Newcastle to welcome Hotel Gotham's Fire bar

Next month will see the arrival of Hotel Gotham in Newcastle, with the hospitality outfit launching a brand-new bar within the site.

The business, owned by Bespoke Hotels, says that Fire promises "boundary-pushing mixology and creative flair to ignite the heat on Newcastle’s nightlife".

Leading the bar is newly appointed bar manager Zach Rigney (pictured), who previously ran the bar at Pepo, an experimental cocktail bar known for its sustainability-led, fruit-forward concept, and El Guapo, famed for the largest margarita menu in the world. 

"Newcastle is home," says Rigney. "I’ve always believed it deserves a bar scene that competes with London, Manchester and beyond. Fire will be a place of energy, playfulness and indulgence – a bar where the service is exceptional, the lights are low and the cocktails are just a little bit mischievous."

Drink it in

At Fire, guests can choose from clarified cosmos to smoke-laced cocktails. Expect edible garnishes, fruit gels, foams and fizz – all designed to ignite the senses and spark conversation. Cocktails include Cigars After Sex, unveiled under a bell jar of swirling smoke, and 69 Pilgrim Street, a tribute to the bar’s location and "mischievous spirit".

Rigney is also bringing sustainability to the forefront of the hotel's cocktail culture, with a strong emphasis on partnering with brands that share the hotel’s commitment to responsible practices. 

Furthermore, in collaboration with the hotel’s executive head chef David Kennedy, the bar will repurpose citrus rinds into salts and dehydrate leftover raspberries into garnishes. Menus are made from repurposed fire hoses, in a nod to the building’s history.

"Fire is everything we imagined and more – a celebration of creativity, rebellion and pure glamour," adds Chris Thompson, general manager at Hotel Gotham. "Zach’s vision pushes the boundaries of what a bar in Newcastle can be. We’re not just opening a venue, we’re setting the city alight with something truly special."

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