Secret speakeasy under the former ITV Granada site launches cool new way to make cocktails - and I went along to see....

Never had I felt so glad to enter a dimly lit, cool and calm underground drinking den than I did on an impossibly hot and sticky summer night in Manchester.

I was headed underneath the old cobbles of Coronation Street, on the former Granada Studios site, to enjoy an Old Fashioned - a classic whiskey based cocktail - made for me table-side by bartenders at the launch of their new drinks trolley.

I felt a bit like Alice, falling down a rabbit hole, as I suddenly left the heat and noise of the city behind in one fell swoop and entered the subterranean bar Project Halcyon - but while I hadn’t had to drink a special potion to get there - I was looking forward to drinking one, once inside.

Project Halcyon, a prohibition style cocktail bar, with an illicit and opulent charm, is based in the heart of Manchester, and offers immersive masterclass sessions distilling spirits as well as spirit tastings and cocktail masterclasses.

The speakeasy – which is connected to the working distillery for Manchester gin makers Zymogorium - is one of the city’s best kept secrets, located beneath Old Granada Studios, where ITV soap Coronation Street was filmed.

Now, Buffalo Trace Distillery, has joined forces with Project Halcyon, the hidden gem of Manchester’s cocktail scene, to introduce The Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned Trolley which launched on June 16 - and I was invited along to see the classic cocktail crafted and to witness a new way of presenting it.

Attentive and knowledgeable bar tenders gave us all a run down on what the bourbon was made of and the origin of the name and history of the drink while making it with a lot of flair and finesse on the new trolley.

I was also given a demonstration of its built-in smoker, which replicates the distinctive water tower found at the Kentucky distillery and is said to add an extra layer of complexity and flavour to the classic Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned.

“The team here at Project Halcyon are unbelievably excited to unveil our Old Fashioned trolley in partnership with Buffalo Trace.“ said Adam Taylor, General Manager of Project Halcyon. “We’ve always respected their rich history and incredible liquid.

“Project Halcyon very much echo’s Buffalo Trace’s motto of honour tradition, embrace change. We feel very honoured to be able to bring such a unique offering to our guests, we pride ourselves on offering experiences that are unavailable anywhere else in Manchester and this just adds to that level of distinctive experience.”

Project Halcyon won the Best New Bar award in March this year– voted for by a community of 17,000 hospitality staff at the Manchester Bar Awards (MBAs).

The bar is home to a laboratory where the team uses chemistry equipment to create all the diverse ingredients to go into their cocktails. There is a self-playing grand piano, a rare collection of expensive spirits, and some seriously stunning tile work - making it a welcome refuge on a sticky summer night.

A cocktail and whiskey lovers wonderland.