THE HIDDEN WORLD OF SPEAKEASIES
Published in: Align, “Alcove”
After muttering a password through a mail slot, you step through a grocery store “employees only” door. But past the door, you’re met with the sight of walls draped in red velvet, cocktails lit by candlelight, and the sound of a faint jazz soundtrack. Suddenly, you feel a part of a mysterious society, one you had never thought about or even considered before: the hidden world of speakeasies.
Speakeasies emerged during the prohibition era when alcohol was illegal and was originally used as a hidden place to sell liquor or as an illegal nightclub. They ranged from fancy clubs with live music and dance floors to dingy backrooms, basements, and apartments. Today, as alcohol is legal again, speakeasies are more frequently used as bars shrouded in secrecy—for the mystery.
Speakeasies were a place for all to come and dance and drink—as long as they were not a snitch. The liquor-infused partying created a culture never seen before. For the first time, men and women were no longer segregated when drinking. Men and women were able to socialize without the watchful eye of a chaperone. Hence, the concept of “dating” emerged.
The word “speakeasy” came from a phrase bartenders used frequently during the prohibition era, “speak easy,” as people needed to talk quietly when ordering alcohol in order to not be heard by officials or snitches. Speakeasies were also commonly referred to as “blind pigs” or “gin joints” during this time.
When entering a speakeasy during the prohibition era, a password, specific knock, or handshake was required to gain entry. Some required membership cards to identify members at the door and some memberships even required dues. Today, this practice reigns true, despite the legal status of alcohol. The 86 Speakeasy in Eugene gives diners a password when they book a reservation.
The entrances of speakeasies were camouflaged and invisible to the unknowing eye. For example, the 21 Club on 21 West 52nd had a custom camouflaged door, a secret wine cellar behind a false wall, and a bar that with the push of a button would drop liquor bottles down a shoot to crash and drain into the cellar. Today, speakeasy owners still like to make the entrance hard to find. One speakeasy in Eugene, The Conservatory Speakeasy, operates behind a janitor's closet.
However, speakeasies during the prohibition era were not all fun and games. Organized crime rings frequently operated in speakeasies they owned and would make millions a year supplying illegal alcohol. As the news spread about speakeasies in New York, criminals flocked to America and made it a center for organized crime. At the height of the prohibition era, there were some 32,000 speakeasies in New York alone. The most famous of which was Sherman Billingsley’s Stork Club on West 58th Street.
In order to keep speakeasies secret, owners often exploited low-paid police officers with payoffs, regular drinks, or tips on planned raids. In order to make the most money, owners would add water to the liquor; sell moonshine, industrial, wood, or grain alcohol; and sell poisonous chemicals like carbolic acid. To cover the taste of the bad alcohol, bartenders would add mixers to drinks, popularizing the “cocktail” we know and love now. Unfortunately, the bad alcohol killed thousands of speakeasy-goers during the prohibition era.
In the past, finding speakeasies proved to be difficult. Today, with the help of the internet, it is a lot simpler. If someone wishes to attend a speakeasy, they simply google “speakeasies near me” and lists and ratings of speakeasies in their town will appear. However, part of the charm is finding speakeasies the old fashion way, and some speakeasy goers still choose to stumble upon them.
Speakeasies provided a sanctuary for freedom and fun in the prohibition era and today it is no different. People can escape for the night and enter a new world, a secret world, the hidden world of speakeasies.
