This Delaware bar, open only 16 hours a week, is one of Esquire's 'best bars in America'
It opened last year, operates only 16 hours a week and most cocktails there cost $20.
And now you can add that it's one of the best bars in America, according to Esquire magazine.
Simmer Down, the brick-ceilinged, hard-to-find basement bar in the boutique Quoin Hotel (519 N. Market St.), shares the honor with 41 other watering holes in the June 4 issue of the 91-year-old men's magazine.
Randall Cook, co-founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based Method Co., which designed and manages the bar, called the national nod an “incredible honor.”
“From the moment we laid eyes on the space's rare, barrel-vaulted brick ceilings, we knew we were onto something truly special,” he said. “It's a space unlike any other in the country, one that would not only captivate but also create a new destination within Wilmington for locals and travelers to enjoy together.”
The bar was highlighted by author Kevin Sintumuang, Esquire's lifestyle and culture director.
"In The Quoin, a little hotel housed in a former bank, you’ll discover Simmer Down in the old money room. Today, it’s a richly detailed space with a green-marble bar; a surrealist, hand-painted mural with whimsical nods to the area; and swivel chairs with animals in a fairy-tale setting," he writes.
"The drinks are creative, but there’s nothing wrong with heading straight for the martini. There’s a whiff of Bemelmans here — who knew Delaware could be this cool?" he concludes, referring to Bemelmans Bar, a New York Upper East Side cocktail bar known for its Art Deco style and murals.
Simmer Down initially opened in early 2023 as a if-you-know-you-know speakeasy before quietly changing to a bar open to all, joining two other bars in the hotel, which had itself opened several months earlier.
The Quoin and its trio of bars ― the cozy subterranean Simmer Down lounge; Quoin Restaurant & Bar; and Rooftop Lounge, the city's only rooftop bar ― can be found within blocks of downtown's other higher-end spots for drinks and food, such as Bardea Food & Drink, Bardea Steak, La Fia Bistro and Le Cavalier.
The Quoin is owned by owned by Buccini/Pollin Group's Rob and Chris Buccini, longtime Biden family friends. It has already hosted President Joe Biden and first Lady Jill Biden, who dined there last spring.
Designed by architect Frank Furness in 1885, the building originally was the Security Trust & Safe Deposit Co. It was home to Kuumba Academy Charter School in more recent years, until the school moved to its current location on North French Street.
Simmer Down's cocktail menu ($18-$20) offers 22 craft-made drinks broken down into four categories: classics (White Negroni, Metropolitan), originals (Bronze Fox, Velvet Goose), martinis (gin or vodka) and a two-drink "reserve" section.
It is there where you will find their priciest offerings: the Cadillac Margarita ($44) made with Tears of Llorona extra a?ejo tequila, Grand Marnier Cuvée Louis Alexandre, lime juice and smoked salt and a mint Julep ($32) made with Bardstown Discovery #9 bourbon, Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges cognac and mint.
DELAWARE'S 5 SPIRIT-MAKERS It's National Distillery Day. You can try the hard stuff from these 5 Delaware distilleries
DEWEY BEER CO. FOR THE WIN This Delaware brewpub named best brewpub in the country by USA TODAY’s 10Best awards
Four wines are also on the menu ($15-$18) including brut Champagne (Nicolas Feuillatte), Sauvignon blanc (Duckhorn), chardonnay (Au Bon Climat) and pinot noir (Benton Lane) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Delille Cellars).
A trio of beers ($7-$10) also can be poured if you want to avoid the hard stuff; they feature a Wilmington Brew Works/Quoin IPA collaboration, RAR Brewing light lager and Red Stripe.
“Bars have always been that third place, the spot where you hang outside work and home. But as we’ve discovered crisscrossing the country over the past 12 months to visit the new bars, they’re doing that in more nuanced and varied ways than they have in a long time,” Sintumuang wrote, introducing this year's list. “It’s not just about the drinks. Then again, it’s never just about the drinks.”
Only a handful of other bars in our region made the cut, including Poison Heart and Poste Haste (Philadelphia) and La Otra (Aberdeen Township, New Jersey).
Simmer Down is open Thursday 6 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to midnight.
Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at [email protected] or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Esquire picks this new Delaware bar as one of the best in US
