Northern Restaurant & Bar takes place in Manchester next week and there is a superb selection of exhibitors to visit.
A couple of weeks ago we looked at the line-up of talks that are going to be taking place during the two days of the show (17th – 18th March). There is more to Northern Restaurant & Bar (NRB) than just a whole lot of learning and entertaining however and you will need something to whet your whistle in between sessions. 
The show as a whole houses over 270 exhibitors covering everything in hospitality however there are a couple of dedicated areas we have our eyes on.
Spirit Room
Home to dozens of spirit and liqueur brands the Spirit Room is going to be the refuge of all bar professionals during the show. There is plenty there for everyone and below are a few that caught our eye.
The Irishman – As the first day of the show falls on St Patrick’s Day you’ll be after some Irish loving and The Irishman Irish Whisky have you covered. The company specialises in authentic Irish pot still and malt whiskeys and is based in the heart of Ireland’s barley-growing and malting region, County Carlow.
Rum DeSilver – We must admit we haven’t tried Rum De Silver but with the claim of being the 1st Premium spiced white rum it’s got to worth a go. It’s an agricole style rum with the spices being added during a second distillation.
Raisthorpe Manor – NRB always attracts some great local producers and this is the case in the form of Raisthorpe Manor. Based in the Yorkshire Wolds they produce a wide range of fruit-based liqueurs, including sloe gin, raspberry gin, damson port and fruit vodkas.
Masons Yorkshire Gin – It won’t surprise anyone to see a local gin taking part, and in Masons it is also a new product to the market. Although it was launched in 2013 it wasn’t until last year that they acquired their own still. The botanical mix includes almond oil, schezuan pepper and bay leaf alongside some more traditional flavours.
R. Delisle Cognac – Something from a little further afield comes in the form of a range of Cognacs made by sixth generation winemaker and distiller Alexis Cabanne. The house produces a full range from VS and VSOP, including a number of different XO and vintage Cognac with Grande Champagne xo Club Cigare being very well regarded.
There are plenty more options in the Spirit Room and you can see the full list of exhibitors here
Craft Beer Quarter
You don’t need us to tell you just how big craft beer has become in the past few years and at NRB you can try a selection of some of the most interesting out there.
Harviestoun Brewery – Harviestoun have consistently been one of the most experimental breweries in the country. We are big fans of the Bitter & Twisted beer they produce however it is the Ola Dubh range aged in various Highland Park Whisky barrels which must be tried.
Tatton Brewery – Based in Cheshire the Tatton Brewery produces four regular beers as well as seasonal specialities. The unique local Cheshire yeast strain they use is what sets their beers apart from the competition.
Liverpool Craft Beer Co – Liverpool is home of plenty of great bars and it also has a little known brewery. Started before craft breweries were ‘cool’ back in 2010 on a shoestring budget we are big fans of the way they speak about what they do ‘We don’t believe in making a fanfare about our beer, but rather let it do the talking. We believe in just keeping busy brewing good beer, everything else will look after itself.’
Cloudwater Brew Co – At the other end of the spectrum are the Cloudwater guys. Who are currently finishing off a modern brewery that will be the largest capacity start up in the north of the UK in recent times. They’ll be on hand to tell you all about their plans and let you try some of the brews they have created so far.
So as you can see there are plenty of reasons to visit Northern Restaurant & Bar this year and the best bit is entry is free to all bar trade professionals. Simply head here and fill in a registration form.