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This underground Manchester bar is celebrating its birthday with cocktails, live music, and more next week

Arcane is one of our city's most bold and eclectic cocktail bars, and its celebrating its sixth year still standing.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 1st June 2022

One of Manchester’s most bold and eclectic cocktail bars is throwing a series of parties to celebrate its sixth birthday next week.

It may be just off the beaten track and tucked away in the basement of a Grade II-listed Victorian building on South King Street – just off Deansgate’s main thoroughfare in the heart of the city centre – but Arcane is no secret and has definitely made a well-deserved name for itself since opening its doors back in 2016.

Arcane was built off longtime friends and owners, Mark Taylor and Gary Kilroy’s, vision for bringing something “creative yet unpretentious” to the city’s nightlife scene, and it’s fair to say that since then, it has more than earned its place as a bar worth hitting up when you’re out in Manchester.

Given that it’s known for having an extensive menu of drinks prepared by some of the city’s most-knowledgeable artisans, and has been surprising even the most seasoned cocktail connoisseurs for the past half-decade, Arcane has got a lot to celebrate.

Read more: The best ‘secret’ bars hidden away in Manchester

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And next week, six years after the self-proclaimed “drinking den” first opened in the city, it’s going to do just that.

Arcane is one of Manchester’s most bold and eclectic cocktail bars / Credit: Arcane

To celebrate six years in style, Arcane will be throwing a big birthday party on Thursday 9 June from 7:30pm – 4am, and you can expect live music from 10pm, a live DJ afterwards for the rest of the party, and of course, an eclectic mix of drinks and cocktails.

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There’ll also be a couple of spirit brand events throughout the week too, with Jaegermeister Monday 6 June, Ocho on Tuesday 7 June, and Makers Mark on Wednesday 8 June.

After what has been an undeniably difficult two years for the city’s hospitality scene amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners and staff at Arcane are also keen to use the sixth birthday party to mark the industry’s return to near normality and “celebrate the fact that we’re still here and we’re still going strong”.

There’ll be plenty of drinks deals to make the most of throughout the big birthday party night, and in a fitting nod to what was available back when the bar first opened, guests can also grab some old industry “throwback” offers too.

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How does a Tom Collins and a can of Tiny Rebel 313 for just £6 sound?

You can also expect  beer provided by Tiny Rebel, plenty of cocktails featuring tipples by event sponsors, Sipsmith Gin, as well as some limited-edition cocktails that will be mixed and served especially for the night, and even an ice luge for cask-aged Negronis too.

Read more: Some of Manchester’s best independent bars to sip a cocktail at

Staff will be suited and booted for the occasion, and there even promises to be a free welcome drink to any guests who want to get into the swing of things and come down dressed to the nines too.

Fancy it then? Head on down to Arcane from 7:30pm on Tuesday 6 – Thursday 9 June.

Featured Image – Arcane

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You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office – including to those of us here in Manchester.

In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.

And that genius is none other than, Ruuby.

Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.

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The gorgeous set up provided by Ruuby
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Look at that lovely branding on the towels.
They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)

In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.

The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.

If you’re feeling sceptical still, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.

There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.

Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.

After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.

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Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.
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How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!
Credit: The Manc Group

My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!

The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.

It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?

As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.

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Featured Image – The Manc Group

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An award-winning Manchester cocktail bar is serving a Tiny ‘Tini martini cocktail flight

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson An award-winning Manchester cocktail bar is serving a Tiny ‘Tini martini cocktail flight

Martini cocktails are one of the world’s most iconic and stylish cocktails, and come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, despite classically being made with only a few ingredients. 

If you’re still dipping your toes into the world of the vodka martini cocktail, or if you’re a super fan always eager to try a new take on this beloved drink, can we introduce you to the ‘Tiny ‘Tini’ flight?

This clever creation is as photo-worthy as it is delicious – three miniature martini cocktails, served perfectly chilled in ‘flight’ form on a tray in one of Manchester’s very best bars, Blinker. 

The Tiny ‘Tini has been launched by legendary vodka brand GREY GOOSE to celebrate the resurgence of vodka martini cocktails (vodka is one of the core ingredients, the other is typically vermouth). 

Blinker, which was earlier this year named the 22nd best cocktail bar in the UK, is already famed for its menu of vodka martini cocktails , so was a perfect choice for the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini collaboration. 

Here, they’ve created three different miniature takes on the classic cocktail- the house martini cocktail, made with GREY GOOSE vodka, house vermouth, orange bitters and an olive; the Spanish Gibson, with sherry and onion brine (if you’re a fan of savoury cocktails, this is the one for you); and the champagne martini cocktail, with GREY GOOSE vodka, champagne cordial, Lillet Blanc and orange bitters (a gateway martini cocktail for the uninitiated). 

Each of the three perfectly sized drinks is served in a special frosted miniature martini cocktail glass and is the perfect size for flavour exploration – while also staying perfectly chilled down to the last sip.

The Grey Goose Tiny Tini martini cocktail flight is available at Blinker in Manchester
The Grey Goose Tiny Tini martini cocktail flight is available at Blinker in Manchester

Best of all, the Tiny ‘Tini flight also makes vodka martini cocktails that little bit less intimidating. 

Lexa Ulijaszek, UK Ambassador for GREY GOOSE commented: “When it comes to the vodka martini cocktail, size does matter for some. 

“Sometimes a full-sized martini cocktail can be a little bit too intimidating. Or over the course of great conversation between friends, the final sip of your drink may not be as superbly chilled or balanced in taste as the beginning. 

“As a result, the offer of a ‘sip sized cocktail’ is gaining traction across many of the UK’s most influential bars.

“A sip size GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini is the perfect solution – beautifully crafted, expertly chilled, elegantly served with rich taste. A flight of three petite drinks allows you to responsibly enjoy the perfection of the ‘first sip’ of a martini cocktail while also experiencing a range of unique flavours.

“The trend is very much a UK-wide affair, with some of the best bars across Manchester, Edinburgh and London all serving the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini – ushering in a brand new and bold ‘sip sized’ era for the vodka martini cocktail.”

The GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini flight at Blinker in Manchester costs £12 and is available until 30 April.

Sip responsibly.

Read more: Blinker – The award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester serving retro Breville toasties

Featured image: Supplied

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