Cocktail Tasting Masterclass at The Botanist

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

Book now

Cocktail Tasting Masterclasses at The Botanist

The Botanist, City Centre
Until 31 July 2026

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Ian Jones
Book now

To give you a glimpse behind the Creative Tourist curtain, our team recently enjoyed a cocktail tasting masterclass at The Botanist on Deansgate. As a specialist cocktail bar that takes its name from the delicious properties of plants, we were expecting a herbally infused evening of creative boozing. Safe to say, The Botanist did not disappoint. 

We all piled in around the bar, where we were given the chance to try a pour test (how bartenders in free pouring bars do measurements). After this we were guided through the stages of making three signature drinks. Between the examples being made for us and our own enthusiastic (but not always quite as successful) attempts, we ended up with a bar packed with fruity, herbal and fancy drinks. My personal highlight was a cocktail called The Botanist. This used the bar’s signature jasmine syrup, which was a flavour I never suspected to be so utterly moreish. There was also a savoury edge to this drink provided by fresh herbs, which perfectly offset the sweetness of the syrup.  

We were in the hands of experienced and passionate mixologist Jake. You could tell from the way he spoke about each of the particular bottles and their origins that a good amount of creativity and love also went into the mixer alongside the booze and ice.

The atmosphere of the masterclasses are a well honed balance of relaxed fun and actual learning. Unlike other tastings, you’re all encouraged to get hands on with the mixing. This crescendoed into a timed cocktail making competition which was deservedly won by our Managing Editor Johnny James. 

Whether the occasion is a birthday, works party or you just fancy having a different kind of night out with friends, this delicious evening of cocktail tasting fun is a great way to shake things up. 

Where to go near Cocktail Tasting Masterclass at The Botanist

Manchester
Restaurant
KAI Deansgate

Kai is a Turkish restaurant on Deansgate, set up by the brains behind the well-regarded Zouk restaurant. Expect excellent mezze plates and an open grill that releases wonderful aromas throughout the venue.

City Centre
Restaurant
Côte Restaurant

Elegantly laid out with simple wooden tables and Burgundy-coloured banquettes, Côte in Manchester does brasserie food, and does it well.

City Centre
Restaurant
Lunya Manchester

Lunya is a Spanish and Catalan deli and restaurant in Manchester’s stunning Barton Arcade. The food is reliably fresh and the staff both charming and incredibly knowledgable.

CUPRA City Garage DJ Decks
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
CUPRA City Garage

Already based in Paris, Mexico City, Sydney and Vienna, CUPRA’s international expansion is driven by culture as much as cars, and Manchester’s creative energy has clearly caught their attention.

Royal Exchange Theatre
City Centre
Theatre
Royal Exchange Theatre

The Royal Exchange is one of the most celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics.

Bloom Cafe
Manchester
Bloom Cafe

Bloom Cafe is a stunning cafe based on Deansgate in Manchester, serving up an array of hot and cold drinks, including a range of CBD options.

St Ann’s Square
City Centre
Park
St Ann’s Square

St Ann’s Square is a quiet little enclave of shops, with Barton’s Arcade set back from it on one side, and St Ann’s Church, which dates back to 1712 and…

What's on:

MusicLeeds
Poor Creature at The Attic

Poor Creature reimagine centuries-old folk songs with dreamlike textures, earthy harmonies, and a subtle, timeless pull.

From £15.00
LiteratureManchester
Nikita Gill at Feel Good Club

Enter the Underworld with internationally bestselling poet Nikita Gill as she discusses her “propulsive, electrifying and enraging” new book Hekate.

From £18.99
Dan Coxon.
LiteratureLiverpool
Writing The Magic launch at Dead Ink Bookshop

Writing the Magic (Essays on Crafting Fantasy Fiction) is the fourth in Liverpool-based publisher Dead Ink Books’ award-winning series of guides, and this launch event hears from editor Dan Coxon.

From £5.00

Culture Guides

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.