Manchester Gin has teamed up with Joy Division legend Peter Hook to launch two new, limited edition series of Manchester Gin FAC51 The Hacienda.
Created to honour the iconic Manchester nightclub’s 40th anniversary this year, the special bottles feature two new rare label designs that nod to the heady days of all-night acid house raves in the former shipping warehouse.
The first recreates a famous piece of Haçienda street art originally featured on the famous Northern Quarter House, whilst the second includes the mantra “The Haçienda Must Be Built.”
Image: Manchester Gin
Both labels are located on the inside of the bottles to make them appear distorted through the clear liquid – an intentional reference to the club’s wild, debaucherous parties of days gone by.
As for how it all tastes, dandelion and burdock root joins with lemon and lime peel to create a ‘refreshing zestiness’ on the nose that then turns sherbety on the tongue in another nod to the club’s acid house era.
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To mark the special release, New Order and Joy Division legend Peter Hook will play an intimate gig at Northern Quarter record shop Vinyl Exchange as part of a store takeover.
Image: The Manc Group
The Manchester music legend will be stepping behind the decks on Saturday 5 March between 1 and 4pm, with free gin, bottle signings and on-point selections promised all afternoon.
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Those heading down will be amongst the first to get their hands on the new gin and will have first access to the limited edition bottles.
‘Golden tickets’ will also be hidden throughout Vinyl Exchange, which will entitle the holder to a free vinyl record (or £20 off) in store on Saturday only.
Located in the Northern Quarter, and a staple of the Manchester music scene for over 34 years, Vinyl Exchange can be found on the corner of Oldham Street and Dale Street.
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Seb Heeley, Manchester Gin founder and master distiller, said: “When we first collaborated with Peter Hook in 2019, we were overwhelmed by the public response. Now, we are so excited to revisit this partnership with the launch of two new limited-edition labels.
“The Haçiendawas such an iconic venue, and its influence has spread far beyond Manchester. It occupies a special place in the heart of many Mancunians, and we are delighted to be able to further celebrate its legacy 40 years on.
“Vinyl Exchange is another Manchester musical institution. Opening in 1988, just in time for the Haçienda’s Acid House heyday, it makes perfect sense for us to launch the new limited-edition series of Manchester Gin FAC51 The Haçienda here.”
The new limited edition expressions of the gin can be purchased online from 7 March.
Feature image – Manchester Gin
News
Lady Gaga announces MASSIVE gig at Co-op Live this year
Thomas Melia
American pop icon Lady Gaga is returning to the UK and is making a special stop in Manchester to celebrate her latest album, MAYHEM.
‘Mother Monster’ is returning to our lovely city for one night only ahead of her ‘The MAYHEM Ball Tour’, which is reaching the UK in October.
Gaga last visited Manchester over a decade ago when she brought ‘artRAVE: The Artpop Ball’ to AO Arena back in 2014.
The past few months have been mega for the 14-time Grammy-winning artist who has seen her Bruno Mars link-up ‘Die With A Smile’ catapult her career to new audiences and even further heights.
This single alone holds the record for the longest-running daily #1 hit on Spotify’s global chart, dethroning ‘Dance Monkey’ by Tones and I, which spent 121 days atop the chart.
Whether you’re showing up and showing out for classics such as ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Bad Romance’, or rocking up to hear new favourites like ‘Rain On Me’ and ‘Garden Of Eden’, this night will be a spectacle, that’s for sure.
This unmatched performer has chosen none other than Co-op Live as the destination for her newest tour, and we’re sure the arena will be packed with 23,500 of Gaga’s devoted ‘Little Monsters’.
Lady Gaga’s newest album, MAYHEM, is an ode to her discography and legacy as an artist with tracks like drawing from almost 20 year career: ‘Disease’, ‘Perfect Celebrity’, ‘Don’t Call Tonight’ and more.
Her latest single, ‘Abracadabra’, is already becoming a modern-day pop phenomenon too, as she evokes her familiar but ever-enigmatic pop star persona – we just wish we could magic ourselves some of those precious tickets.
The US performer took to social media to express her excitement, stating: “This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings MAYHEM to life exactly how I envision it.”
Gaga’s UK tour run is limited with a three-show residency at The O2 in London confirmed and this one-off Manchester gig announced so far.
With Gaga’s last visit being over 10 years ago, anyone looking to get their hands on any tickets will have to act fast.
She sure knows how to raise a roof, and when you have a single titled ‘Applause’ all about her adoration of playing to live crowds, we have no doubt this will be a night the die-hard fans will never forget.
Lady Gaga is bringing her ‘MAYHEM Ball Tour’ to Co-op Live on 7 October, with pre-sale tickets available from Monday 31 March onwards with general admission tickets going up from Thursday, 3 April at 12pm.
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
Georgina Pellant -
1st March 2022 
