The Bee's Knees

Just over 100 years to the day since Prohibition passed into US law (the 36th state ratified it on 16th January 1919), the Candlelight Club brings the spirit of the speakeasy roaring into 2019. Come and join our Prohibition birthday party, where a room full of flappers in 1920s outfits will Charleston to live, raucous jazz from Duncan Hemstock and his All-Stars, thrill to the cabaret antics of our host Champagne Charlie and shimmy to vintage vinyl spun by Jojo and Holly from The Bee's Knees. And drink a lot of cocktails. Why celebrate Prohibition? Aside from the fact that the Candlelight Club wouldn't exist without it, it shaped the social world that followed. Saloons had been all-male places, but now in an illegal speakeasy everyone was equal and for the first time it became acceptable for women to drink in public. This was the birth of the flapper. Prohibition coined the term "night club" (a euphemism to disguise the sale of booze) and spread jazz music, as the explosion of speakeasies created work for entertainers, and the music’s racy reputation was stoked by the association with the twilight world of the illegal boozer, where sexes and races mingled and taboos were checked at the door. Prohibition boosted the popularity of cocktails, as spirits were easier to bootleg than wine or beer. And as talented bartenders left America to seek work, they brought the love of mixed drinks to every city they settled in, creating a global Golden Age of cocktails. We think that's worth celebrating! At our party you can pre-order the three-course dinner (which includes a table reservation all night) or reserve a table with Champagne but without the dinner. The bars will be dispensing exquisite cocktails and Havana cigars that you can smoke in our private garden. Guests receive an email two days before revealing the secret location. "The closest you'll find to an authentic Jazz Age experience in central London. Its unique ambience, fuelled by hundreds of candles, is truly a scene to behold." —Time Out More at www.thecandlelightclub.com