Belconnen’s New Hotspot: 54 Benjamin

Posted on 25 January, 2015

It’s a bit of a trend these days to name things – bars, restaurants, clubs – after the address they are situated at. I can’t work out if I think it’s impossibly trendy or fantastically logical. After all, you’re going to remember where it is, which helped my friend and I when we went out looking for 54 Benjamin on Saturday night.

In the case of this new bar in Belconnen it also means that if you’re a local, you will know exactly where it is already. Which is kind of the point. Owner Thomas Reaby has worked closely with consultant and manager Matt Nimmo to create a high end cocktail bar for the Belconnen community which feels as comfortable as having a drink in your living room.

The bar does feel extremely homey, but a large part of this is the way the staff welcomed us in as soon as we walked in the door. This is where popping down to have a drink at this gorgeous new bar beats my living room. Sure, I can wear my pyjamas in my living room but my dog just doesn’t hold a friendly conversation quite as well as staff, Hannah and Steve, and the regulars at 54 Benjamin. Hannah came straight over when my friend and I took a seat at the bar. When I asked her to recommend something she unhesitatingly delivered the Japanese Slip Up.

A play on the traditional Japanese Slipper, the Japanese Slip Up was a cocktail Hannah had created that day with Japanese whiskey and the house soda, made each week on the premises. It was refreshing and zesty and I was pretty surprised to be enjoying a drink with whiskey in it, not a spirit I usually mess around with. My friend asked for something with strawberries. Undeterred by the vagueness of the order, Steve had a drink created from scratch and in front of her in record time. I know it tasted wonderful because it disappeared in record time as well.

With ABS House directly across the road, 54 Benjamin is nestled between Coffee Guru and Ferrari Formal Wear on Benjamin Way, in a small space which used to be a Turkish sweet shop. While the whole menu contains signature drinks created especially for 54 Benjamin, The Sweet Corner was where my friend and I found some cocktail gems. Named after the previous tenant of the space, a Turkish sweet shop, this section contains unique cocktails specifically designed to evoke nostalgia.

We started with Mum’s Pavlova, a cocktail inspired by Matt’s mothers’ pavlova. Judging by how spectacular this cocktail tasted, I’m planning to angle for an invite to Matt’s mum’s place for some pav because her recipe must be amazing. Matt followed this by making us a Passion Pop. A cocktail topped with light, zesty house-made passion foam, it tastes just like the passion pop we used to drink in our youth before we could afford the good stuff. My friend and I each took a sip and then exchanged looks of chagrin as memories of our youthful misadventures with the real thing came rushing back.

Matt then presented his crowning glory, a cocktail called Frog in a Pond. This cocktail tastes exactly like its namesake, the children’s treat made with jelly and Freddos. In my opinion, you simply haven’t lived until you have dug around in the bottom of a cocktail glass to retrieve an alcohol-soaked Freddo frog.

After identifying a gap in the Canberra market for high end bars Matt did eighteen months of research in the lead up to opening 54 Benjamin. He was particularly inspired by some of the smaller, boutique bars in Sydney, and has brought back the best ways to use space, stock the bar and provide for the needs of his patrons and incorporated them into this new venture.

 54 Benjamin delivers quality cocktail making, professional bartending and mixology without the attitude that often comes with this kind of advanced knowledge. He has ensured his bartenders are experienced and knowledgeable but also lively, friendly and keen to not only demonstrate, but share, what they know.

The products stocked by 54 Benjamin are not necessarily going to be the mainstream ones that you recognise, but Matt has worked to make sure they are quality products which enable customers to try something a little outside their comfort zone but still have the assurance that they are still getting a quality product and good recommendation.

The attention to detail extends beyond the drinks, though. A local DJ/music producer, Luke Tkalcevic, has created a playlist for the bar to help create ambience for the bar. The playlist covers all the basics to ensure there is something for everyone.

There are still some renovations planned, including replacing the big glass windows at the front and back of the bar with shutters which will create an open bar. Hoping to attract a food cart in the next couple of weeks and organise local restaurants which will deliver food as required by patrons, Matt is creating a bar which will feel like you are attending a local street party. In an indication that Matt and Thomas have already hit the right note in the local community, the bar already has some regulars.

If you’re looking for a great cocktail, some fantastic conversation and a welcoming environment, 54 Benjamin is definitely a place to try. It’s also nice to know that you can pop down on your own for a drink and be welcomed and entertained. This is a bar which will welcome you unhesitatingly into its community and I foresee an enduring future of being a cornerstone of the Belconnen entertainment district for this little bar. Go and have a look, I guarantee you will leave already planning your next visit. And you have to try the Frog in a Pond.

the essentials

What: 54 Benjamin
Where: 54 Benjamin Way, Belconnen.
When: Open 4pm to 10pm, Wednesday to Saturday.
Web: www.54benjamin.com.au