Well, we are living in exciting times this decade, but 100 years ago the 1920s are known as “The Roaring Twenties” in the United States of America, with plenty of turmoil, economic and social unrest. Across the Pond, the US government of the day decided to introduce laws to stop the manufacture, transportation and selling of all alcohol. Yes, all alcohol. This was known as “Prohibition”, which lasted for over a decade from the beginning of 1920. It was seen as an “experiment” and had a huge impact on the American society and economy.
Interestingly, the actual consumption of alcohol itself was not a crime, but because of the stringent ban the sale of alcohol went underground, quite literally in many towns, as saloons and bars on the high street closed and hard to find, illegal drinking holes called “speakeasies” grew up. Many people were desperate to have a drink and turned to making alcohol themselves – known as moonshine, hooch, bathtub gin or bootleg. As demand increased, many criminal gangs took advantage of the growing secret market, and organised crime networks evolved, with some very famous members of the Mob gaining notoriety during this time. The lure of doing something illegal and secretive, having to find well-hidden speakeasies, giving a password to gain entry, and drinking out of teapots became part of everyday life for many Americans. After the First World War, and the looming depression, people wanted to let their hair down and let rip.
Speakeasies have also become popular drinking establishments this side of the Atlantic. Beyond the Map London are creating a new event to join their existing popular Walking Tours and Tavern Tours to enable you to experience the fun of these hidden places and excellent drinking establishments. The first tour planned is based around the City of London and takes up many of the classic speakeasy themes – secret drinking holes where you may need to work out a code or have a password to gain admittance, opportunities to be immersed in the jazz age, some amazing cocktails, many of which originated in the 20s as they used mixers and herbal or sweet concoctions to try to mask the “hooch”, which might not have been drinkable by itself. We suggest you make sure you know how to get home before you start the evening as you will be in for a good night.
The event includes fascinating venues with a quiz about Prohibition, the jazz age, and some interesting local facts. Feel free to dress up in the spirit of the age too. Flappers and Big Cheeses are sure to have a memorable night out.
The first Speakeasy tour is coming on-stream early in 2023, so don’t be a schmuck and keep an eye on the BTML website for more information when it goes live.
Some of the venues are intimate and get booked up so we recommend that you book your slot in the speakeasies beforehand, especially at busy weekends. We provide information on how to do this when you purchase the tour.