MAYBE the spate of new breweries has slowed to trickle but there’s no lack of new craft bars on the horizon to slake Mancs’ insatiable thirst for the hoppy stuff.
By the end of January expect the arrival of Station Hop in Levenshume (@stationhoplvm) and The Assembly in Urmston (@TheAssemblyMCR). Already up and running after a soft launch is ÖL in Bruntwood’s Hatch indie retail complex ubdre the Mancunian Way on Oxford Road, which advertises itself as a nano brewery and keg bar. A collab with Levenshulme’s Byrne the Cake Brewery, it’s the sibling of Takk’s new espresso bar in the same location (handily El Marchador tacos is also on site).
For the moment ÖL is serving aDanish, Norwegian, and Swedish beers alongside local keg faves; in full swing they’ll be brewing their own.
All this is very exciting, especially during Tryanuary, the national campaign supporting the indie beer industry during the year’s leanest month. Created five years ago by a Manchester beer blogger and brewer pals, this year’s awareness programme culminates locally in Greater Manchester Beer Day on January 20. A perfect taster for the awesome CAMRA-run Manchester Beer and Cider Festival at Manchester Central from January 25-27, featuring more than 130 UK breweries. General entry tickets and the special tasting events tickets are now on sale at the festival’s website.
Festivals are all very well but they can be overwhelming as you scuttle from one tap to the next with your souvenir tasting glass. Whereas, a beer bar with a perpetually rotating selection of the finest ales is more ToM’s thing. We are blessed in the city centre with the likes of Cafe Beermoth, 57 Thomas Street, Smithfield, Pilcrow, Port Street, The Brink and The Gaslamp (the latter currently showcasing new brewery Pomona Island, in which they have an interest), but we can always handle another – and there’s a belter in the offing.
Beatnikz Republic, which arrived from London last year to brew up a storm in a Red Bank arch, has announced via its blog plans for a new city craft beer bar and street food kitchen. The exact location has yet to be announced but is between Market Street and St Peter's Square.
The bar will build on the offer at the brewery's former on-site taproom, which hosted events including a doughnut-matched beer tasting (pictured below). It will feature 14 keg lines divided between the brewery's own beers and guest ales, served alongside quality cider, wine, spirits, soft drinks and coffee with an evolving roster of street food traders.
Owner Paul Greetham (main picture) confirms: “Each street food trader will take over the kitchen for a month at a time; this will keep the food offering fresh and interesting while giving the trader an opportunity to serve in a permanent location for a month.
"There’s nothing better than pairing your favourite drink with some excellent street food made with passion. We're in discussion with some seriously good people making seriously good food. We aim to open by May/June ’18; follow the bar twitter/instagram handle @BeatnikzRepMcr for the latest updates.
“In order to produce enough beer for the new bar and to meet demand, we'll be doubling our current production capacity by the middle of next year. We have new tanks being installed very soon and additional tanks coming in April/May. We will then be able produce over 2,000 hectolitres per year. With increased capacity comes the ability to play around with new beers more than we've been able to.”