After-Shift Sips
List · 5 items

After-Shift Sips

Priya AshworthPriya Ashworth · 2 likes
5 items
ListGin · Products/Services

After-Shift Sips

Priya Ashworth
@wardsend_wrenches
5Items
2Likes

Spanners down, headphones in, and straight from the yard into somewhere that actually cleans the oil off your hands properly – a good gin. These are the spots I actually bother crossing town for, from Deansgate arches to the basements that still smell like Victorian graft. No faff, no influencer nonsense, just solid pours, decent tunes and somewhere you can argue about setlists before heading for a curry. Anyway, back to it.

The list

Rank
After-Shift Sips — 5 items
NameAddressCityGin focusGo-to orderMy take
1Atlas Bar376 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LYManchesterHuge global gin list with tonics and garnishes dialled inLocal Manchester gin and tonic, short glass, loads of iceIf you can’t find a gin you like here, that’s on you, not the bar. Feels like knocking off in a very classy depot under the arches.
2Three Little WordsArches 12–13, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LPManchesterIn-house Manchester Gin distillery next door, flights and signaturesManchester Gin tasting flight then whatever the bartenders are messing with that weekProper ‘treat yourself’ spot – you can literally see the stills that made what’s in your glass. Like watching a rebuilt engine actually purr.
3Speak In CodeLloyds House, 7 Jackson’s Row, Manchester M2 5NDManchesterSerious modern cocktails, often with house-made gin infusionsOne of the shorter, spirit-forward gin numbers off their main menuTiny, moody and dialled-in. Feels like someone rebuilt the cocktail bar from scratch and only put the good bits back.
4Project Halcyon DistilleryUnit 2, Bonded Warehouse, St John’s, Manchester M3 4APManchesterHigh-end cocktails in a working distillery space, strong on botanicalsHouse gin martini, stirred colder than a January platform at PiccadillyLooks like a villain’s lair if the villain was obsessed with citrus peels and perfect ice. Pricey, but the drinks run smoother than a fresh gearbox.
5The Gas Lamp50A Bridge Street, Manchester M3 3BWManchesterBasement bar with a solid back bar and no-nonsense mixed drinksStraight gin and tonic, classic London dry, no mucking aboutDown some stairs into what used to be public loos and somehow it’s now one of the comfiest places for a quiet gin. Old tiles, good tunes, zero grief – ideal end to a long shift.