Wonders of Whisky by The Liquorists

WHEN we created a whisky trail earlier this summer our aim was clear; to bunk the archaic perception of whisky as a pleasure only for pipe-smoking, top hat-wearing gentlefolk of the nineteenth century and bring it up to date.

You meet new people, have a laugh and perhaps discover a penchant for a new tipple you've not tried before.

Whisky is a delightful spirit accessible to all legal patrons of the twenty-first century and for a few Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout July, we proved just that.

We took groups of eager individuals on a six-stop tour of the city’s best eating and drinking establishments. The night started in the Northern Quarter at Apotheca on Thomas Street where we sampled our first dram, a Chivas Regal 18 year old, in very fitting surroundings. From there, we tasted our way through Manchester’s whisky-serving hot spots, including Socio Rehab, Epernay, Salford establishment, Corridor, and Obsidian.

Here we supped an award-winning cocktail creation ‘The Grape and the Grain’. The story goes that the two should never be mixed. Pish! We smashed red grapes, vanilla sugar, lemon juice, orange bitters, unoaked chardonnay and a big slug of Highland Park 18 year old. It was a revelation indeed.

In each bar we had straight slugs of vintage powerhouse whisky and whisky cocktails with names like Blood & Sand and Little Tart. The drinks were matched with some wonderful gastronomic offerings, such as baked pear wrapped in parma ham with balsamic and parmesan, and haggis, neeps and tatties.

It was an epic series of trails but with autumn drawing closer we’re moving on to our next instalment.

The next set Confidential Spirit and Cocktail Trails will take place this month and will focus on serving you the best vodka in town. From decadent to disco and back again, vodka is a well-travelled spirit which has got involved with every mixer and cocktail imaginable.

We’ve devised a trail that will tease out superlative examples of vodka and its variety of concoctions and we’d like you to join us.

The Vodka Trail includes five cocktails, five tasters, five food pairings and a delectable feast at the end to cap off the night. We'll transport you between well distanced bars to avoid any teetering treks across town. Tickets cost £35 (the food and drink is worth £127 in total).

So, whether you’re a spirit novice, a budding enthusiast or someone looking for a great gift for a friend or family member, trust us – the trails are a great experience. You meet new people, have a laugh and perhaps discover a penchant for a new tipple you've not tried before.

We know a lot about selected tipples and know what a truly special night out is. (Ask the Confidential bunch – we took a few of them on our rum-themed trail earlier this year and they had a marvellous night getting respectfully sozzled in some of the coolest places in town.)

If you like the sound of it, book on our Vodka Trail – they run throughout September but places are limited to 30 per trail, so you'd be wise to book in advance.