Playlisting With... Manchester Gin: The Pre-Drinks Playlist

Following on from last months first 'Playlisting With...' feature, which saw northern beer merchants Manchester Union Lager sharing the top tracks on the breweries 'Tap Room Playlist', this week's playlist comes courtesy of yet another premium Manchester-based alcohol manufacturer - Manchester Gin. 

From humble beginnings, producing limited batches of award-winning gin out of a dining room in a house somewhere in the middle of Manchester, to taking their signature brand across the world, Manchester Gin founders Jen and Seb, and the entire Manchester Gin-making team, have come a long way since the forming of the business only five years ago.

Now crafting over one million bottles of gin a year out of their state-of-the-art Manchester city centre distillery, bar and soon-to-be restaurant, which occupies six historic railway arches just a stone's throw from Deansgate Train Station, the brand continues to expand, refining its own signature flavours and scooping up numerous awards as they go. 

Fancy sampling some of the brands' excellent gins? Manchester Gin is currently offering 'Stay Home' virtual tasting experiences ahead of the reopening of the bar. You can also take a tour of the acclaimed distillery as of this week, and make your own gin at a Gin-making Experience.

To check availability for these events and for bookings, head to their website www.manchestergin.co.uk.

Perfectly timed to coincide with the reopening of hospitality venues across the land earlier this week, the hard-working team behind the desirable tipple took some time out of their incredibly busy botanical boiling schedule, to produce their ideal 'Pre-Drinks Playlist'. Manchester Gin's Fiona King also managed to squeeze in a quick informal chat about live music, highlighting the events she and the team can't wait to attend and the secret to producing a quality playlist.

Crack open a bottle of Manchester Gin, crank up the volume and pump the tracks on this lively 'Pre-Drinks Playlist' whilst getting ready to head out on the town this weekend...

Name three records that have helped you get through the past twelve months?

Fiona: "'Melody of Love' by Hot Chip. They were the last band I saw live with my friends before the pandemic hit, it was such an amazing night. I play that song to re-live going out with friends! 'Kiss' by Prince, I just love Prince, and 'Never Come Back' by Caribou."

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Top things to consider when creating a quality playlist:

Fiona: "Finding tunes that will bring everyone together. The music can make or break a night. For us, it’s about finding amazing music to complement our drinks."

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What’s the one thing you miss most about live music?

Fiona: "Getting together with friends and having a good dance. There is nowhere better than Manchester for offering a variety of gigs and venues. There's always something to check out, no matter what type of night you fancy."

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First festival or live event you want to attend when all lockdown restrictions are lifted?:

Fiona: "Something outdoors in the sun. We love the Castlefield Bowl events, and we've got our fingers crossed for some good weather for when Hot Chip and New Order play at Heaton Park this September".

(Find tickets for New Order and Hot Chip live at Heaton Park, Manchester - here)

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Any local artists, venues, businesses or brands you’d like to give a shout out to?

Fiona: "Manchester is fiercely independent so all the businesses adapting, soldiering on and pushing towards a wonderful summer in an (occasionally) sunny city."

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Tell us about any exciting news, upcoming events or launches you have planned?

Fiona: "Our bar, 'Three Little Words', and our distillery are both reopening to the public on Thursday 20th May.

"We’re really proud of our new cocktail menu which is full of incredible drinks using leading spirits from our own distillery and around the world. The buzz of having people in the bar again over the past few weeks for training has got us all very excited.

"We’re also in the midst of launching our first rum, 'One-Eyed Rebel'. It’s a fiery spiced rum packed with vanilla and ginger, adorned with a feisty green parrot on the bottle. The reception so far has been amazing and we can’t wait to share it with customers when we’re back open. It’s totally different to anything we’ve done before so it’s been really fun to explore a new direction."

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All this talk of gin and rum got you thirsty? Head over to our Things To Do page and check out some of the fantastic drink and food festivals happening throughout 2021