Where to go when you've ticked the Good Beer Guide Pubs?
The quarterly trip to Manchester. The classic pubs have been blogged, visited and in many cases, revisited. My Google Maps is still full of "Want to Go" recommendations, satisfying my need for new experience, in a perpetual quest for life's vibrant tapestry.
The 37 bus from Swinton drops us off adjacent to one of Google's Green Icons. Mulligan's, a little bit of Ireland in Manchester.
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| Mulligans of Deansgate |
12:10pm, so its only been open for 10 minutes, yet the Guinness is lined in rows on the bar, ready for the final stage of "The Build". Small tables, so tightly packed that conversation can only be encouraged. Piped in Fiddley-de-dee music. Flags from Irish counties nailed to the ceiling. A framed Roy Keane number 16 Man Utd shirt.
Authenticity running to the prices, where a pint of the Black Stuff is an eye-watering £6.70. At least down Dublin's Temple Bar, these high digits are in Euros.
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| Stop starting, I know a Temple Bar Pint is more than 7 Euros |
Best part of a tenner for a pint and a coke stung a little. Maybe this is what happens when you let accountants buy pubs.
The quest for value moves on to The Old Nag's Head. An exterior that belies a fine interior, with walls adorned by a million framed photographs and a ceiling that celebrates Manchester's musical heritage, in all its glory. The great and good sharing space with the New Fast Automatic Daffodils. A band that could be classed with the great and good, if more people remembered them.
Once drinks are ordered, we settle down at the far end of the ground floor to take in the vista. It's so distinctive, I am sure my North West Twitter followers will be able to respond to a rare game of "Guess the Pub", even for one that is beyond the reach of my usual GBG ticking.
This week's "Guess the North West pub?" pic.twitter.com/Bbc2kQT310
— Mappiman (@Mappiman1) August 12, 2023
Three correct answers and two comments making the fully valid observation of "when is a pint not a pint?".
We've not got time to ask if they could fit a whisky in there, as we are booked for alternative spirits. A tour of the Spirit of Manchester - a gin distillery, where you have six (and I stress very small) snifters of Gin, Vodka, Rum and Absinthe - whilst a young fella tells you all he knows about copper vats. In and out in 45 minutes, with a warm internal glow and the feeling that Absinthe needs to be protected in the same way as Stilton and Melton Mowbray pork pies. Surely "Protected Geographical Indication" plays a part. When I think of the green loopy juice, I think of Swiss mountains and lakes - not railway arches in a former Industrial powerhouse.
Disorder is the next bar - a lengthy walk to the edge of the Northern Quarter. Note to future self - never take the Arndale Centre as a short cut. Don't tell Mrs M, but we were further away from our destination on the eventual exit.
In a rare example of planning - I actually put notes into the "Want to Go" flag in Google. Its not much but an "Ian Curtis Mural" is enough reason for me to frog march Mrs M for a mile through the rain.
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| Disorder |
It's a comfy enough bar - with two Vacation cask and multiple kegs, including the Doom Bar of the Craft Beer Scene - Deya's Steady Rolling Man. I'll take away two fond memories - wonderful red Chesterfields (the king of pub seating, even in edgy craft bars) and a sound track that made me suspect where my stolen iPod eventually ended up.
The kids turn up - Millennials - who have recommendations for tea. Where as we Gen X'ers would choose a restaurant, they pick a place with a runway. The Firehouse hosts fashion raves on a Wednesday and "Werk" on a Friday. Werk - Ghetto fabulous, resident dance full force. I'm reading from their website but for an authentic Mappiman restaurant review - you can have any meat you want as long as its chicken and the potatoes (not chips) are a tenner.
But we dined amongst "influencers". Someone from Love Island, live instragramming so we could look on our phones at what we were experiencing. They may have had a sausage dog, but then again, I had been on the absinthe, so don't take this as gospel.
New experiences - summer truffle mayonnaise and my first negroni.
The blog may take a subtle future change of direction next week.... the clever money is on a review of the new katsu curry at 'Spoons.
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