Sunday 18 September 2016

So Much Alcohol

Thursday night: spoke to Key 103's Adam Catterall, host of the late night talk show.


The topic: drug legalisation. I suggested that, as alcohol kills more per annum than all the illegal drugs combined, that's the one people might want to ban, although- as I went on to explain- that wouldn't work either. The USA tried that in the 1920s. This, being Prohibition, led to one of the most violent periods of American history. The only way to move forward, I proposed, was to ask people to sit a course on drugs and the affect they have, then if they can pass the test they can get a certificate to buy the drug legally from a chemist. The presenter generally agreed with me that criminalisation was causing a lot of problems and change was required.

And on the issue of the world's deadliest drug, I did a lot of it this weekend.

Friday: visited new bar Arcane on South King St off Deansgate, a suitably old-fashioned cosy joint. Bare brickwork, small wooden tables piled with hardback books and a narrow corridor make for a bygone-era feel. Friendly staff.

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We then headed on to the Northern Quarter, to Terrace (good RnB, with songs that aren't to overplayed, plenty of women) and then onto Guilty, which was heaving. Fridays in the city have certainly picked back up.

Saturday: went out to meet people in the lovely Cottonopolis on Newton Street. Of course, I forgot what I was doing- we'd agreed to meet there then move on to nearby Fitzgerald, which I went straight to, hence I necked my South Side cocktail (which is a shame as it was worth savouring) and headed over to the start point.

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Cottonopolis wasn't far away, but I did manage to catch up with my mates. The bar is a nod to Manchester's cotton-mill roots. Architect Nick Muir says: "It's a Grade II-listed former textile warehouse so we’ve been sympathetic to the building and the original features. The cast iron columns still remain as do the original lifts and timber floors." (Source: Manchester Confidential.)

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The bee theme is consistent throughout the bar, with the image of the insects painted onto the windows of the bar. It's possibly a homage to Boddingtons bitter, which had a brewery in the city and has a bee as its emblem. Or maybe they just thought it looked good. Which it does.

We then moved on (or in my case, back) to The Fitzgerald for more cocktails and nu-jazz and funk.

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We then finished in Lost in Tokyo. Great Japanese themed bars with oriental whiskies. I was steaming by this point, suffice to say.

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I realise this isn't the most insightful blog post, but I recommend every bar we went to. If you're around these areas, these are the places you should be checking out.

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