Norm was supposed to play the bar this month but due to obvious reasons we had to reschedule a later date.
As a consolation he's been kind enough to record and send over a vinyl only set full of summer heaters and some air tight mixing.

Episode 2 of our minted, (seminal), bar-talk podcast: If These Walls Could Talk!

In this edition Alex dialled up Paul Hayes of VIVIR tequila for a chat about launching and importing his fantastic range of tequilas. The conversation covers the full arc from inception to trading in the current COVID-quashed climate, Paul’s personal odyssey with agave, and how his and his team’s integrity, patience and passion can proof a business against seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Tune in, turn on and sip on VIVIR ;)

Full time family, part time bottle shop

Back in 2015 I was caught between trying to move out of teaching and back into hospitality. Frustrated in London, I took a work placement in Los Angeles for 5 months at the start of the year with a half-a-mind to extend it further. Behind This Wall had run its course as a club residency in London with the closure of Plastic People, but we’d always dallied a little in making up drinks and running peripatetic bars & sound-systems in unloved spaces.

To help you through homebound entertainment procedures, and to accompany our new bottled Mixed Drink range (plug* DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR *gulp), we’ve added a Mixtape Jukebox to our HIFI page. Bringing something of the BTW experience to you in lockdown and beyond.

Episode 1 of our brand new podcast, ‘If These Walls Could Talk’! At some point last year, whenever that was, Alex sat down with Byron Knight: he of the bar Off Broadway, co-founder at Beavertown, current brain behind the Deviant & Dandy brewery and fellow poké pioneer.

Our basement bar is closed until further notice, in keeping with the government mandate on delaying the spread of coronavirus.

Stay at home, stay safe and support our wonderful NHS wherever you can.

COVID-19: Please read, copy and share! Our hospitality industry needs you.

One of our most beloved residencies at the bar happens every first Thursday of the month when Richard Greenan of Kit Records takes control of the hifi for the evening. To those familiar with the label and longstanding NTS show, you will know the cosmic polymath pulling the strings. We sat down with the man himself for a candid chat about his projects, beginnings and inspirations.

Our most popular serve so far this season has undoubtably been the Suzaku Maru, our storied seasonal CBD sour. A total collaborative effort from the whole management team, last week Alex spoke to the ES Magazine about the process behind creating it and the importance of story-telling! Here’s the full unedited transcript.

And so it goes.

Celebrating 4 years at 411 Mare Street.

Happy New Year everyone!

We’ll be opening up again on Thursday 9th January. Richard from Kit Records will be down playing some records and as it’s the first time we’ve opened (apart from the odd party) since December 20th, our Winter Menu will be making it’s first appearance.

Tonight sees the launch of our Winter exhibit by Richie Round-Turner. Rich takes the pictures of the bar up on the site and has put together this project around our menu theme for Winter: “Into the Woods”. While the drinks will follow on from next week as the season (officially) changes, we are launching the exhibit tonight and may have a few advance peeks from the menu to try.

It’s that time of year when you’re either out or you’re in bed. Here’s our opening schedule with for the Christmas season into 2020 in a handy cut out and keep format…

Useful notes on something that applies to putting together any cocktail or drink to dazzle (could equally apply to making wine or beer-making for instance, although that isn’t done in a ‘live’ environment as of a bartender mixing a drink on the spot at the bar). Think of any such drink to draw delight from as needing three parts: the base, the body and the perfume…

SUGO

A Sunday Party by friends Lorenzo Cibrario & Francesco Fusaro

A parade of odd soundtracks, jazzy moods, velvety sounds, calypso breakdowns, a zest of exotica and some seriously groovy disco beats.

This Sunday our crew will be driving the system themselves for the inaugural Be In My System event. The idea is to put together a mixtape using the hi-fi and odds bits found in the cupboard under the stairs without any of the recording being digitised or touching a DAW/computer.

…

Entering party season presents a plethora of choices for eager hosts. Once you’ve pegged your canapé menu (or opted for this writers safe bet: a big bowl of chilli, guac and steamed rice) and scored your mates to DJ, your attention should turn to the drinks offering. Beyond bottled beers in a bucket and everything you have left over on the dusty spirits shelf, why not think about a modern spin on a punch?

…

A lot of you ask about the sound-system and the story behind it. Whilst perpetuating myth by keeping mum can be fun, we’ve sought to debunk the riddles from facts with a handy cut out and keep guide…

Witching season is well and truly here. Tomorrow: Borne Fruits are in situ with their spooktacular Boogie Against Brexit which was, akin to Frankensteins’ monster, plastered together and given the kiss of life before Count McDoncula and the PLP decided they were up for a trip to the polls after all so the whole thing’s off (for now) & we can breathe & jus dress up & dance a bit…