Take a quick waltz down Thomas Street and you’re almost certain to notice a brand-new look to one of its most well-known venues. Cane & Grain has had a facelift – featuring a HUGE mural by Hammo and a lovely new terrace out front.
It’s not just the building itself that’s had a spruce up though – they’ve also created a brand new COCKTAIL MENU to go with the new look – and they’ve even scaled down their food offering so that they can concentrate on serving up the very best ribs that money can buy.
Cane & Grain’s cocktail game has always been strong, and this new selection of tipples continues this trend. There are a couple of proper beauties on here, and although I didn’t get to try ALL of them – I did give it a bloody good go!
Shaun of the Dead
One of the stand outs for me was the ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (£9) a pint (!) of gin heaven that a certain patron of many of Thomas Street’s boozers will undoubtedly enjoy thoroughly.
It’s stacked with Portobello Road Gin, Sloe Gin, Passionfruit, Grapefruit, Apple & Lemon and finished with Pimm’s & Lemonade.
It’s also available in a MASSIVE STEIN for £16 – which will surely get you nice and fuzzy out on the terrace on a sunny afternoon.
Campino Americano
Also a winner is the Campino Americano (£8.50) which is laced with Black Cow Strawberry Vodka, rosa vermouth and a proper childhood classic – American Cream Soda – and tastes just like those little Strawberry and Yogurt Campino sweets that were all the rage back in the late 90s.
The one cocktail that I didn’t get a chance to try, and will be top of the list when I next go back is the Jerk It Out (£8.50), a kind of cocktail version of jerk chicken, with Jamaican Rum, lime, pineapple, chilli, thyme and liquid smoke. Sounds right up my street that one!
There’s another 10 cocktails on the menu to try out, ones made with Manchester’s Diablesse Spiced Rum, a super-strong Mellow Corn one and even a take on the Espresso Martini – ‘Russian Interference‘ with vodka, coffee liqueur and Guinness!
Of course, all of these can be enjoyed alongside some cracking grub at Cane & Grain, and as I said earlier, their menu has been ‘Gordon Ramsey’ed’ and reduced so that they can concentrate on doing a few things brilliantly.
Beef Short Rib – look at that!
Their ribs are still the best you’ll find in the city centre – especially that Beef Short Rib (£11 for 1, £30 for 3) – which is absolutely superb every single time.
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