With the secrets of New York from speakeasies

Legacy of Prohibition

From the beginning of the 19th century, a social movement for “tranquility” began in the United States, which advocated the fight against alcoholism, a scourge that was then considered the main cause of poverty and insecurity in the a country The Northern states quickly adopted this trend and introduced prohibition of alcohol into their legislation. So Maine in 1846, Vermont, Rhode Island and Minnesota in 1852 and ten more states in the following years. In 1916, more than half of the American states banned alcohol and in 1918, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, supported by the Volstead Apt, named after a Republican representative from Minnesota, extended prohibition to alcohol valid throughout the Union, prohibiting the manufacture, purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages, including ale and ale.

The birth of speakeasies

In the twenties, which were quickly nicknamed the Roaring Twenties, the end of the war and the feeling of the Roaring Twenties, encouraged the people to want to oppose this ban en masse, as that favors smuggling and the black market led by bootleggers and mafia groups. . If the poor rural population drew spirits secretly in mobile stills, the rich consumers and the bourgeoisie preferred the luxury and pleasure of private salons that then began to flourish, the speakeasies. Very quickly, Chicago and New York became the main smuggling centers of the country, controlled by the Sicilian mafia. In New York, tens of thousands of hidden bars are opening their doors, hiding behind secret doors that can only be entered by saying the right password.

New York, capital of speakeasies?

With Prohibition, New York became a center of organized crime, led by famous gangsters, including Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. Among the most famous talkeasies are the Stork Club on West 58th Street, the Puncheon Club on West 49th Street, the 21 Club on 21 W and 52nd Street, the El Fey Club on 123 West and 45th Street, the Intime Club also on Midtown and of course the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. As a result of the Wall Street crash of 1929, the failure of the expected effects of Prohibition, and the need to stop organized criminal activity, the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933 and the end of Prohibition.

The Back Room (left) and Please Don’t Tell (right)

Where do you go for a drink today in a speakeasy?

Today, it is still possible to rediscover the charm of the talkeasies by going for a drink in the establishments that followed this time of unrest and prohibition. The Bathtub gin, located at 132 9th Ave in Chelsea, hiding behind an unmarked door behind Stone Street Coffee Company. It is inspired by the Roaring Twenties, offers a wide selection of cocktails, especially around gin, and welcomes its customers to jazz music.

The Back Roomlocated at 102 Norfolk Street on the Lower East Side, is one of only two speakeasies in New York City that operated during Prohibition and are still in existence today. This establishment, hidden behind a secret door, has been the setting for several TV series, mainly broadcast by HBO, and hosts events organized by famous showbiz personalities.

By Please Don’t Tell or PDT is one of the most original in Manhattan in terms of access because you have to enter a number from a Pub Phone installed at a nearby hot dog vendor, Crif Dogs, to get to him Located at 113 St Marks Pl, in the heart of the East Village, the PDT is a small cocktail bar, decorated with red bricks and stuffed animal heads.

The Boudoir, located 135 Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn Heights, inspired by Marie Antoinette’s boudoir and private apartments at the Chateau de Versailles. A de facto access behind a shelf of old books. It offers a wide selection of cocktails and snacks and welcomes you in a musical setting of live jazz music.