Whether it’s Dry January, a hangover-free night out, or total sobriety, there are a lot of options for non-alcoholic drinking these days.
But they don’t come much better than Botivo, a game-changing aperitivo that’s 0% alcohol but 100% tasty.
This delicious small-batch drink has been carefully crafted with just as much attention as you’d put into an alcoholic cocktail, from the hand-picked thyme leaves to the bottles hand-dipped in a buttercup yellow wax.
Founder Sam Paget Steavenson said: “I wanted to bring the true craft and depth of flavour we all see in the alcohol category, to the non alc category. This meant using real ingredients, no flavourings and low intervention techniques.”
The result is Botivo, a bittersweet, citrusy, herbal drink that can be added into summer drinks, winter warmers, after-work concoctions and just about anything else you can think of.
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And if you do love an alcoholic drink, Botivo is still a great addition to your boozy cocktails.
It’s popping up on shelves right across Greater Manchester – here are 10 places you can drink Botivo locally.
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Reserve Wines – Didsbury
Reserve Wines in DidsburyReserve Wines in Didsbury
This fantastic local wine bar and bottle shop is one of the best spots in Manchester to get your hands on rare and unusual drinks – and also, Botivo.
The Didsbury institution serves theirs simply with soda and a delicious kick of ginger, or with blueberry and ginger kombucha.
Tawny Stores – Stockport
Tawny Stores in Marple Bridge. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo at Tawny Stores. Credit: The Manc Group
Tawny Stores is a lovely little cafe, restaurant and grocery store right on the water’s edge in Marple, where you can do everything from having a romantic candlelit dinner to scoffing a morning pastry to grabbing a loaf of bread to take home.
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Here, Botivo is added to a warming spiced apple drink, reminiscent of a mulled cider. You can even have it served in a takeaway cup to take it on a walk down the neighbouring canal, if you so fancy.
Bundobust – Oxford Road
Manchester Indian street food restaurant Bundobust. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo at Bundobust Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike love Bundobust, a Leeds-founded Indian street food restaurant that now has two sites in Manchester city centre.
Among the long benches and beneath the skylights (weirdly, both sites have similar ceilings), you can pair your Indian small plates with a tasty glass of Botivo and soda.
Delve – Delph
Delve in Delph, Saddleworth. Credit: The Manc GroupDelve in Delph, Saddleworth. Credit: The Manc Group
Delve is a gorgeous restaurant and bar that’s recently opened in the Saddleworth village of Delph, inside an old bank building.
They’ve come up with a suitably sophisticated Botivo serve, the Pink Lady, made with chilled fruit tea.
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Something More Productive – Withington
Something More Productive in Withington. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo at Something More Productive. Credit: The Manc Group
This is a lively neighbourhood bar and cafe, as famed for its sturdy sandwiches as it is live music nights.
Tuck yourself away inside with a Botivo, served here with delicious ginger and yuzu kombucha from Cheshire-made Hip Pop.
North Westward Ho – city centre
Botivo at North Westward Ho in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Easily one of the city centre’s best watering holes, North Westward Ho is a charming pub operated by the same team behind Pomona Island brewery.
A perfect alternative to their massive beer selection, Botivo comes with soda and a wedge of fresh orange.
Caravan – St John’s
Botivo drinks at Caravan ManchesterCaravan in Manchester city centreCredit: The Manc Group
Caravan is another huge newcomer in Manchester city centre, where it has an all-day menu inspired by the vibrant flavours of New Zealand and Australia cafe culture.
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Get cosy in the huge, light-flooded space and order yourself a Botivo and soda with a sprig of rosemary to really enhance those herbal flavours.
The Pearl – Prestwich
A Botivo espresso martini at The Pearl, PrestwichThe Pearl in Prestwich has made it onto the list of the Top 100 Local Restaurants in the Good Food Guide. Credit: The Manc Group
You’ve never had an espresso martini like this before – and you’ll never want to drink it another way.
Award-winning neighbourhood restaurant The Pearl has added Botivo to its espresso martinis, for a delicious citrus hit to the classic drink.
