The Best: Manchester spirits brands you need to try

Manchester’s first city centre gin distillery, Three Rivers offers a smooth, mild small batch dry gin from a combination of eleven botanicals and spices including black pepper and cardamom. You can find a bottle in a range of local spirits stores, as well as Selfridges, Waitrose, The Whisky Shop and Majestic Wines.

Inspired by the flowing Caribbean imports through Salford Docks in the late Victorian era, The Salford Rum Company produces critically acclaimed spiced rum in small batches, with gorgeous bottle designs illustrated by local artist Dave Draws. They also offer an in-house Spiced Rum Experience. You can pick some up in Harvey Nichols, The Whiskey Exchange, Threshers or a range of local spirits stockists.

With ‘Caribbean born, Manchester made’ as their slogan, the ARLU team create an irresistible range of party-starting rum infusions, alongside their classic spiced option, out of their award-winning Demerara Diamond Distillery. Pick up one (or two) of their Blood Orange or Mango & Passionfruit bottles from almost any Co-Op in Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside.

Voted the actual best gin in the world at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, DEFIANCE produces a dizzying selection of flavoured and steeped gins, with endless combinations of flavours and vintages, out of their Oldham distillery. From a Bubblegum Gin Liqueur to an unaged 57% ABV ‘Navy Strength’ option, as well as the new Maple Toffee Vodka and a gin simply called ‘High Octane’, The DEFIANCE Distillery effortlessly mixes quality with quantity. Pick up any of their range from Master of Malt, Distillers Direct or their own website below.

Following a 2014 backtracking trip, the Tarsier founders developed a range of gins based on the various sensory joys of Southeast Asia. Now offering a peppery dry gin, an ‘Oriental’ pink gin, a Khao San chilli-infused gin and more, Tarsier can be found instore at Reserve Wines, The Epicurean in Heaton Moor, Kwoff in Bury and even Tebay Services. Check out the website below for a full list.

Born of ‘passion, pride and sheer willpower’, FOUR SIS4ERS produces small batch gin, rum and pre-mixed cans in dozens of flavours in their Salford distillery. Partnered with the SEVEN BRO7HERS Brewing Company, FOUR SIS4ERS has picked up numerous awards since opening, including silver at the World Gin Awards 2020 with their strawberry small batch. Pick up a bottle at Selfridges, or via their website.

Promising a ‘Life More Luscious’ in bold print on the bottle, Didsbury Gin produces an array of unapologetically British flavour combinations, including Plum & Rosehip, Raspberry & Elderflower and, while predictably sold out at present, Manchester Tart. Pick up a bottle or pre-mixed can on the website below, or enter your postcode to find the nearest stockist.

Limited-run whisky independently-bottled right on our doorstep? Yes please. Along with producing some of the most exciting, sublime whisky you’ll try, Chorlton Whisky also host events and tastings that’d be a perfect gift for any whisky aficionado.

Set up by two brothers-in-law, Emerald Gin operates out of a garden shed distillery which they built themselves — a brilliant story in itself. The guys currently produce three different flavours, London Dry Gin, Pink Gin and for those wanting a little extra kick, 57% Navy Strength Gin.

After two mates spotted blackberries growing through the remains of a derelict pub, Ancoats Distillery came about via one of the more unlikely origin stories. Since then, the team have significantly bolstered their offering, and stock now ranges from classic and flavoured gins to craft vodka and honey rum.

From distilling gin 60l at a time in their living room, Seb and Jen have gone on to create one of the city’s most recognised drinks brands in Manchester Gin. These days, the pair have stacked up countless awards and recognition for their creations, and their Watson Street distillery, housed within the historic railway arches of Manchester Central, invites guests on an immersive journey through their process, from creation to tasting. For those who prefer to be a little more hands-off, the team also have their gorgeous-looking bar, Three Little Words, right next door.