Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In out

3 of the best urbeaches

InOut doesn’t usually go in for the modern portmanteau. But when it’s a conflation of three of our favourite things – in the case of ‘urbeach’ that’s cities, sand and artifice – we’ll make an exception

Text Tabitha Lasley

Manchester

Where
Sankeys Beach Club, Jersey Street, Ancoats

Say when
Promoter Greg states that as long as the sun is shining, they’ll be open until 29 September. Do bear in mind that this is Manchester, though.

Need to know
This is the urbeach as imagined by Sankeys – or Sankeys Soap as it used to be known. So visitors should expect the same come-one-come-all eclecticism that’s put Sankeys up there with legendary Liverpool club Voodoo, as well as 50 tonnes of sand, a cinema and – this being the north-west of England – plenty of under-dressed girls.

www.sankeys.info

Hamburg

Where
There are four beaches – Strand Pauli, Lago Bay, Hamburg City Beach Club and Hamburg del Mar – perched around the harbour.

Say when
Until 1 September, but with a possible stay of execution if the weather’s good.

Need to know
The four beach clubs run the gamut from rustic to refined, and each comes with its own special features – think swimming pools, sunbeds with a view of the Elbe or beach volleyball.

www.hamburg-tourism.de

Antwerp

Where
Bar Solar, 150 Rijnkaai.

Say when
Throughout July and August.

Need to know
Not an urbeach in the strictest sense of the word, more a stretch of sandy shoreline squeezed onto the rooftop of a nightclub (a ‘clurbeach’, perhaps?) complete with deckchairs, a Jacuzzi and barbecue. So new that as we go to press, it’s yet to launch. Doors open on 1 July.

www.barsolar.be

Cocktail corner

Frangelico

Ignore the spoilsports who say people only buy Frangelico because it comes in a fun, Friar-shaped bottle. The bottle is obviously a point in its favour, but this herb-infused hazelnut liqueur would still come in handy without the ecclesiastical packaging. Use it as the base for a hazelnut martini, long in a Frangelico and cranberry, or on the rocks with lime juice. Our favourite? The Frangelico affagato, a boozy take on the Italian classic:

Three generous scoops of best vanilla ice cream (InOut loves Green & Black’s) with a cup of devil black espresso and a shot of Frangelico poured over the top.

MAKE JULY THE MONTH TO…

Back a winner Fresh from being crowned 2008’s Best Medium Sized Festival at the UK Festival Awards, The Lovebox Festival (18-19 July, www.lovebox.net) will be defending its title with a line-up that includes the likes of N*E*R*D, Duran Duran and Ladyhawke. Glory hunters should stay up afterwards to see boxing’s boy wonder Amir Khan attempt to wrest the light welterweight title from Andreas Kotelnik. Definitely a weekend for winners.

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