Mathers Social Gathering Florida’s Largest Speakeasy

To actually enter Mathers, after approval at the door, you have to ride the elevator up to a secret library where you need to figure out which bookcase opens to let you into the bar. This was really fun considering a lot of the speakeasies we’ve visited do not allow you to open the door yourself, it was a true exploration adventure. As the typical early birds, we were almost the only ones at the bar and were able to take pictures without masks before entering the seating area (Strict COVID rules for safety- unless a drink was to our mouth, masks were on).

Behind the hidden bookcase entrance, the bar is spacious and gloriously renovated with a vintage gentlemen’s club vibe – original wood floors, brick walls, and tufted leather couches. The building is over 130 years old and Mathers Social Gathering honors the history of the building by only updating what is necessary for modern comfort and restoring antique collectibles from the building’s past. A few grammable additions (such as a swinging velvet loveseat) show that they are staying trendy even within their vintage atmosphere. Mathers’ mission is to provide a sophisticated yet comfortable space for people to gather together, and they do a great job of it.

The drink menu is organized by liquor type and specially curated by the owners to promote spirit authenticity, as true speakeasies did in the past. Devin, one of the curators, was excited to share his favorite creation with us: the “Envy”. The honey and ginger blended bourbon cocktail is served smoked with green apple and thyme. It is the level of sophistication sought for at such establishments, raising the bar for libations everywhere. We also enjoyed a “Bathtub Gin,” served in a tiny bathtub, the gin emphasized with honey and lavender. And to top it all off we also ordered their refreshing and popular “Strawberry Fields” and the “Blueberry Basil Gimlet.” It was quite the tipsy party by the time we left!

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A few extra details I’d be remiss not to mention: they have an amazing happy hour. Tuesday through Saturday from 4pm – 7pm craft cocktails are half price, unusual for the hidden bars we seek! The next time we visit will be around Christmas because Devin seriously talked up their elaborate holiday décor, custom drinks, and themed entertainment. Live musicians play each weekend and Tuesdays feature burlesque. Lastly, Mathers will soon be expanding and opening locations in Tampa and Jacksonville.

Mathers Social Gathering is a wonderful bar with all the right gimmicks of a speakeasy. The only thing that set this bar back for us is its size. It’s wonderful that they are so successful, but I hope to see their franchises scale down to create a more intimate atmosphere rather than a party space. That being said though, this is the perfect hidden bar to give people an introduction to speakeasies and the culture that surrounds finding and enjoying these elusive drinking dens.

Waiting for travel to open back up so we can get out of Florida. Stay safe everyone.

Your home-bound PLIs

(Visited July 2020)