Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Luis Ayala with Snifter of Rum
Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Speakeasies
The name “speakeasy” refers to drinking establishments that resemble those from the US prohibition era. The name is the only thing today’s joints have in common with their predecessors, since the diversity and quality of the liquors available has changed drastically over the past century. The name is thought to be derived from the quiet, murmur-like tone of voice in which people referred to them, in an attempt to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the authorities.
Over the past few years I have visited my share of speakeasies, some of them take the clandestine theme a bit too far, focusing more on it than on the quality of the drinks they serve. Others masterfully recreate prohibition era cocktails but fail to visually transport you to that era. A few of them are able to do both gracefully and at a price that is likely to develop repeat clientele.
Despite the fact that I don’t frequent them as often as I could, I believe speakeasies play a very important role in today’s mixology scene. They are a constant reminder of a dark passage of American history (the “noble experiment”) and of the indomitable spirit of consumers who would not be denied of their libations regardless of the illegality of their consumption.
This month we celebrate Mardi Gras, a quintessential feast for all our senses. New Orleans, a city indelibly tied to Mardi Gras, was and continues to be home to noteworthy speakeasies. Some, like the city itself, have willingly evolved with the years, others have struggled to hold on to a past that is harder and harder to keep intact.
Wherever you happen to be, I invite you to find and visit a couple of speakeasies this month. While there, engage the bar staff, find out why they’ve selected the drinks on the menu and ask how many of these drinks were invented during prohibition. You will be surprised to learn that many of them were. Lucky for you, however, the quality of the ingredients today will make the drink a hundred times better than it would have been back then!
As you sip your cocktail, imagine having the constant fear of policeman busting through the door at any time, taking all present to jail for having committed the crime of consuming a mixed drink. You will experience prohibition, illegality, fear and finally joy once you realize it is all in the past.
Cheers!
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher