Tradition Meets Innovation at Shenanigans
Winter on the Mountain is always a slower time for the local community, but residents and winter visitors alike have a great new reason to get out of the house! A portion of the Shenanigans building — the back room on the ground floor that was formerly an art gallery — has become an upscale “speakeasy” cocktail lounge called Oddfellows.
Organizers promise that this new bar will have all the charm and ambience of Shenanigans, but with the elevated contemporary flair and style akin to larger southern cities. Nothing will change in the Shenanigans that we all know and love, but now area residents and visitors will have an opportunity for a different vibe, and a different set of drinks offerings.
Years in development, and now ready for full roll out after a successful pilot program over the fall, Oddfellows is poised to be a tri-county gem. The fun name springs from the time over 100 years ago when the building was home to the Sewanee Lodge #544 of the Independent Order of the Oddfellows, a social club and community improvement organization with the motto of “Friendship, Love, Truth.”
Leading the exciting project is Bill Elder, the proprietor of Shenanigans. Elder said, “In this, our 50th anniversary year, we’ve aimed at building something new and fun, and at installing something special that will take root as part of Shenanigans’ next 50 years. Our customers have been asking us for years for a more upscale option within this iconic building. Oddfellows is the result of years of listening and planning.”
Incorporating the ideas of the entire Elder Family (Bill, his wife Susie, and their daughters Zoe and Georgia), and honoring the late great Sewanee restaurateurs David Boyd Williams and George Stevenson, Sewanee residents should find Oddfellows to be a welcome addition to the community’s 21+ social scene.
The cocktail program includes craft cocktails, local whiskeys, premium spirits, and zero proof beverages. The drinks menu will range from prohibition-era classics to modern craft concoctions, with several Sewanee originals paying homage to our wonderful town, mountain, university, and cherished characters. Top-notch, authentic and proper Martinis, Manhattans and Old Fashioneds have finally arrived in Sewanee Village. A wine program will roll out later in 2025, as will a food program designed around flavor combinations that pair well with the wines and cocktails.
Even the music has been given much thought in order to elevate the experience. “I’ve put together a music selection that transports you to other times, and other places–always chill and interesting, always something to perk the ears and coax a grin. Let’s call the vibe soul lounge. Oddfellows is dim and cozy, charming and enchanting, enticing and slightly prone to mischief. But hey, it’s Shenanigans after all,” Elder said. “Our goal is to give the Mountain a cozy upscale spot with a speakeasy vibe, offering modern presentations and pairing suggestions.”
The hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 5–11 p.m., (and later, if the crowd wants to stay a bit longer). Entrance is the side door from the parking lot, then take a right down the hall. Shenanigans is located at 12595 Sollace Freeman Highway, Sewanee. A secret back door entrance is in the works. Want the password?
For more information, follow Shenanigans on Instagram and Facebook.