roast at The Black Friar, you expect this place to fill up just as quickly – we’d reserve our tables early if we were you…
This may be a big rebrand and transformation, but there are also still the same old Joseph Holt favourites on the taps for those who love the classic lineup, and they’ve even used their ‘Trailblazer’ stout glaze on one of their cheesecakes. Safe to say, they have our undivided attention with that one.
Proper foodie pub boasting cosy vibes just in time for the colder months; they even restored three of the five original fires that used to burn through the autumn and winter back in the day.
Owner Neil Burke, who formally acquired The Black Friar two years ago and now heads up the revamped Horse and Jockey, said of the reopening: “I have a personal history with the Horse & Jockey and it’s always held a special place in my heart.
“It’s such a beautiful building, but it hasn’t been shining the way it should in recent years. As a local myself, I felt Chorlton deserved a proper foodie pub – somewhere that delivers brilliant food in a setting that does justice to the building’s history.”
To top things off, they’ve got Michelin-trained head chef Paolo Bianchileading things in the kitchen. He went on to add: “The Horse & Jockey is an iconic part of Chorlton’s history and I’m proud to be leading its kitchen with the brilliant Black Friar team.
“After gaining years of experience in Paris, Dubai and London, it feels great to be rooted in Manchester, a city I’ve really fallen in love with.”
“My vision is simple, to serve British classics that people know and love, elevated with seasonal local ingredients, touches from my Italian heritage and international experience. The menu will be ever-changing, so guests can expect something fresh every time they visit.”
As for your job, it’s simple: expect great, hearty pub grub classics elevated to a gourmet level, with all the welcoming warmth of a traditional English pub
This isn’t just a metropolitan boozer trying to be acountry-style pub; the Horse and Jockey is a Cholrton gem reborn. It opens on Monday, 20 October, and you can guarantee you’ll be seeing us there.
The best foodie freebies you can get in Manchester on your birthday
Danny Jones
Nothing says ‘Happy Birthday’ quite like free food and drink simply for being born, especially when you can get it right here on your doorstep in Manchester, don’t you think?
There’s no doubt tonnes of different places that do special complimentary offers on your big day throughout the 10 boroughs, but that inevitably gargantuan list is for another day.
For now, we thought we’d simply put together a quick and easy round-up of the best birthday freebies you can get in and around central Manchester.
You can thank us later when you’re all full up and your wallet isn’t even the tiniest bit lighter.
Places that offer free stuff on your birthday in Manchester
1. Money off at J.W. Lees
Start your birthday off right with a pint from one of Greater Manchester’s most famous beermasters: J.W. Lees Brewery, who’ll give you a tenner off when you visit the bar on your birthday.
All you have to do is quickly sign up for their mailer to get your £10 voucher; they’re also the legend behind the ongoing Boddingtons revival, so you already know how best to spend it.
Next up is a Manc favourite that’s never shyed away from dishing out the odd freebie – spoilers, but it usually involves some kind of chicken…
In all seriousness, be it free wings for students with ‘Yard Card’ or kids eating at no cost when the adults book in a family meal, the kings and queens at the Coop are always looking out for us Mancs. It’s not different on you’re birthday either, when you get a free main meal by signing up to the newsletter.
Next up, you’re going to need something to wash down all that lovely salty fried chicken, so why not queue up some cocktails at Simmons over on Deansgate?
These still relatively recent London exports are so kind as to offer a £25 bar tab when you book a table with them for your birthday; you can sort yours HERE.
4. Nell’s Pizza freebies
Ok, so now you’ve whetted the whistle and can probably line up your next bit of scran – we’re assuming you’re going to do what we do and cram all these into one single day – so it’s time to grab some pizza at Nell’s if you ask us.
Better yet, not only are their slices reasonably priced, but you can also cop yourself a voucher free ‘Birthday Cake’ flavour (yes, the pretty one with the sprinkles) ice cream sandwich when booking online. You’ve also got a new venue you can enjoy this deal at, too.
We’ve had a free ice cream sandwich at Nell’s in Manchester on our birthday for at least the last three years.
5. Bonus baked goods at Gail’s
If a little ice cream sandwich hasn’t quite satiated your sweet tooth, then you’ll be glad to know that the growing presence of Gail’s Bakery in Greater Manchester not only involves some unreal tastes and smells, but some brilliant birthday freebies, too.
For those who are members of Gail’s Loyalty Programme, where customers can also collect stamps to earn back coffees, cakes and more completely gratis, you are also entitled to a free sweet from their baker’s table treat during your birthday month. Say no more.
Question is, which treat will it be?… (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Good old Greggs
Room for more dessert (they do say it’s a second stomach, after all)? Well, if there is, you can’t go wrong with a Northerner’s first love: Gregg’s, who also keep things nice and straightforward by simply congratulating you on being born by giving you a free sweet treat you can claim via the app.
Oh, and by the way, I was once genuinely given a Gregg’s gift card by a mate for my birthday and don’t sleep on it – that was genuinely one of the best things in the haul that year.
Left it too late to buy a Mother’s Day present and now all the shops are shut? We do digital gift cards. Just saying... https://t.co/46ETSh1gc0
Ok, it’s all feeling a bit sugar-heavy at the minute, so let’s swap back onto the savoury and another brilliant chain that isn’t just beloved here but actually started the fast-food burrito culture here in 0161.
Many of you may have already copped this freebie in the past, but in case you still need to be initiated, Barburrito have been handing out free birthday burritos since like forever – the only catch nowadays is you need to download the app and make sure you’ve spent at least £6 before the date rolls around.
8. Chopstix for cheap
Last but not least, how about some late-night noodles to finish things off? We here at The Manc (Eats, specifically) are guilty of getting a last-minute takeaway to round off a long work day or spice up a weekend evening spent at home.
That being said, it’s a very easy plan to fall back on during your birthday week if you don’t have much booked in for an insignificant number in your 20s, let’s say; simply sign up for the newsletter and select the small box of your choosing. It isn’t just food they’re doing these days either…
Georgina Pellant -
7th January 2022 
