HOTLY awaited craft coffee and cocktail bar Roc & Rye /has named an opening date of Thursday, July 6. On a prominent corner of Spring Gardens near Hotel Gotham, it’s a sympathetic conversion of a landmark Grade II listed building, designed by ManchesterTown Hall architect Alfred Waterhouse.
With 150 covers it’s the first stand-alone bar from popular bartender Sean Finnegan – formerly of El Capo, Kosmonaut and Mash and Air – alongside partners Maritza Haydon and Matt Bonner. The setting should certainly be dramatic, taking inspiration from the architectural glories of the original 1880s interior, with authentic design features such as a reclaimed 1920s oak dance floor.
The creative eaterie-come-cocktail bar will give a distinct nod to Sean’s Irish descent through a brand advocacy partnership with leading premium spirits, wine and champagne supplier, Pernod Ricard UK, one of whose key brands is leading Irish whiskey, Jameson.
So expect a centrepiece barrel of aged Jameson behind the bar, giving whiskey lovers the opportunity to experience the tipple straight from the cask, as it was originally served in 1965. Contemporary mixology will come courtesy of a specially designed on-site laboratory for drink preparation and development.
Sean tells us: “Putting whiskey at the heart of Roc & Rye, and specifically Jameson, seemed like a logical choice. We were lucky enough to meet with a fifth generation Jameson Master Cooper and their vision of training a new generation of Coopers, distillers and blenders really captured our imagination due to our shared values of craft, skill and commitment to quality.
“We also really wanted to give Roc & Rye customers the experience of sampling undiscovered artisan food from the local area and we’re proud to be able to curate a diverse menu that gives regional producers a platform to really showcase home-grown speciality cuisine.”
These will include homemade breads, bagels and chutneys from Trove in Levenshulme, macarons and cakes from patisserie Bisous-Bisous and speciality cheeses from The Cheese Hamlet, both in Didsbury with pork pies and scotch eggs from Beehive Food and a ‘bean to bar’ range of handcrafted chocolate bars and truffles from master chocolatiers Dormouse.
Speciality coffees come from Origin, ranging from mainstay espresso blends to regularly rotating single origin filter coffees. For those in need of a stronger caffeine dose, the bar’s on-trend ‘Nitro’ coffee will be the perfect pick-me-up. This nitrogen infused chilled brew coffee has a rich, creamy head and will be served cold and on draft throughout the day.
Equally impressive is the cocktail menu, Hard Shakes and Heart Breaks, under the experienced stewardship of David Cole, former head bartender of Mr Cooper’s at The Midland.
Why that name? It’s a creative spin designed to reflect the five stages of a relationship: Infatuation, Tumult, Rediscovery, Devotion & Rapture. Roc & Rye’s signature cocktail Lost at Sea will combine Cooper’s Croze Jameson Whiskey, with avant-garde drink making techniques. The intricate concoction features a cherry and grapefruit shrub, made by fermenting grapefruit and black Italian cherries with a sherry-based vinegar.
This is then blended with a classic cherry liqueur, smoky Mezcal and sweet vermouth. The cocktail will be barrel aged using staves from the Midleton Distillery in Cork (home of Jameson whiskey) and presented in a whiskey bottle embellished with a 3D printed ship from the Jameson coat of arms.
Phew. ToM can’t wait to go overboard with this one.