The London List: Blind Pig transports guests back to a 1920s speakeasy to launch its ciders inspired by the eraThe London List

Posted in Food, London, London List
By Sam Bathe on 17 Nov 2014

Stepping through the creaky doors of an unassuming London townhouse on Saturday night, guests were transported back to a boisterous 1920s speakeasy to celebrate the launch of Blind Pig.

With a key in hand – one like you’ve never seen before, a pig’s face was cut out of the lock head – and a clue about the location, this was going to be one party we didn’t want to miss.

With the venue packed head-to-toe with 1920s imagery, the lucky attendees were quickly transported back to the Roaring Twenties. As the band took to the stage and effervescent dancers tore up the space in front, upstairs a mock casino room set guests hearts racing, while downstairs they could explore the apple store and relax in the vintage film room.

Inspired by the time, the Blind Pig cider range is blended with fruit and spirit flavours for three unique-tasting ciders including Bourbon & Blueberry, Rum & Poached Pear, and Whiskey, Honey & Apple. The ciders have an extra punch of flavour, something more complex than what’s available at the moment with each variety perfectly complementing the sweet yet sharp tones of the apple.

To launch the new cider, six young British talents have come together to form the Blind Pig Collective, producing a collection of original work inspired by the 1920s and the renowned speakeasies of the time (below). The Collective includes artists Laura Carlin, Shonagh Rae, Adam Simpson, filmmakers Joe Morris and Mark Donne, better known as Brass Moustache, and photographer Rebecca Scheinberg.

ADAM-FINAL

Given the mission statement of expressing the intrigue, excitement and character of the time, Adam Simpson was inspired by the romanticised idea of the 1920s speakeasies. “I liked the idea that behind a seemingly anonymous building, there was a place that brought people from all walks of life, who collectively forgot their worries,” said Adam. “I wanted to create an intriguing scene with hidden layers.”

Blind-Pig-Amended-Final

Laura Carlin’s piece focuses on the sense of society and good times the speakeasies brought. “It was in fact a place where all parts of society could mingle and integrate with few problems between them. I wanted to portray the crazy, heightened atmosphere with the blurry assortment of different characters and eccentrics,” she said.

shonagh_rae_blind_pig_-FINAL(1)-1

Shonagh Rae’s clever blend of photography, stencil printing and illustration is just as striking. “I referenced daguerreotypes as I was interested in having a strong portrait or figurative element, however I was also keen to treat this with shadows, thinking of the subdued lighting of the 1920s era,” Shonagh explains. “When I was doing some research based on the brief I was interested in portraying some sense of the subversive spirit of the time and the idea of political heroes. Bearing in mind that the artwork was to be reproduced at a large scale, I wanted to create a poster artwork with strong graphic elements representative of the artistic movements of the time, such as Constructivism and Bauhaus design. I also included one of the coordinates that appears on one of the bottles, to Chicago Navy Pier which was a well-known port and area of entertainment venues in the early 1920s.”

It was only right that at the end of the night a faux police raid brought it all to a close. With guests spilling out onto the street and back to modern times. It was a fantastic night that really transported guests back to the spirit of the 1920s and the excitement of speakeasies of the era.

Transport yourself and try a Blind Pig Cider at one of the select bars across the UK. To discover more, follow BLINDPIGCIDER on Instagram: www.instagram.com/blindpigcider

FAN THE FIRE is a digital magazine about lifestyle and creative culture. Launching back in 2005 as a digital publication about Sony’s PSP handheld games console, we’ve grown and evolved now covering the arts and lifestyle, architecture, design and travel.