Mr Pink Gorilla eyes up the party scene as spring finally drops in Leeds

If we know one thing about Pink Gorilla PR Jordan Odu, it’s that he doesn’t need an excuse to party (it is part of his job after all). We caught up with him as he was getting psyched for some well-deserved off-duty shindigs, and he also let us in on some exclusive news about what you can expect in Leeds over the coming weeks. Take it away Mr Odu.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy over at Pink Gorilla towers but believe me when I say it’s gonna be worth it people.

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Plans for The Summer Cocktail Experience Week are well underway, and we now have 22 of the city’s hottest bars signed up, ready to deliver some truly unique cocktail-centric experiences between May 21 and 27.

Each venue will host an exclusive experience within the confines of their own bar, allowing them to shine in their natural habitat and wow the punters with something that’s truly authentic.

So, here’s a little rundown. Manahatta are allowing guests to mix their own Prosecco cocktails at their table whilst they tuck into a food platter, Blackhouse are pairing a Smokey Old Fashioned with a 1kg Tomahawk sharing steak for two and The Alchemist will be taking us back to one of my favourite childhood shows ‘Saved By The Bell’ with a 90’s themed brunch. Over at Revs de Cuba, they’ve put together a Spirit of Adventure tapas and Mojito pairing flight, whilst Vice & Virtue have gone posh with an incredible array of fine-dining dishes, Champagne and cocktail pairings.

Fruity fun from Pintura Kitchen.

The creativity that’s gone into each event and experience has blown me away, and I’m confident even the most discerning of cocktail drinkers and foodies in Leeds will agree.

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Meanwhile, away from work I have managed to find a bit of ‘me time’ and in the process ended up signing up to a few big nights out that I simply couldn’t refuse. First up, I’m going to be doing a rewind tomorrow for the UK Garage Brunch at Canal Mills.

I don’t know who came up with the idea of combining bottomless fried chicken, rum punch, fancy dress and old-school garage from the like of the Artful Dodger, but I’m all over it like Craig David circa 2000.

Speaking of raves from back in the day, one of the best nights I had in Leeds last year was at The Symphonic Sounds of Back to Basics in Millennium Square. The dance anthems came thick and fast all night long, and the live orchestra and killer vocals were off the hook – I was so proud of my pal Dave Beer for pulling off such an epic party.

Summer evenings with Orchestra of Opera North.

The Basics crew have really upped their game for this year’s event and have assembled a line-up packed with house legends. Robin S, Alison Limerick, Utah Saints and Rachel McFarlane will all be there on Friday July 27 dropping big tunes along with the Orchestra of Opera North, and I’ll be there dropping some shapes.

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Moving closer to home, I’m loving the new Alley Cats café-bar which recently opened on Harrogate Road in Chapel Allerton, even though it’s playing havoc with my gym and healthy eating regime. It’s a seriously cool new spot, and both the menu and the venue itself inspired by everything Americana.

They’ve got a ton of 90’s gaming consoles in store so you can dive into a bit of Mario Kart or Donkey Kong whilst you wait for your Chicken Parmo to be cooked up and the signature Cat Frappe cocktail to be poured (it’s next level tasty). This place is seriously worth a trip whether you’re in the area or even live further afield.

That’s all for now but I’ll hopefully see you on the dancefloor or enjoying the amazing cocktail experiences across Leeds.

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