A new Ni 4 distorted cubane complex [Ni 4 (μ 3 -OMe) 4 Q 4 (MeOH) 4 ] (1) (where Q − is the anion of 8-quinolinol) is obtained from the reaction of NaQ with Ni(OAc) 2 ·4H 2 O in refluxing MeOH via solvent derived μ 3 -OMe assisted self-assembly of four nickel(II) centres. The periphery of [Ni 4 (OMe) 4 ] cubane is covered by four Q − and four MeOH molecules. This methanol specific reaction is not supported in solvent glycinol (Hgl; NH 2 (CH 2 ) 2 OH), an amine substituted ethanol, producing monomeric [NiQ 2 (Hgl) 2 ]·2H 2 O (2·2H 2 O) instead and is able to cleave 1 to yield 2·2H 2 O. The cryomagnetic susceptibility data of powdered 1 can be modeled by a two J equation yielding J 1 =−1.8(1)cm −1 , J 2 =3.9(1)cm −1 and g=2.24.