If you go out in Manchester and enjoy a well-crafted cocktail you’ll almost certainly have heard of Speak In Code. This hidden-away bar has a solid reputation as one of the city’s best bars, and for good reason.

Blinker takes cocktails seriously, but that doesn’t mean it’s a snooty drinks emporium that demands a mixology exam before letting you in. Far from it, it’s one of the most welcoming upscale bars in the city centre, with staff who are in it for the love of making drinks that look and taste beautiful.

Here, they aren’t just well-versed in mixology, they’re doctorate-level (albeit doctors prescribing delicious drinks that make you merry). You’ll find some of the most intriguing and exciting flavour combinations this side of The Fat Duck, without ever feeling gimmicky.

A cross between a Tokyo back-alley bar and a cyberpunk dream, Kōdo isn’t the kind of place you stumble upon – it’s one you seek out. Once through the door (and you’ll need a code…), you’ll find cocktails that riff on Japanese and East Asian flavours, balancing yuzu, sake, and umeshu with effortless precision.

Here’s another place that may well have passed you by. You get to Ego Death’s talented mixologists through the store cupboard of a fast food restaurant, stepping over mop buckets and cardboard boxes. The bar boffins among you will recognise this set-up, straight out of New York City’s PDT playbook.

A Greek restaurant with an innovative twist. Before your meal, experience a dramatic drink downstairs. The Fallen From Olympus serves two, and comes in a jaw-dropping volcano-style construction that billows smoke all over your table.

Behind Closed Doors ain’t your typical bar. Hidden in plain sight on Oldham Street, you might have walked past it without knowing. But inside it makes itself known, dressed top to bottom in vintage erotica. 

Adjoining The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, Three Little Words know a thing or two about gin cocktails. There’s also a secret back room, where booze-fuelled tasting sessions and cocktail-making classes unfold. Think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with booze…

19 stories above Manchester you’ll find some of the best cocktails around. Never gaudy but always delicious, the knowledgable bar staff can put together pretty much any concoction your heart desires.

Fancy venturing beyond the city centre? Try Chorlton’s Henry C, the elder sibling of 10 Tib Lane, one of the city centre’s most elegant and acclaimed restaurants. We popped by recently to give their Negroni Thursdays menu a whirl.