When you go on vacation to another city, do you: 1. Want to go where the locals go? 2. Find experiences that are unique and special? If I’m talking about you, then you’ve stumbled on the perfect story, one that will address these two areas in spades.
Introducing Speakeasy Candle Co. at UnCommons. Opened just over a year ago, UnCommons is a mixed-use community in the southwest corner of the Las Vegas Valley that’s still being added to. The multiacre destination is occupied by apartments and workspaces, but there’s also an impressive lineup of eateries, bars and unique small businesses—it’s like a little city in the city. And one of the coolest occupants at UnCommons is Speakeasy Candle Co.
While the small storefront stacks beautiful candles with scents inspired by classic cocktails, we’re here to put you in the know about Speakeasy … behind one of the walls is a speakeasy!
“This was something that was birthed out of COVID,” said Alisha Alexander, owner of Speakeasy Candle Co. “My business background is fashion design; those details translate here as far as experience and branding, but candle making was always a hobby. I enjoy gifting candles to family and friends. … When I was digging deep for myself as an entrepreneur, I was really challenged to lean into things I loved, and candle making was born. I also love the vibes of speakeasies and craft cocktails and wanted to combine things I loved.”
And that’s just what guests will find once behind the walls of the shop. You can sign up for the weekly Candle & Cocktails Workshop, a 90-minute experience where the ticket price includes making your own 12-ounce candle and picking two craft cocktails to enjoy.
Mixologist Jahlisa Williams whips up some of the tastiest craft cocktails during each workshop, including the new December cocktail, the cranberry margarita. The holiday-inspired sip is a mix of Don Julio blanco tequila, Cointreau, house-made margarita mix and cranberry juice. Other cocktails that Williams has specially created include the honey cinnamon Old-Fashioned with Uncle Nearest whiskey and honey infused with cinnamon, and a garnish of sage. Our favorite cocktail is the chocolate espresso martini, made with vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Baileys Irish Cream, Godiva white chocolate liqueur and freshly brewed espresso.
“Once you cross the threshold to the speakeasy, the ceilings are dropped, the lights are dropped, it’s meant to feel super-intimate and the experience we walk you through is to engage your olfactory senses,” said Alexander, who also runs the workshop. Groovy mood music helps set the scene as well—pop and hip-hop hits turn into jazzy instrumentals. The décor is half candle-making workshop and half intimate and opulent bar. Blending all the elements together creates a special evening, an out-of-the-box night out. And Speakeasy Candle Co. also offers a daytime workshop on Saturdays where guests get the same candle-making experience but with a mimosa or margarita flight in four different flavors.
“UnCommons—the vibe is something that all people use the exact same phrase when talking about it: ‘You don’t feel like you’re in Vegas,’” Alexander said. “It’s like an escape. That’s what candles do and that’s what speakeasies do—I felt like this was a perfect fit.”
Tips/Insider Knowledge:
• Sign up for the In-The-Know List at speakeasycandleco.com and receive a promo that can be used at checkout when booking a workshop.
• Speakeasy Candle Co. currently offers a promotion with UnCommons tenants Amari and The Sundry: You get a “key” at the end of the workshop that will unlock a secret menu for cocktails at each location.
• Each 12-ounce candle has a wooden wick, the wax is plant-based, and the fragrances are toxic-free and clean-burning.
Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
¾ equal parts of:
Vanilla vodka
Kahlua
Baileys Irish Cream
Godiva white chocolate liqueur
Freshly brewed espresso
Instructions:
In a coupe glass, swirl around chocolate sauce. Add ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into the glass and top with three coffee beans.
UnCommons, 725.204.9847
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