Havin’ it large on Preston Street. How times change. Formerly only popular with local residents, in recent years Preston Street has been having a moment and now most nights are reason enough for a party at Oxygen Red.

The Venue
Not swanky but not spit and sawdust either, Oxygen Red is the sister bar of West Street’s pre-clubbing haunt, Oxygen and when it comes to styling the same rules apply. Dark red and green battered Chesterfields sit on scuffed wooden floorboards and the long bar that’s immediately in front of you when you walk in runs the length of the room so you’ll never have to wait long to salt, lick, slam your tequila. Up a couple of steps there’s a slightly raised platform with more seating and plenty of space in between to dance when the DJs get stuck in behind the decks at weekends.

The People
The bar is a popular student haunt but anyone who can handle their shots tends to make it to Oxygen Red at least once a week to let their hair down amongst like minded souls. At weekends the crowd tends to be twenty somethings on a mission to drink and dance in an attitude free zone.

The Drink
Shots, shots and more shots are the name of the game at Oxygen Red and it would take you the best part of a month to work your way through their list of 42 shots that includes the Squashed Frog (Advocaat, Creme de Menthe and grenadine). It may look like phlegm but it tastes like the banana medicine that you didn’t mind taking as a kid. However, the most potent shot on the menu hands down is the Head Banger (Absinthe and Red and Blue Aftershock) which is so strong you’re practically drunk just from catching a whiff of it even before you down it and it’s virtually guaranteed to deliver the promised headache the next morning so don’t say that you weren’t warned. Refreshingly, the shots are really reasonably priced at £1.50 (£2 on Fridays and Saturdays) so you could easily wind your way home from a night out at Oxygen Red with change from a twenty.

As for the cocktails, they’re a good alternative to the shots with an extensive list but they are over priced for the location and the quality – they’re not terrible but they’re not the best way to spend £5.95 at Oxygen Red. Having said that, the bar has a happy hour every night where you can get two for one cocktails from 5pm-8pm so it’s worth arriving early. Stick to a classic such as a Mojito or Bloody Mary rather than their own versions like the Cranberry Fusion unless you’ve got an incredibly sweet tooth and like plenty of sugar or maple syrup in your cocktails.

The Last Word
Unpretentious and fun, Oxygen Red brings the party to Preston Street. It may be cheap and cheerful but for shots to make your head swivel it takes some beating.

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