Kerry and Kim Hammond visited Atlanta on a girls’ trip and were on the lookout for speakeasies. See what they found.
In the Edgewood neighborhood of downtown Atlanta lies a pizza parlor called Pizzeria Vesuvius. It’s a non-descript kind of place, but if you walk to the back and turn left at the red curtains—as if you were headed to the restroom—you will see a bookcase built into the wall. It looks slightly out of place, and if you try to remove a book you will notice that they are glued in place.
Grab the edge of the bookcase and pull, and you will enter the Edgewood Speakeasy. The bar was decorated for Halloween with crime scene tape and a blood spatter weapon garland. The place is dimly lit and full of carved wood. It’s what I would imagine a speakeasy to look like back in the day. There are liquor bottles lining the shelf above the bar and we scanned them to decide what to order.
Rather than order off the menu, we decided to go a different route. I chose my favorite drink, a slightly dirty gin martini with three olives. Kim told the bartender what flavors she liked and he created a punch flavored drink containing Captain Morgan, Amaretto, Pineapple juice, and Grenadine. Super tasty.
The bar frequently offers DJ entertainment, so check their Facebook listing before you go.
What Are Speakeasies?
Speakeasies were secret bars that sprang up when the United States outlawed alcohol in 1919.
Most speakeasies were housed in unmarked locations, many required a password to get in and some may have even moved from place to place to stay ahead of the law. Many think the name came from patrons being told to "speakeasy" or to lower their voices so no one suspected they were serving alcohol.
Today, there are many modern speakeasies that retain some of these traditions. Usually they feature fresh ingredients in their food and drink, and though the secrecy is no longer needed, many are in discreet locations that lack signage. Some even require passwords.
Loved the entrance to this. Not as cool as the British phone booth but close a-la-Scooby Doo.
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