Beermoth have been at the forefront of Manchester’s craft beer boom since they began trading in 2013. Their Tib Street store has become a mecca for beer lovers as a result of their extensive range, enthusiastic staff and regular tasting events. But soon the team will have the chance to serve up draft beer alongside bottles at their new café and bar, Café Beermoth. Time Out Manchester spoke to co-owner Scott about the plans for the new site and took a sneak peek behind the scenes.
Located in a large commercial building on Spring Gardens, it may not seem the obvious spot for a craft beer bar, but Beermoth are keen to make it their own.
‘Although a lot of people work in this area, it’s been a bit neglected beer-wise,’ says Scott, one of Beermoth’s three co-owners (the others are Jeremy and Simon). ‘We’re expecting to cater for city workers and tourists alongside beer fans.’
But Scott is keen to stress although there’s a huge focus on craft beer, they’ll also be offering something different. They’ve drawn inspiration from European café bars where you can pop in for a coffee and a snack during the day with beer served later on, so they’ll be open from 8am for hot drinks which will also be available for take away before serving beer from 12pm.
‘We’re not just beer geeks, we love coffee too and there’s no indie coffee places around here,’ he adds.
The venue will be dominated by the long bar, which will feature seven handpumps and ten keg beer line – so alongside Belgian tripels and other European styles they’ll be serving local cask beers. The cellar behind the bar will be made into a feature as you’ll be able to see inside while you’re at the bar. Two fridges will feature bottled beers, one of which will change on a regular basis with the other reserved for beers that suit aging such as stouts. If you’re feeling peckish, charcuterie and cheese plates will also be available.
They’re keeping the look of Café Beermoth simple. ‘We’re going for comfort while you drink,’ says Scott. ‘We’ll have some booths and plenty of comfortable furniture, and the décor will feature a lot of wood – quite a simple, neutral theme complemented with some vintage fittings.’
The venture’s been a long time in the planning - they first looked at the unit a year ago - but they’re expecting to have their doors open at the start of December.
See Time Out's guide to Manchester's best craft beer bars.