Whisky is Liquid Sunshine
With almost 50 bourbons available, Riddle asks if the 3am weekend license gives enough time to sample all on offer..?
Review and Photography by Andy Barnham
Another Manchester Northern Quarter establishment (see DiveNQ), Trof is a well-known and highly recommend destination for breakfast; according to Velvet Hotel the blueberry pancakes are a must and worth trekking across the city for. On this particular instance, Riddle skipped breakfast, preferring a liquid diet and timing it to perfection gate-crashed Trof’s ninth birthday….
The ground floor bar is cosy and on this particular evening had filled up quickly. Tables around the sides of the room offer seating with a high table located in the centre of proceedings for those either too late to find a seat or who just prefer to stand. With a quiz on a Tuesday and club nights featuring a live DJ for the rest of the week, Trof generates a great buzz, with the 3am Friday and Saturday late license for those who like to be fashionably late and while away time until the small hours. On tap are half a dozen or so local and European beers along with the house brand of Trof 4% lager. In addition to this are almost 40 more lagers, pale ales, pilsners, IPAs, stouts, wheat beers and ciders; any beer lover’s dream. Rounding off the drinks menu are a selection of wines and cocktails. Don’t worry if the list of a dozen cocktails isn’t to your taste; if you want something off piste just ask. Usually £7.50, the house cocktails drop to £5 during the daily 4pm- 8pm happy hour.
Upstairs is Trof’s bourbon mecca with over 50 bourbons and whiskies to try and enjoy. As Trof likes to claim, it may not be the biggest in Manchester, but it may be the best. Starting at just £3.40 for a pour, lovers of this American liquid gold can spend many an hour slowly making their way through Trof’s bourbon shelves and with the majority of the bourbons priced at £3/ £4 and even some rarer examples at £12 (the Hudson Baby Bourbon, Four Grain and Manhattan Rye) and £20 (Sazerac Rye 18 Year (Fall 2011)), this welcoming location won’t be breaking the bank. 
Enquiries: Trof Northern Quarter, 8 Thomas Street, Manchester M4 1EU / 01618 333197 / http://trofnq.co.uk/