BLACKLOCK BIRMINGHAM
A beautiful new home, a few surprises, and an April opening… Sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest updates from our Birmingham opening and for your exclusive invitation to our soft launch!
In a city where love is always in the air, we have a Valentine’s Day tipple to share with anyone who brightens your day
Behind the scenes at Blacklock Manchester, we wanted to capture that feeling in a glass through inviting bartenders to create duo of drinks that were romantic, bold, and unforgettable.
For those who haven’t met them yet, Manchester Gin is a craft distillery right in the heart of the city, renowned for small-batch gins packed with character, creativity, and local flavour. Every bottle tells a story, blending carefully sourced botanicals with traditional distilling techniques. From their classic Dry to seasonal experiments, Manchester Gin is a canvas for imaginative bartenders to create something memorable – and this Valentine’s, the possibilities were endless.
After an exciting final, Caitlyn captured the hearts of all the judges with her creations: Aphrodite’s Desire and Tempt Fate, a non-alcoholic companion. Inspired by Greek mythology, both cocktails told a story of love, desire, and temptation.
Both drinks entered into the competition, shared a beautifully similar taste profile, combining luscious cherry notes with a hint of chocolate, each sip evoking indulgence and delight. Caitlyn’s winning cocktail, Aphrodite’s Desire – Popped Your Cherry, is a boozy, chocolatey treat crafted with Manchester Gin, sweet vermouth, homemade vanilla syrup, chocolate bitters, sour cherry liqueur, and Crème de Cacao. Milk-washing to infuse the gin with coffee, provoking an utterly decadent a creamy mouthfeel. The glass is finished with freezer-fried cherry powder on the rim, adding a playful crunch to the flavours. (Allergies: milk, sulphites.)
Her alcohol-free counterpart, Tempt Fate, mirrors the same cherry-and-chocolate palette with a thoughtful blend of cherry syrup, the same homemade vanilla syrup, Three Spirits Social Elixir for cacao notes and a gentle buzz, season dark to mimic the bitter chocolate undertones, and coffee bean tea. A few drops of saline cut through the sweetness, while a dark chocolate cherry slab garnish gives a little extra magic—scientifically, it even triggers the same feeling as falling in love. (Allergies: milk, soya.)
These cocktails will be on the menu at Blacklock Manchester this weekend, ready to make Valentine’s Day a little sweeter for anyone lucky enough to try them.