Speakeasy 86 [2021] ★ < ESSENTIAL >

This is the heart of the identity. The bartenders here are not just pourers; they are mixologists and historians. The menu often features revived pre-Prohibition classics like the Aviation, the Corpse Reviver No. 2, and the Old Fashioned made exactly as it was in the 1880s.

Legend has it that crooked cops would call the bar before a raid and tell the bartender to "86" his guests.

A deconstructed sidecar. Bourbon, Cointreau, and lemon, but finished with a spray of Issey Miyake vintage cologne atomizer over the top of the glass. It smells like a 1920s library that someone just blasted with Drakkar Noir. speakeasy 86

Think Twin Peaks scored by Kavinsky . A muted saxophone wails over a drum machine's heartbeat. Sometimes, a 1920s ragtime piano solo is slowed down by 40% and layered with reverb until it sounds like a ghost singing through a car radio. The volume is kept at exactly 78 decibels—loud enough to drown out your neighbor's conversation, quiet enough that you can lean in and say something dangerous.

Inside, the walls are half-exposed brick, half-purple neon grid lines. A mahogany bar from a Brooklyn brownstone sits beneath a rotating mirrorball that casts shadows like pixelated rain. The patrons wear suspenders and Cyberdog crop tops. Zoot suits share floor space with ripped fishnets and jean jackets covered in Depeche Mode pins. This is the heart of the identity

Why are we obsessed with Speakeasy 86 right now? In the 1920s, speakeasies were a reaction to authoritarian puritanism. In 2025, Speakeasy 86 is a reaction to surveillance capitalism .

Cheers. Now get out. And don't post the address online. 2, and the Old Fashioned made exactly as it was in the 1880s

. It is said that when the police were about to raid the bar, a friendly officer would call and tell the staff to "86" their guests

Unlike traditional speakeasies that hide behind false facades (a hot dog stand, a laundromat), a Speakeasy 86 establishment often hides in plain sight—behind a vintage refrigerator door in a record store, or through a phone booth in a "closed" video rental shop.

If there isn't one near you, create the vibe. For your next gathering, follow these "86" commandments:

There are several theories regarding the etymology of the term, each adding a layer of mystique to the brand:

This is the heart of the identity. The bartenders here are not just pourers; they are mixologists and historians. The menu often features revived pre-Prohibition classics like the Aviation, the Corpse Reviver No. 2, and the Old Fashioned made exactly as it was in the 1880s.

Legend has it that crooked cops would call the bar before a raid and tell the bartender to "86" his guests.

A deconstructed sidecar. Bourbon, Cointreau, and lemon, but finished with a spray of Issey Miyake vintage cologne atomizer over the top of the glass. It smells like a 1920s library that someone just blasted with Drakkar Noir.

Think Twin Peaks scored by Kavinsky . A muted saxophone wails over a drum machine's heartbeat. Sometimes, a 1920s ragtime piano solo is slowed down by 40% and layered with reverb until it sounds like a ghost singing through a car radio. The volume is kept at exactly 78 decibels—loud enough to drown out your neighbor's conversation, quiet enough that you can lean in and say something dangerous.

Inside, the walls are half-exposed brick, half-purple neon grid lines. A mahogany bar from a Brooklyn brownstone sits beneath a rotating mirrorball that casts shadows like pixelated rain. The patrons wear suspenders and Cyberdog crop tops. Zoot suits share floor space with ripped fishnets and jean jackets covered in Depeche Mode pins.

Why are we obsessed with Speakeasy 86 right now? In the 1920s, speakeasies were a reaction to authoritarian puritanism. In 2025, Speakeasy 86 is a reaction to surveillance capitalism .

Cheers. Now get out. And don't post the address online.

. It is said that when the police were about to raid the bar, a friendly officer would call and tell the staff to "86" their guests

Unlike traditional speakeasies that hide behind false facades (a hot dog stand, a laundromat), a Speakeasy 86 establishment often hides in plain sight—behind a vintage refrigerator door in a record store, or through a phone booth in a "closed" video rental shop.

If there isn't one near you, create the vibe. For your next gathering, follow these "86" commandments:

There are several theories regarding the etymology of the term, each adding a layer of mystique to the brand: