I have a soft spot in my heart for Oscar’s. Whether it’s a night out with the girls, or just a night out to let off steam – there is nothing like singing show tunes at the top of your voice, with a bunch of people you don’t know, all fuelled by a G&T or two.
It’s a place that just makes you feel good – no matter how bad your singing voice.
And until recently, their house pour was the locally produced Greenall’s Gin. But all that’s changed – because Oscar’s has just become the first bar in Manchester to use Spanish gin Larios as it’s go-to gin.
Larios is as ubiquitous in Spain as Gordon’s or Bombay Sapphire is in the UK, with one big difference – Larios isn’t a juniper heavy gin, making it much more accessible for new gin drinkers. In fact if you’ve ever had a blue G&T by the poolside, or at a bar in Spain, chances are it’s Larios gin matched to Nordic Blue tonic.
In making this move, Oscar’s hope to not only remind you of holidays in Spain – bringing a little bit of much needed sunshine in a glass to the city, but also to help to open up gin to more drinkers – a juniper heavy gin can feel a little off-putting to drinkers more used to a vodka based drink in their glass.
With it’s softer, more citrussy base, Larios tones down the perfumed pine notes of juniper, and paired with a gentle tonic like Fever-Tree, or even a little ginger beer can open up gin to a new audience. Having run tastings, I’ve seen it myself.
I’ve said before, gin is like relationships – it’s all about finding the right one.
And it’s not just the Larios 12 they’re bringing to Canal Street, but their London Dry which is a little heavier in juniper, and coming soon, their strawberry gin – one of only 4 I’m aware of in the UK (including Portas des Indias which will be reviewed this week).
So there’s a little something for everybody.
They’ve also renamed all their serves, making them all musical relevant. So if you need me, I’ll be at the bar with an Evita in my hand, singing really rather badly.
