Hinterland

Hinterland opened its doors on 18 June 2024 as Manchester's first and only permanent, purpose-built alcohol-free bar and café — a not-for-profit community interest company rather than a commercial venture. It was founded by Stephen Jeffreys, who after years of alcohol addiction and several years sober wanted a social space that did not revolve around drinking ("Going through recovery was an isolating experience for me, as nearly every social activity would be centred around drinking"), together with friends from the Manchester Buddhist Centre including Hatthaka Sanghadhara. The bar occupies the basement beneath the Buddhist Centre on Turner Street, in the heart of the Northern Quarter.

The space is a calm, low-lit retreat done out in rich dark greens and warm wood tones — deliberately unlike the noisy high-street bar scene, yet still recognisably a bar. It is dog-friendly, takes no reservations, and doubles as an event space: the weekly programme runs from live music and spoken word to guest poets, workshops and sober socials, welcoming anyone sober, sober-curious or simply after a night out without alcohol.

Because Hinterland is entirely alcohol-free, everything behind the bar is zero-proof. The cocktail list runs to eight house drinks, among them the NoGroni — an alcohol-free take on the 1919 Negroni, short and bittersweet — and The Accountant Martini, built on Lyre's White Cane with passion fruit, lime and a hint of vanilla. Beyond cocktails there is a proper bank of no- and low-alcohol beers, wines and ciders, plus kombucha, speciality teas, coffee and hot chocolate. Food comes from the Wholesome Junkies vegan pop-up kitchen — burgers, loaded fries, tots, ramen, crunchy mushroom 'chicken' and corn ribs — making it a genuine all-day café as well as an evening bar.