This downtown Wilmington speakeasy has been creating a fun environment for 10 years
When The Blind Elephant opened on New Year’s Eve in 2013, it was an early Wilmington example of a speakeasy-inspired bar with a focus on craft cocktail preparation. Ashley Tipper opened the business in the former Olive or Twist space at 21 N. Front St. that was also briefly Station 21.
Early on, she realized that the low visibility of its alleyway location was a challenge. Tipper decided to lean into that. In the switch from the firehouse theme, she worked with film set professionals to transform the space into a dark and cozy space with a 1920s vibe. The name, too, comes from historic speakeasies, which often included the word 'blind.' Elephant represents Tipper's love of Alabama football and Big Al, the team's trunked mascot.
“Plus, who doesn’t love elephants,” she said.
At the time, restaurants like manna were known for excellent cocktails, she said. But not many bars. She closed Blind Elephant’s predecessor and said goodbye to the schnapps and other ingredients she wouldn’t use very often and said hello to fresh squeezed juices and syrups and tonics made in house.
Tipper also started The Blind Elephant with a couple of other traditions. One is their annual Great Gatsby party, the latest of which coincided with the bar’s 10th anniversary and featured guests in suits and flapper-style dresses, burlesque performances from Creme Cabaret, and live jazz music.
The other is a rotating cocktail menu. Every two or three months, the bartenders draw a spirit selection, and they build a cocktail around it. A chalkboard behind the bar shows the current menu – like the "Jelly of the Month" that combines rye whiskey, Fernet and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the "Silver & Gold," a tequila-based cocktail that adds carrot, ginger and lemon.
Before coming to Wilmington, Tipper worked as a bartender and developer opening new restaurants in new cities.
“It was really fun to do at first,” she said. “But it got a little lonely.”
After leaving the job, she traveled to Costa Rica and Southeast Asia for a bit and lived with her mother in Alabama when she returned to the United States. Tipper realized, though, that she needed another change. She came to Wilmington without knowing anyone in the area, but soon found a place she wanted to call home.
And then came the opportunity to own a business, and a place for all of the cocktail and bar ideas that she collected over the years.
A lot of things have changed in the past 10 years. The pandemic was a scary time for those in the bar business, Tipper said. And there are a lot more options when it comes to cocktails. As a result, expectations have changed. The Blind Elephant introduced zero-proof and low ABV (or alcohol by volume) seven or eight years ago. They also serve Moscow Mules and other cocktails on tap.
“And they are all just as carefully crafted,” Tipper said.
But some things haven't changed. Hauling boxes of liquor to The Blind Elephant is still just as difficult, Tipper said, joking. And The Blind Elephant is still a members-only business, charging a nominal annual fee. But Tipper said she’s kept it that way to maintain a little exclusivity to the cocktail bar. And it gets members extras and bonuses, such as free entry to the annual parties and access to whiskey tastings.
“We have a loyal clientele,” Tipper said. “And we are all about creating a fun environment for them.”
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her ataballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: The Blind Elephant in downtown Wilmington celebrates anniversary