Hinterland Bar – Northern Quarter
Inside Hinterland in the Northern Quarter. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo Elixir at Hinterland. Credit; The Manc Group
Tucked down in a Northern Quarter basement is Hinterland, a proudly alcohol-free bar that is the perfect cosy spot to sample Botivo.
They’ll serve you a Botivo Elixir, made with chai tea, lime, and cucumber – or you can have it more simply with soda.
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10 Tib Lane – city centre
10 Tib Lane in ManchesterInside 10 Tib Lane Manchester
If you’ve never been to 10 Tib Lane, let this be your sign – the three-storey restaurant and bar is a real beauty, serving delicious small plates that pair perfectly with Botivo.
They serve it ice cold, with soda and fresh orange. Delicious.
Take a look inside the new Operation Ouch! interactive exhibition opening in Manchester tomorrow
Emily Sergeant
Fancy plunging headfirst into the incredible world of our senses?
Well now you can, as back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! has landed in Manchester once again, and this time around, you can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
The major new exhibition for children and families, which is titled Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, is officially opening down at the Science and Industry Museum from tomorrow.
Visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies, and You is opening in Manchester tomorrow / Credit: Science Museum Group
Mini Manc medics can explore their brilliant brains by banging on an eardrum, venturing into a massive eyeball, and even taking a whiff of a ‘smell library’ during what sounds like a properly playful and lively interactive adventure at the museum.
You’ll get to enter Dr Chris’ brain headquarters through his giant ear, making sure to dodge the earwax, before venturing through the five senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste with loads of hands-on science experiences, as well as discovering some of the secret senses that help us with our balance, know when it’s time to sleep, and even when to go for a wee.
Educational as well as entertaining, you’ll even get to find out about how our sensory experiences can vary from children who are living with disabilities.
Video appearances from Dr Chris, Dr Xand, and Dr Ronx from the hit BBC children’s TV series, Operation Ouch!, will pop up throughout the exhibition to help visitors understand more about the science behind the fun.
Ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Steven Leech, who is the Curator of Exhibitions at the Science and Industry Museum, commented: “From sight and sound, to some lesser-known senses, our bodies are truly sense-sational.
Visitors can plunge head-first into the incredible world of our senses / Credit: Science Museum Group
“Our brains rely on our senses to help us understand and explore the world around us, and in this exhibition, you will take part in an epic experiment that is bursting with brilliant brain science.
“Just like our previous Operation Ouch! exhibition, Brains, Bogies and You will offer a playful experience that builds confidence in young people who want to explore science, so get ready for the trip of a lifetime and come and get stuck into the science inside all of us.”
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You opens at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester city centre tomorrow (14 February 2025) and will run right up until 4 January 2026 – with tickets priced at £10 each and now on sale.
A massive power ballads club night is heading to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A club night dedicated to the majesty of power ballads is heading to Manchester this spring.
Power Up – the Ultimate Power Ballad Night will encourage punters to belt out some of the biggest songs in history well into the night.
Tune up your air guitars, round up your mates, squeeze those eyes tight shut and scream your heart out to classic power ballads from the likes of Meat Loaf, Queen, Whitney Houston and loads more.
This beloved power ballads night out will be at the O2 Ritz Manchester over Easter weekend, with an early club night that will kick off at 9pm and wrap up at 1am.
You’ll be able to put the venue’s iconic sprung dance floor through its paces as you bound around to some of the world’s biggest anthems.
The playlist will include artists like Journey, Bon Jovi, Bonnie Tyler, Phil Collins, Belinda Carlisle, and many more.
If you’ve not been to a Power Up night out before, you can expect DJs throwing blow-up guitars and microphones into the crowd, non-stop fist-clenching anthems, and a setlist that’ll leave you hoarse from belting the next morning,
This next installment will be taking place at the O2 Ritz Manchester on Saturday 19 April, between 9pm and 1am.
This is a strictly 18+ event. Tickets cost £10 in advance – you can find out more and grab your tickets HERE.