THE year started with ambitious brewery Beatnikz Republic announcing a new city centre bar, opening this summer, location to be confirmed. Four months on they’ve finally confirmed it will be at 35 Dale Street in the Northern Quarter, sharing the same Dale House corner entrance as newly arrived coffee bar Idle Hands.
Not quite the ‘between Market Street and St Peter's Square’ location originally envisaged, but prime craft beer territory in our eyes.
Owner/brewer Paul Greetham hopes to open, licensing and permissions allowing, around August/September. The bar will offer 14 keg and four cask lines with up to 50 per cent devoted to their own beer, the rest to guests. Also promised wide selection of spirits - especially gin and bourbon - wines, natural wines, sparkling wines, ciders and cocktails. Plus bar snacks with vegan options (all the beers are vegan).
It promises to be an exciting addition a craft beer bar scene that already boasts the likes of Port Street Beer House, Cafe Beermoth, The Brink and Pilcrow. The Republic’s beers are among the best in the city. ToM hop-driven faves include Generation IPA and Beach Bum West Coast Pale Ale, just two of an eclectic array of beers Greetham has produced during a meteoric first year of brewing in Manchester, where he had once been a student.
The name is inspired by his love of the US Beat movement of the Fifties and Sixties and iconoclastic kindred spirits who have revolutionised the American (and world) beer scene since. All this is reflected in the cool looking cans.
The Republic bit comes from Paul’s view of beer as a democratic, affordable drink. Affordable is what governed this former events producer’s move up from London – more bang for your buck in pinning down premises. More room. The premises up on Red Bank never quite worked as a taproom, but 1,500ft of floor space, seating 70, in Grade II listed Dale House with huge windows stretching along Tarriff Street seems the perfect outlet.
Greetham announced in his blog: “We will also be crowdfunding about 4-6 weeks before the bar opens; this isn't to raise any funds for the project, but a way to give something back to the people that have supported us so far and to encourage people to come see what we're about. The pledges/rewards will be small, such as pledge £25 and get a £30 bar tab; pledge £50 to get a £60 bar tab, for instance. We'll let you know when this goes live in good time.”
Follow the @BeatnikzRep bar progress on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.