THE folk behind Crazy Pedro's, The Liars Club and Cane & Grain are busy, busy at the moment. Not just relaunching The Liars after a £250,000 refurb with a new cocktail menu and announcing a new Pedro’s for Liverpool, but also unveiling their special fund-raising Unbreakable Manchester t-shirts. Featuring a Bee naturally.
They’ve always been productive in the brand t-shirt department, but their latest quality cotton offering makes another, defiant statement. “Manchester is a city that well and truly wears its heart on its sleeve and now you can wear Manchester’s love and resilience one your chest,” head honcho Lyndon Higginson told ToM.
It’s a homage to the astounding solidarity the city has shown the rest of the world after the Arena bombing. All proceeds from the sales will go to Forever Manchester.
Designed by Rawtenstall-raised Mark ‘Fos’ Foster of Heroin Skateboards in L.A. and with artistic direction by Higginson, this limited edition run of 1000 T-shirts; 500 white with black and yellow print and 500 black and white can be purchased from the city centre venues mentioned plus stablemates Junkyard Golf Club, The Black Dog Ballrooms and Note Skate Shop.
There’s a minimum donation of £10 per t-shirt, and every penny will be given to Forever Manchester, a local charity that raises money to fund and support community activity.
Their projects include a huge range of activities that help young people, older people and disabled people, as well as homelessness, sport, the environment, education and cancer support projects, plus everything in between.
Nick Massey, CEO Forever Manchester, said “We would like to thank Crazy Pedro’s for selecting Forever Manchester as their chosen charity for the brilliantly designed Unbreakable Bee T-shirt. We’re thrilled as the design truly captures the unbreakable spirit the people that make up the fantastic communities that we fund and support across the Greater Manchester.”
Meanwhile, there’s that attractive new look for basement Tiki Dive Bar and Caribbean Rum Shop The Liars Club plus 20 new tipples cocktails to sit alongside the bar’s infamous Zombie, which is made from a secret mix of various super-strength rums with absinthe, velvet falernum and cherry brandy and a blend of exotic fruit juices – so strong drinkers are limited to two per person (even us!).
The bartenders promise that newcomers such as Painkiller; 5 Spice and Stormy; The Lost Lady, and South of St Johns, will confirm the Polynesian-style bar as a Tiki contender on the world stage. It helps, too, when you stock more than 180 different rums.
On our visit to check out the revamped decor (see below) we couldn’t resist the totally daft The Banana Drink, a creamy blended banana milkshake with coconut, pineapple, Capucana Cachaca and Wray and Nephew overproof rums.
Colourful neighbour Crazy Pedro’s is heading west – to Parr Street in Liverpool’s Ropewalks district. The 100 cover venue with a roof terrace is expected to open this autumn.
The Liars Club, 19a Back Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 2PB.
