When Prohibition went into effect in 1920 people wanting to drink had to get their alcohol legally from a druggists for “medicinal purposes”. A cliché today but probably true a century ago. Or illegally from bootleggers, which made the speakeasies more prominent. Speakeasies were unlicensed barrooms selling either their own “moonshine”, or supplied illegally distilled liquor.
The popularity of speakeasies exploded during the Roaring Twenties and it has been estimated that anywhere from 50,000 or more flourished in New York City alone. These clubs were often hidden in a basement or behind a false door among other ways of concealment. Entrance was only granted to those who possessed the secret password or a special card.
The birth of the “cocktail” is sometimes attributed to this era. The quality of alcohol was so bad due to poorly distilled whiskey and “bathtub” gin, speakeasies served up drinks mixed with fruit juices, ginger ale, or other flavorings to hide the taste of bad alcohol.
One speakeasy, the Krazy Kat, in Washington, D.C was a hangout for the city’s bohemian crowd. The club offered painting classes, art exhibitions, al fresco dining, and dancing, indoor and outdoor. But what was fascinating was the courtyard featured a small treehouse.
As most speakeasies closed after the end of Prohibition in 1933, today the nostalgia for them lives on. Some are still not known but by rumor and still only accessible by password. But some are really just retro-bars with member only patrons. One such “Speakeasy”, is the Gotham Club hidden behind the San Francisco Giants scoreboard.
Comments