If you know, you know. Walking down Great Windmill Street you won’t find a bar called Jack Solomon’s on street level, but if you head inside a little sidestreet deli and through the back door you might just find this speakeasy down some old stairs.
When you reach the bottom of the staircase, you’re immersed in a cavernous space that’s been known as Jack Solomon’s for quite some time now. Before it was an inconspicuous watering hole, it was the underground boxing ring of legendary promoter Jack Solomon from the 40s, from where the venue takes its name. Now, it’s exposed brick walls are lit by the warming glow of table lamps and candles, and the entertainment has been swapped out to accommodate a little less violent feature: live music and DJs.
The venue specialises in gin and whisky, with a few funky house infusions like tea-infused Sipsmith Gin and rosemary, basil, thyme and olive brine gin on the menu. As much as we love a good nip of gin dram of whisky, we decided to explore the two pages of unique cocktails instead.
The house cocktails at Jack Solomon’s are exactly how we like them: well-balanced, original and predominantly spirit-forward. Here you won’t find any tiny parasols poking out of drinks or a whole fruit branch of garnishes, but with the complex and interesting flavours found in each glass, these cocktails sell themselves.
Our pick of the list would have to be On The Ropes, made with Nikka from the Barrel, Hennessy VS, maple syrup, cardamom bitters and Pernod Absinthe mist. The sweet and rich flavours from the whisky, cognac and syrup were paired back with the spicy cardamom and the herbaceous and bitter absinth, creating a drink that was perfect to sip slowly and finish the night on.
Jack Solomon’s also hosts a range of different music nights from Thursday through to Saturday, ranging from vinyl nights, single launches and DJs of all varieties. Head to their website to find out more about upcoming events.
