Manchester’s longstanding Irish pub O’Sheas has unveiled images of a brand new beer garden venue – which will officially launch on April 12 to coincide with the reopening of hospitality.
Owners of the Princess Street pub – which has served more than two million pints of Guinness during its 27-year history – have set up a sister site in Ardwick in time for COVID restrictions lifting next month.
Punters have now been offered a peek at the open-air premises on Cakebread Street – which has space to accommodate dozens of groups when pubs resume outdoor service next month.
O’Sheas Beer Garden is also promising a full programme of live music and sporting fixtures running through into the summer – including a number of special events for the Euros.
Craft ales, cocktails and a selection of street food (provided by local vendors) will also be on the menu at the venue – which is calling itself “the home of Manchester’s coldest pint.”
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Co-owner of O’Sheas Paul Mackey said: “This is for the people and for the city.
“We celebrate a return for hospitality and have been given the opportunity to utilise an amazing new outdoor space to come back.
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“The beers are cold and the welcome is warm. We have missed you all dearly and we can’t wait to see you in the garden!”
Bookings at O’Sheas Beer Garden are available on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis for groups of 2-6 people.
Viral sportswear brand Gymshark is holding a massive bodybuilding competition in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Gymshark will be back in Manchester this month, this time for a huge bodybuilding competition.
The viral fitness brand will be taking over the enormous space at Manchester Central, drawing in huge crowds of fitness experts and enthusiasts.
The Ryan Terry British Championship will bring together male and female bodybuilders on one stage.
There’ll be everyone from rookies taking part in their very first bodybuilding competition to seasoned bodybuilders competing for a PRO card.
It’s Gymshark’s first ever bodybuilding competition and if it’s anything like their last event in Manchester, it’ll be a popular one.
Last time the brand was in town for its LIFT MCR event in the spring, they had queues stretching down the street as thousands flocked to see figures from the worlds of lifting, fitness and bodybuilding.
Gymshark’s event this October will also feature Athlete Meet & Greets with some high-profile Gymshark athletes.
Fitness personalities including Ryan Terry himself, Phil Heath, and Kai Green will all take part in panel talks at the Q&A Stage.
Ryan Terry is a well-known figure in the industry (with 2.3 million followers on Instagram) who has claimed victories across the world competing in Men’s Physique.
Ticket-holders to Gymshark’s The Ryan Terry British Championship will be able to browse a range of exclusive merch in the Retail Zone.
And Gymshark will even open the Cheat Day Diner for the weekend, where you can grab a bite to eat in amongst all the action.
Plus, the first 500 guests to arrive on each day will get a goodie bag filled with secret, exclusive stuff.
The Ryan Terry British Championship will be brought to Manchester by GymsharkThe Ryan Terry British Championship will be brought to Manchester by Gymshark
Gymshark itself was founded by Ben Francis in his garage in 2012. He used YouTube tutorials – and a little help from his grandmother – to learn to sew.
Now, there are more than 18 million Gymshark customers across 180 countries, and it’s achieved ‘unicorn’ status after being valued at more than £1bn.
The brand turned over around £500m in its last financial year and employs around 800 people worldwide.
Hosted by 2BrosPro, The Ryan Terry British Championship will take place on 14 and 15 October at Manchester Central.
Tickets are £40 and include entry to watch the bodybuilding shows on the main stage, plus access to all the side events taking place.
Drunk Histories: Project Halcyon Distillery launch ‘Still Room Sessions’ where you drink whilst learning about drinking
Danny Jones
Project Halcyon Distillery is well and truly up there with our favourite new openings in Manchester city centre and after having enjoyed many unique visits already, the speakeasy-style bar is now offering up yet another interesting drinking experience: their ‘Still Room Sessions’.
There’s a lot to it and we’ll get to all that in due course but, put in simplest terms, it’s kind of a bit like if the TV show Drunk History and a tasting event had a baby. Sold.
Still Room Sessions are Project Halycon‘s brand new monthly interactive workshop experience which will be held on the second Sunday of every month.
Each month, a member of their award-winning bartending team — and trust us, they really are worthy of the recognition — will cover a completely new topic as they take guests through a guided talk on various aspects of the history and ongoing drinking culture behind drinking.
Credit: Project Halcyon Distillery
Now, before any of jump the gun and say ‘I don’t want a history lesson, I want a drink’, let us stop you right there; each session revolves around tasting various different cocktails and spirits for the bar’s incredible drinks selection, as well as specials that they create for events like this.
Tickets to one of Project Halcyon’s Still Room Sessions include a drink upon arrival, at least two cocktails during the sessions and a spirit tasting. Oh yes, you might have some trouble concentrating by the end but god knows you won’t be even more interested with a few drinks down you.
Also, it is worth reiterating that the subject matter the guys will be covering is genuinely interesting stuff, not just if you’re a history buff but a fan of drinking in general. In fact, we can personally vouch for that.
After going along to their first session in September, simply entitled, ‘A Century Later’ — an exploration of the effects of the infamous American prohibition 100 years on, its lasting impact on today’s drinking culture, bartending style, as well as how the whole idea of a speakeasy bar came about — we were hooked inside the first five minutes.
After being presented with a refreshing G and T on arrival, we were welcomed into the still room for our first couple of drinks, which came in the form of their irresistible Bees Knees cocktail (created exclusively for this first event) as well as a taste of their house gin. Strong start — literally.
Then, as we prepared for the second 30-minute segment of knowledge and knocking back a few, everyone received an Apple Blossom cocktail along with a taste of Calvados as a nod to both gin and the distilled type of cider being two of the most bootlegged spirits ever.
Finally, to tie things off, the last 10 minutes saw them open up the floor for a more casual discussion and Q&A of sorts, with people asking everything from ‘why do people shake instead of stir for certain cocktails?’ (that one’s for you, Mr Bond) to tips on how to make a proper drink at home.
Oh, and did we mention that everyone got 33% off their bill for the rest of the night? Oh yes, all 12 of us stayed behind to enjoy a few more drinks afterwards. We could hardly turn an offer like that down.
Their second session kicks off this weekend next week on Monday, 9 October, with ‘The Journey of Juniper‘, which will see the staff talk about the world of gins and its illustrious history.
Starting all the way back with Dutch genever and the bathtub gin craze of 18th century London, to newer, more modern style expressions, including their very own, made on sight in the back of house, guests won’t just be sat listening, they’ll also be taught how to make the perfect martini at home.
We’ve always believed in the importance of education…
We think this is a really exciting opportunity for guests to learn and interact with Halcyon’s already rich, culturally-infused drinking space. Each event is limited to just a dozen tickets, so these talks and tasting sessions really are exclusive. You can secure your place on the next one HERE.
The Manc -
30th March 2021 
