There are so many great activities to keep us entertained in Manchester, but often if you take away the alcohol, there’s not always much to them. With the success of Love From, it seems there’s a hankering for alcohol-free options, and now Hinterland, a new alcohol-free bar, has open in the basement of the Manchester Buddhist Centre in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
The exposed brick walls and wooden beams hint at the building’s rich history as a Victorian warehouse on Turner Street, and is now certainly home to something the Northern Quarter has never seen before.
Stephen Jeffreys, one of Hinterland’s co-founders, said before the opening: “Hinterland is about creating a space where people can develop meaningful friendships and have deep conversations without the need for booze”.
Stephen gave up drinking five years ago after a difficult battle with alcohol addiction. He explained: “Like so many people, drinking started out as a way to see my friends, but soon after that, it became the only way I would hang out with my friends. My social life became centred around drinking, and this made it very hard for me to realise that I had a problem with alcohol.
“When I later on started struggling with depression and anxiety, I would resort to alcohol as an escape from these difficult emotions. Because alcohol was so socially accepted and ubiquitous, I didn’t realise how problematic my behaviour would end up being.”
“Going through recovery was an isolating experience for me, as nearly every social activity would be centred around drinking, and this would end up being too triggering,” Stephen continued. “Now, after five years sober, I hope to offer a space for people to socialise, creating meaningful friendships without it being focused on alcohol.”
However, Stephen insists that Hinterland isn’t just for those with a problematic relationship with alcohol, explaining that “there are lots of people who wish they could have a space to hang out with friends on a Friday night without having to get wasted”, with Hinterland being there for all of those people.
One way the Hinterland space will help visitors to make meaningful connections is through Conscious Connection Cards. These small cards will be on tables in the bar, with thought-provoking questions such as “How would your younger self feel towards you as you are now?“, and “What is one thing you’d be doing if you had no fear of being judged?“
Hinterland bar is now open to the public and welcomes anyone who is sober, sober-curious, or just looking for alcohol-free fun, regardless of their reasons for skipping the booze. The space is open Tuesday−Saturday from 11am−11pm, and Sundays from 11am−5pm.
📍 Hinterland is located in the basement of Manchester Buddhist Centre, 16-20 Turner St, Manchester M4 1DZ.