The real McCoy

In January 1920,the Volstead Act (or “the nobel experiment”,as President Woodrow Wilson called it) was ratified to enforce the 18th Amendment in the US Constitution,calling for a national prohibition of alcohol. It was repealed 13 years later. During its heydays,Prohibition had an impact on American society,touching crime,women’s empowerment and a host of other issues. One of the most popular and enduring features to emerge from this period (apart from jokes about gangster Al Capone’s weight) was the speakeasy. Also known as the blind pig or blind tiger,these were establishments serving alcohol illegally,which could only be accessed through codes and passwords. Here,as men thumbed their suspenders and women let down their hair,the cocktail culture (since drinks had to perforce be disguised) flowered as did the beginnings of women’s emancipation. The speakeasy remained popular in the US and Europe and are now spreading surreptitious roots in India.

The Dirtiest Martini

As Capone (or his bartender) might have said,“you can’t have a dirty martini without an olive.” The good folks at Olive Bar and Kitchen evidently took these words to heart when they launched Dirty Martini in late-2012. Though not technically a speakeasy — you don’t need a password to enter and instead of being tucked away in a basement,it sprawls langourously,almost ostentatiously,over two floors including a beautiful terrace — it has all the tone and tassels of a 1920’s blind pig,albeit an ultra-luxe one. From the furniture to the music to the food and drinks,the Dirty Martini is truly a place outside of the time and space continuum,taking you back to the Roaring Twenties in full,tongue-in-cheek defiance of party-pooper physicists.

See You in Dreams

In one of the more remote markets of Gurgaon is a heavy metal door studded with a peep-hole. A sign on its side announces “to enter,knock three times”. On doing so,one enters and descends a staircase into a basement dominated by pictures of Prohibition-era gangsters,panoramic shots of the skylines of Chicago and New York,and scribbling of facts from the 1920s. Cocktails and Dreams is the first (though definitely not the last) speakeasy in Gurgaon,and apart from the lack of a password,it has all the nitty-gritties of an underground saloon. While the food is typical American bar food,it’s the drinks menu that really gets one’s attention. Apart from the 12 signature 1920’s cocktails,patrons are encouraged to go up to the bartenders and name their poison. The bartenders do the rest,serving up cocktails tailored to your taste buds. I dream of gin-nie?

The Real Deal

In the quiet residential backwaters of Vasant Vihar lies a mysterious space known only as PCO. Located in a deep basement,only accessible by a password,it is so far Delhi’s only true speakeasy. No inspiration or imitation,this one’s the real deal. The management is tight-lipped even on the exact location,insisting it remain only in the knowledge of the city’s cognoscenti. Accessed by punching in a code into a discreet door (which is SMS-ed to you once you make a reservation),you enter a dimly-lit space,where jazz,whiskey and conversation permeate the air in equal amounts. Plush leather walls and chintz furniture complete the Prohibition-era look and feel. Now all you need is a pair of spats and a monocle.