Four cocktail venues in Manchester have been shortlisted at a prestigious award ceremony recognising the best of the best when it comes to bartenders and bars.
The Class Bar Awards 2023, which will take place in London towards the end of May, are held by bar industry magazine Class honouring the best bars in the country.
This year’s shortlist of awards recognise the likes of Schofield’s, in the Northern Quarter, and Sterling, in the Stock Exchange, with four of the five nominees for Best Bar in the North all hailing from Manchester.
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Cocktail bar Schofield’s, based on Little Quay Street, is nominated for Best Bar in the North, whilst bartender Rachel Orange is nominated for Bartender of the Year. The bar’s owners Joe and Daniel Schofield are also shortlisted for Bar Innovator of the Year.
Sterling, located underneath the Stock Exchange Hotel on Norfolk Street, has also been nominated for Best Bar in the North, as well as New Bar of the Year and Bar Food Menu of the Year.
The luxurious bar, which pays homage to the roaring 20s, features signature classic cocktails, such as a brandy crusta or a Martinez, alongside a bar snack menu curated by the Schofield's and Stock Market Grill, alongside Joshua Reed-Cooper.
Blinker, located on Spring Gardens, has been nominated for New Bar of the Year and Best Bar in the North. The venue, which opened last year, features a dedicated martini menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients and has already been recognised in Franklin & Sons’ annual Top 50 cocktail bars in the country list.
Innovative cocktail bar Speak in Code, on Jackson’s Row, is the fourth Manchester bar to be shortlisted for Best Bar in the North, which also sees Tabula Rasa in Leeds vying for the prize.
The venue has been praised by the likes of Derren Brown and was recognised with tenth place on the UK’s Top 50 cocktail bars list.
The Class Bar Awards 2023 will be handed out at Battersea Arts Centre in London on May 23rd.
The majority of the awards are decided by an industry vote from a panel of 100 top bar experts from around the country.
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