Denver Speakeasy: Prohibition

Kerry Hammond is always on the lookout for new speakeasies, and she recently found a bar that celebrates the repeal of the 1920 ban on alcohol. You can find other Mystery Playground visits to modern speakeasies around the country here. 

During the Prohibition years from 1920 to 1933, alcoholic beverages were illegal in the United States, but it wasn't too hard to find a drink. One of the easiest ways was to find a speakeasy—a hidden bar that served bootleg liquor and that often required a password to get in. Legend has it that the name speakeasy came from patrons being told to “speak easy,” or softly, so the police wouldn’t hear the party.

When the Volstead Act, which put Prohibition in place, was repealed in 1933. But if you want to revisit that time in a new way, you have your chance because modern speakeasies have popped up all over the country. These bars take the mystery and romance of history and create a fun atmosphere. 

There are lots of speakeasies across the country, and the bloggers at Mystery Playground have made it their mission to visit each and every one of them. We even like to visit bars that celebrate the era and I found one in Denver called, of all things, Prohibition.

Prohibition is located on one of Denver’s most colorful streets, Colfax Avenue, and only a few blocks from the Denver capital building. You don't need a password to get in, but the bar's front door is imposing. The place is decorated with prohibition era newspaper articles and photos. My favorite was the sign that stated the premises was closed for violation of the Prohibition Act.

Their drink menu contains many of the staples of a probation era bar, including the Sazerac and Negroni. I chose the Colfax Reviver, a play on the Corpse Reviver but Denver style. It contained St. George Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, Leopold’s Blackberry and Absinthe.

If your city has a speakeasy or a bar that celebrates the end of prohibition, consider checking it out.