Slàinte! The Haven Secures Liquor License Approval From City

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These JP residents say they would all vote "Aye" if they lived in Scotland. From left: Tom Menihan, Ginny O'Neil, John Hannafin and Melissa Hamel. They gathered at The Haven on Sept. 18, 2014.

Chris Helms

These JP residents say they would all vote "Aye" if they lived in Scotland. From left: Tom Menihan, Ginny O'Neil, John Hannafin and Melissa Hamel. They gathered at The Haven on Sept. 18, 2014.

Drummer Peter Stewart and bagpipers Brian Miller and Tom Childs play in front of The Haven during the first annual Angry Scotsman Kilt Crawl through Jamaica Plain, Sept. 13, 2014. Participants in the event, which was a benefit for the Scots Charitable Society and Charitable Irish Society, walked through Jamaica Plain, stopping at four local establishments; Eugene O'Neill's, James's Gate, Costello's, and The Haven.

Kate Flock

Drummer Peter Stewart and bagpipers Brian Miller and Tom Childs play in front of The Haven during the first annual Angry Scotsman Kilt Crawl through Jamaica Plain, Sept. 13, 2014. Participants in the event, which was a benefit for the Scots' Charitable Society and Charitable Irish Society, walked through Jamaica Plain, stopping at four local establishments; Eugene O'Neill's, James's Gate, Costello's, and The Haven.

Let there be whisky!

The Boston Licensing Council today approved a liquor license for Hyde Square's own The Haven, reports Universal Hub. The only Scottish restaurant in the state may soon be able to serve a wee dram alongside its Scotch eggs, haggis and other Scottish mainstays. The license approved today also needs to be OK'd by the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

On its website this evening, The Haven shared the following message:

Thank you to the City of Boston Licensing board for today granting The Haven a Full Liquor License. And an especially big thank you to all the customers and friends who made this possible. It is a pleasure to serve you and we look forward to sharing our love of Scotch with you all!

According to Universal Hub, the licensing council doled out licenses on the basis of recipients serving a "public need." The Haven apparently fit the bill: It "proved a public need through both public support and the fact that it's the only Scottish restaurant in the state."

As one commenter on Universal Hub notes:

These guys are the bee's knees. The bartenders are really creative at mixing cocktails with only the cordials license; I'm psyched to see what they can do with a full license. I'm also confident that this will immediately become Boston's premier whisky-with-no-e bar.

Alison Moronta, business development director for the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Association, shares a smile with Jason Waddleton, owner of The Haven, which hosted a meeting of Hyde and Jackson Square business owners on May 13, 2015.

Chris Helms, reproduced by courtesy of arrangement with El Mundo.

Alison Moronta, business development director for the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Association, shares a smile with Jason Waddleton, owner of The Haven, which hosted a meeting of Hyde and Jackson Square business owners on May 13, 2015.

Back in June, Jamaica Plain News reported that The Haven was seeking a liquor license and had gained the approval of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council's Public Service Committee. At that time, The Haven's owner, Jason Waddleton, recounted that, in the six years the pub has been open, there had been several big moments where the lack of a full liquor license was brought into sharp relief, such as during the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, when the restaurant was packed. “If only we’d had Scotch!” Waddleton recalled thinking.

Earlier this week, Universal Hub posed the question, "Seriously, what's a Scottish restaurant without whisky?" and reported:

Waddleton's bid had the strong support of the mayor's office and City Councilors Matt O'Malley (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury), Michelle Wu (at large), Ayanna Pressley (at large) and Annissa Essaibi-George (at large). The mayor's office praised Waddleton as not just a good restaurant operator but somebody active in community affairs.

Michael Reiskind of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council also supported the request, calling Waddleton "a strong bedrock in the Hyde Square community."

Visit Universal Hub for the full rundown of granted liquor licenses throughout the city.

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