A decade after his death at age 82, Paul Raymond—Britain’s most successful impresario of porn, who became one of the United Kingdom’s richest men despite being blamed by some of the more conservative elements of British society as the figure who propelled the nation into a state of moral decay—will receive a tribute in the form of a “pop up” gin bar at the site of the first property he purchased in London’s bustling nightlife district of SoHo.
Raymond exploded onto the London scene in 1958, several years before the city became “Swingin’ London,” laying the groundwork for what the city became in the mid-1960s when he opened Raymond’s Revuebar, the first legal strip club in London which remained his flagship and headquarters even as he built an adult entertainment and real estate empire in the district that earned him the unofficial title, “King of SoHo.”
In 2013, as AVN.com reported, a gin brand bearing his “title” hit the market, and it is the same King of SoHo gin brand that will sponsor the pop-up bar at 21 Great Windmill Street in SoHo, a property that has been owned by Raymond’s company since the 1970s and is thought to be the building that launched his second career as a real estate baron—a career that increased his wealth exponentially.
Even today, Raymond’s granddaughter India Rose James, 26, is one of the youngest individuals on the list of Britain’s 1,000 richest people thanks to her inheritance of Raymond’s real estate holdings.
Earlier this year, Raymond’s company applied for a permit to demolish the 21 Great Windmill Street building and build a new structure combining a restaurant on the lower floors and residential apartments upstairs.
But before that happens, the King of SoHo gin takes over the property to celebrate the life of its namesake.
“Running for six weeks, the venue will be decked out with a leopard print throne and ‘vibrant décor’ and will serve gin cocktails, small plates and desserts as well as live entertainment,” the site TheDrinksBusiness.com reported.
Among the featured drinks offered for the six-week run of the location will be “The Paul,” a libation dedicated to Raymond, and consisting of “The King of Soho London Dry Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and a ‘fruit red wine float.’”
The 21 Great Windmill Street pop-up gin bar opens on November 14, and will be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Drinks will all go for £10, or $13.
Photo by Fabio Sassi / Wikimedia Commons
