A family business has brought a little piece of Manchester in to the heart of Millom in the form of an upmarket cocktail bar so lifestyle reporter GABRIELLE ROWLEY and Millom reporter HOLLY HARRISON went along to find out more.
The Clocktower Restaurant and Bar is now open and ready for business and owner Christine Lovell has reported that during its first weekend the cocktail bar that makes up the ground floor of the building was heaving. She said: "It is a family-run business, I am a share holder with my son and daughter and we wanted the cocktail bar to appeal to people of all age groups.
"My son-in-law David Gandy has worked in big cities and wanted to give the bar more of an urban feel, but I also asked my grandchildren who are in their late teens for their input too.
"During the day we have started serving 'winter warmers' as well which have gone down a storm with people in Millom. I don't think there was anything like it around before. Things like hot pot and chilli con carne are perfect for this time of the year."
Following the traditional Millom theme of the Ironworks, the cocktail bar has some original photographs of the town when it was at its industrial peak.
The exposed red brick walls within the bar are bang up to date with bars like The Alchemist in Manchester and Leeds and the wall of spirits, fizz and wine alongside a blackboard boasting a great selection of cocktails make the bar very cosmopolitan indeed.
Mrs Lovell, who is a former Millom mayor, said: "The clock that is currently being fitted in the tower will be complete by New Year's Eve and I hope that the old tradition of gathering at the clock tower to ring in each new year will return once again."
The £15,000 restoration of the clock has been paid for by generous donations for the people of Millom. Mrs Lovell said: "We have had some people giving incredibly generous amounts of money and some people just giving any sum they could afford but that clock has been paid for by all of us. Everybody who contributed has helped get the new clock for Millom and I hope when people walk past it they feel a special pride that they helped to make it possible."
If you are a cocktail lover then there will be plenty of names you recognise on the Millom Clocktower's cocktail menu. From Raspberry Mojitos to Pornstar Martinis the bar's mixologist can do them all. During our visit we made two festive favourites, the Coconut Snowball and the Cinderella. Mrs Lovell said: "So far my favourite has been the Long Island Ice Tea, but apparently that is the one with the most alcohol in it!
"I really hope this bar encourages people to come and go on a night out in Millom. It will mean that people in Millom don't have to go through to Barrow to find a good cocktail and hopefully people from Barrow and Ulverston will pop up to try the cocktails themselves."
The Clocktower Bar's festive cocktail recipes
The Coconut Snowball
25ml Malibu white rum
25ml Licor 43
1/4 part Blue Curaco
Healthy measure coconut cream
*Garnish with honey and desiccated coconut on the rim of the glass
The Cinderella Mocktail
100ml pure pineapple juice
100ml fresh orange juice
ice crush in blender
25ml grenadine
*Garnish glass with raspberries and sugar
READ MORE:
Ice and easy! Make our Melted Snowmen biscuits with your little ones
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