Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Experience Manchester: Make Cocktails

Four cocktails you make yourself, a cast of actors, an orange jumpsuit, and a prison cell backdrop

Alcotraz is an immersive theatrical cocktail experience in Manchester where you arrive as a new inmate, smuggle in your own base spirit, and work with actor bartenders to craft four personalized cocktails using liqueurs, bitters, syrups and purees. The experience runs roughly two hours and includes the full theatrical setting, costume, and photo opportunities inside the venue. Minimum age is 18.

The experience

You arrive in an orange prison jumpsuit and step into a working prison set with real metallic cells. The premise is yours to shape: either bring your own gin, rum, whisky or another base spirit to smuggle in, or work with Inmate Cassidy and the Guards who have their own system for hiding contraband. Either way, the Warden is watching, and that tension runs through the whole experience.

The actor bartenders behind the bars take what you've brought (or what the Guards provide) and build four cocktails tailored to your taste. They combine your base spirit with house-made liqueurs, bitters, syrups and purees, riffing between contemporary and classic styles. You're not ordering from a menu. You're collaborating on something bespoke, and the creativity is yours to push as far as you want. The theatrical cast keeps the storyline moving around you, so you're not just drinking. You're part of the scene.

The whole thing is built for photos. The orange jumpsuit, the cells, the bar setup. It's all designed to look like a film set because it is one, created by the team behind Avora and Moonshine Saloon. Expect to spend the roughly two hours moving between the bar, the cells, and the photo moments that make the experience stick.

What’s included

• Immersive theatre show with a cast of actors.
• four personalized cocktails you make with the bartenders.
• all cocktail ingredients including liqueurs, bitters, homemade syrups and purees.
• orange prison jumpsuit and full theatrical costume.
• access to the prison set with real metallic cells.
• photo opportunities throughout the venue.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDepartures at 12:00, 14:15, 19:05 and 21:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Alcotraz Manchester: Cell Block Three-Four

Is this one for you?You're making the cocktails in an orange jumpsuit inside a real metallic cell: actor bartenders and a film-set backdrop turn a night out into something you'll photograph and retell for months.

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Top questions

Do I have to bring my own alcohol to make cocktails at Alcotraz Manchester?

Bringing your own base spirit like gin, rum or whisky is optional. If you don't bring one, Inmate Cassidy and the Guards have their own system for providing contraband, so you'll still make four cocktails either way.

What exactly do I make at Alcotraz, and do the bartenders help?

You make four personalized cocktails with the actor bartenders working behind the bars. They combine your base spirit with house-made liqueurs, bitters, syrups and purees, building drinks tailored to your taste and creativity. It's a collaboration, not a solo effort.

How long does the Alcotraz experience take?

The experience runs roughly two hours, which includes your arrival in costume, the theatrical setting, making your four cocktails, interacting with the cast, and taking photos throughout the venue.

What's included in the ticket, and is there anything I need to buy separately?

Your ticket includes the immersive theatre show, all ingredients for your cocktails (liqueurs, bitters, syrups, purees), your orange prison jumpsuit, and access to the full set. If you want to bring your own base spirit, that's your choice. Otherwise the venue provides one.

Is Alcotraz accessible if I use a wheelchair or have mobility needs?

Yes, Alcotraz is fully wheelchair accessible. All areas and surfaces are accessible, and service animals are welcome. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them.

What's the minimum age to attend Alcotraz?

You must be at least 18 years old to enter Alcotraz Manchester.