IT has been on the agenda ever since the company was conceived, but it has finally happened. London cocktail group Be At One finally have a residency in Manchester and if you are a cocktail lover, Quays News may have found your second home. Nathan Salt took some of the team down to last night’s launch party to check it out…
Cocktails are big business in Manchester. The scene is thriving already, which places even more pressure on new openings to wow the savvy clientele with everything from the drinks to the atmosphere and décor.
The focus of the bar is on the cocktails. No food in sight but spreading yourself too thin often deducts quality. With over 160 cocktails on offer the Be At One creators know what they are doing and they certainly deliver a sophisticated, high-end, classy cocktail experience in a secluded spot beneath Manchester’s Barton Arcade, just off Deansgate.
https://twitter.com/hhhcahill/status/712924210260221952
The low-lit décor is chic and screams London sophistication. Secluded booths and high seater tables surround the two bars inside the venue, ensuring there is plenty of space on busy evenings for both standing and seated guests.
Another welcome element to the bar is its smart lighting. Bar staff can dictate the colour of such LED lighting depending on the mood – maybe the music has switched to a romantic, more sombre track and thus a love-struck red could emerge.
What was particularly striking last night was the knowledge of the staff as orders were being hurled their way at a ferocious pace. Speaking to a number of them over the course of the evening they spoke of their rigorous eight to nine week training programme to get them up to speed with what the business owners expect.
That training costs the company £5,000 per staff member but, interestingly, when they sell 1,500 Porn Star Martinis across the 30 branches every day (that estimates at five million a year), well trained staff majorly enhances the experience.
As the Quays News team received their unlimited drinks wristband it felt appropriate to taste some of the selections. Upon opening the menu, customers are greeted with a colour wheel that makes cocktail selections even easier for those, like me, who never know what they want.
The new @BeAtOne_Mcr offers 150 cocktails – that's a whole lotta spirits… pic.twitter.com/dvhhjYLQY0
— Richard Frost (@richardfrosty) March 23, 2016
The wheel breaks it down to first, the taste: sweet, sour, bitter, strong, amongst others. The second ring deals with the spirit of choice with rum, whiskey, vodka, gin some of the company’s standouts. Once a customer reaches the outer space of the wheel it has listed the drinks your taste buds desire based on the previous answers given.
Be At One is far from slap-dash; the experience is about more than just a cocktail at this bar and that is partly why it’s a welcome addition to the scene.
There are very few hidden surprises with Be At One. It appears a high-end cocktail bar and, in our opinion, it is precisely that. For a student on a budget this may be a venue best saved for special occasions but if cocktails are your go-to drink then it is hard to argue that Be At One serves some of the best in the city.
By Nathan Salt
@NathSalt1
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