Brent Compagni wanted to open a different kind of bar for the LGBTQIA+ community — one that’s cocktail forward.
“Bar Polari is, at its core, a speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge,” Compagni said. “The goal is to have a space where you can come in, have a nice cocktail and build the community’s connections.”
Bar Polari, located at 1813 Reynolds Ave. Suite C, in North Charleston is an intimate space that focuses on mixing up great drinks. You can find Bar Polari behind Macho Pichu Chicken, next to Rebel Taqueria. “We’ve got some really great neighbors with some really great food,” Compagni said.
Guests can bring food in from Polari’s neighbors if they get hungry while perusing the extensive cocktail list that features cheekily named beverages (read on for just how cheeky they are) like the Bitaine, Fruit and Blag. Compagni’s favorite is the Cartes, made with jalapeno aguardiente, Amaro di Torino, agave, lime, orange and bitters.
The word Polari means a form of slang that incorporates Italianate words, rhyming slang and Romani that was originally used as a secret language in England and adopted by some gay communities in the 20th century. Look no further than a recent today.com article, “Polari, the ‘lost language’ of gay men,” to see where the cocktails get names like Zhuzh (tart up), Fruit (gay man) and Dish (ass).
In addition to the 11 house specialty beverages, drinkers can order classics, like a martini and daiquiri, or choose from several nonalcoholic concoctions.
Indecisive drinkers can also let bartenders know what kind of drink they want — use words like sweet, floral, spicy, bitter or smokey and the mixologists will whip up an off-menu drink just for you.
“I want to try and set a new standard and create a new experience for everybody,” Compagni said. “When people think ‘gay bar’ they get this idea in their mind of what to expect and what it’s going to be like. … I didn’t really necessarily want to go down the path of every other gay bar before me.”
A place where you can relax
As an appreciator of a handcrafted cocktail, Compagni wanted to create a place for the LGBTQIA+ community to enjoy a drink where “you don’t have to scream to be able to hear each other.”
Bar Polari is open seven days a week starting at 4 p.m., so folks can stop in for happy hour, after-dinner drinks or late night fun (especially on Fridays and Saturdays when the spot is open until 2 a.m.)
The bar has been open since the end of July, and Compagni said that most customers have found their way in through word of mouth and Instagram, although a few lucky guests have simply stumbled upon the tucked away Reynolds Avenue spot.
“The community has embraced us and has been very, very supportive, and we’re very grateful,” Compagni said. “We hope that we are giving them the space and the experience that they want.”
Compagni hopes to host events at Bar Polari in the near future, but for now they’re focusing on serving good drinks to a growing crowd.
“I just hope they walk away feeling like they were able to meet people within the community that they hadn’t met before and build new friendships, new bonds — just kind of really bridge this community together — because I absolutely adore it,” Compagni said.
“I [moved here] a couple years ago and was welcomed with open arms, and it became more home than anywhere else before,” Compagni added. “I hope that I can give that back out and have a really warm space where they can feel like they can go on a date or they can meet people and have fun.
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