Craft coffee and cocktail bar Roc & Rye gearing up for Manchester launch
Craft coffee and cocktail bar Roc & Rye will officially open its doors soon.
The yet-to-be-confirmed opening date for the outlet Spring Gardens, at the end of King Street is July 6.
Situated in a landmark Grade II-listed building, designed by Manchester town hall architect Alfred Waterhouse, the venue has ample room for up to 150 covers.
The new venue has taken inspiration from the architectural glories of the original 1880s interior, with authentic design features such as a reclaimed 1920s oak dance floor.
Roc & Rye is the first stand-alone bar from popular bartender Sean Finnegan – formerly of El Capo, Kosmonaut and Mash and Air – alongside partners Maritza Haydon and Matt Bonner.
The creative eaterie-cum-cocktail bar will give a distinct nod to Sean’s Irish descent through a brand advocacy partnership with leading premium spirits, wine and champagne supplier, Pernod Ricard UK, distributors of favourite brands such as Absolut, Beefeater, Malibu and the world’s most popular Irish whiskey, Jameson.
Bringing an authentic taste of Ireland to Manchester, the venue includes a specially designed on-site laboratory for drink preparation and development, as well as a centrepiece barrel of aged Jameson whiskey behind the bar. The latter provides whiskey-lovers with the opportunity to experience this coveted tipple straight from the barrel, as it was originally served in 1965.
Sean Finnegan, Roc & Rye Founder, said: “Putting whiskey at the heart of Roc & Rye, and specifically Jameson, seemed like a logical choice. We were lucky enough to meet with a fifthth generation Jameson Master Cooper and their vision of training a new generation of Coopers, distillers and blenders really captured our imagination due to our shared values of craft, skill and commitment to quality.
“We also really wanted to give Roc & Rye customers the experience of sampling undiscovered artisan food from the local area and we’re proud to be able to curate a diverse menu that gives regional producers a platform to really showcase home-grown speciality cuisine.”
The cocktail menu entitled ‘Hard Shakes and Heart Breaks’ has been given a romantically creative spin based on the five stages of a relationship: Infatuation, Tumult, Rediscovery, Devotion & Rapture.
Roc & Rye’s signature cocktail ‘Lost at Sea’ will combine Cooper’s Croze Jameson Whiskey, with avant-garde drink making techniques.
The intricate concoction features a cherry and grapefruit shrub, made by fermenting grapefruit and black Italian cherries with a sherry-based vinegar.
This is then blended with a classic cherry liqueur, smoky Mezcal and sweet vermouth. The cocktail will be barrel aged using staves from the Midleton Distillery in Cork (home of Jameson whiskey) and presented in a whiskey bottle embellished with a 3D printed ship from the Jameson coat of arms.
