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.