R.I.P Tupelo

It has finally happened. Tupelo has been shut down following years of disagreements between the bar management and the landlord. To me this is by no means suprising.

Tupelo is the bar where I learnt everything I know that is worth knowing about bartending. For those of you who don’t know, Tupelo was a dark, quiet little cocktail bar down an out-of-the-way alley in downtown Wellington. It was open for about 10-12 years, I was in aquaintence with it for the last 3.

My first visit to tupelo was as a customer, I was looking for a new bar job, preferably one with a manager who could take me in and teach me. A good friend of mine, Matt, sent me in that direction saying that Jeremy (a bar tender who’s reputation proceeded him) was looking for staff. So in I went with a friend on a Saturday night after work and proceded to order some cocktails which I thought might make this guy think I knew my stuff. (in retrospect they were all fairly generic drinks) By the time I got around to asking for a job I was slurring my words and generally looking like a pisshead. I was pretty suprised to get a phonecall a week later with an offer of work.

Manhattan, Caipirinha, and 1951 martini

 

My first six months on the job were the best 6 months of my working life. I was learning about classic cocktails, spirit history and even flair bar tending, and I was making great new friends all at the same time. Jeremy was a great boss and an even better teacher. After his leaving I took up the position of manager. I stayed around for about a year before I left for many of the same reasons Jeremy left before me – there were a lot of issues with upper management and cash flow through the bar. Stock levels were often embarrassingly low.

A much younger me making 3 mojitos and wearing a really bad shirt

 

I met some awesome people while working at Tupelo, Jeremy Wilson – the previous manager, Jeremy Scrivenger – one faithful regular (also the photographer), Stanley Garner – the Opera director from the US who was kind enough to make us his local during his stay in Wellington, and of course all the staff: Josh, Julien, Jess, Jacob, Brooke, Nick, Nicky, Laurel, Tash, and Toby (my apologies if I’ve left you off the list).

In the time after I left, Tupelo seemed to struggle more and more until finally late last month, the doors were closed, and as predicted by me and a lot of former staff. The doors were closed by the landlord with all the signs removed, the doors locked and only this note painted on the outside wall.

 

all thats left

 

Quite funny really, it was just a matter of time and I truely am impressed that it lasted this long the way it was being run. I really will miss this bar.