Gin haunts

Fiona Whitworth

@fwhitworth9

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I spend all week staring at scans and strangers’ insides, so when the weekend hits I just want a decent gig in the Northern Quarter, a bowl of something soupy if it’s grim outside, and a gin that doesn’t taste like it’s been pumped out of a soda gun on Deansgate Locks. This is my little hit list of spots and distilleries within a train ride where the juniper’s sound, the staff don’t sneer if you order something a bit daft, and you can actually hear your mate talk about their terrible dating life. Some are ‘proper mint’ pilgrimage distilleries, some are just where I end up after a shift with aching feet and zero plans. All of them have poured me a good G&T when I’ve needed it.

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The list

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Gin haunts — 7 items
Name	Address	City	Style	Must-try Gin	My take
1Three Little Words (Spirit of Manchester Distillery)	10–15 Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP	Manchester	Distillery bar and restaurant	Manchester Gin Signature in a classic G&T or martini	If you’re going to do the whole ‘I’m on a gin journey now’ thing, start here. The tour is nerdy in the best way, the arches feel dead cosy after dark, and the Signature G&T has ruined supermarket gin for me. Go for the tasting, stay for food, roll home ha
2Atlas Bar	376 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LY	Manchester	Gin-focused bar with terrace	An Atlas Gin Paddle with a few different styles	Their gin list is like an MRI report – pages long and slightly intimidating – but the staff actually help you pick instead of making you feel daft. Sit out on the terrace when the sun shows its face and work through a paddle; it’s basically revision for g
3The Jane Eyre Ancoats	14 Hood Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6WX	Manchester	Neighbourhood cocktail bar	Gin-led house martini or a seasonal gin cocktail	Feels like the living room I wish I owned: big windows, candles, and a back bar full of good gin. Perfect for a pre‑gig sharpener round Ancoats – they take their martinis seriously but still have that ‘pull up a chair, love’ energy.
4Allotment Bar & Restaurant	24 Dale Street, Manchester M1 1FY	Manchester	Northern Quarter bar with strong gin list	One of their Copa‑style G&Ts matched with tonic and garnish	Tucked just enough off the main drag that you can breathe, but still handy for sprinting to a gig. Their big balloon glasses of gin and tonic are dangerously drinkable – you sit there thinking you’re being classy and then realise you’re three doubles in.
5The Botanist Deansgate	78 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2FW	Manchester	Botanical-themed bar and restaurant	A floral gin cocktail from the botanical menu	Yes it’s a bit Instagram‑y with the foliage and fairy lights, but sometimes you just want something pretty in a coupe after payday. Good for when your non‑gin mates want food and you’re quietly plotting which botanical‑heavy concoction you’re having next.
610 Tib Lane	10 Tib Lane, Manchester M2 4JB	Manchester	Bistro and cocktail bar	A gin‑forward house cocktail from the seasonal list	Feels like you’ve accidentally wandered into a little Parisian bar, except the accents are pure Manc. Great small plates, really thoughtful cocktails – I tend to park on a stool, order something gin‑heavy and pretend I’m more sophisticated than I am.
7The George Charles	244 Burton Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2LW	Manchester	Neighbourhood pub with big gin range	A North West small‑batch gin from their feature list	This is my ‘Sunday after a rough shift’ spot – wander down Burton Road, grab a bowl of something warming, and let them pour you a local gin you’ve never heard of. It’s comfy, dog‑spotting is elite, and the staff are sound.

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