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Prohibition, the “alcohol-free” period in American history between 1919 and 1933, is fully gripping the nation’s imagination with television shows, movies and books documenting the time. In Philadelphia, the social set is partaking in the commemorative Prohibition party at bars, restaurants and shops offering secret entrances, classic cocktails and liqueur-soaked sweets. Here are some places where the mystique of Prohibition lives on.
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Old Fashioned @ Franklin Mortgage & Investment
112 S 18th St Rittenhouse Sq Philadelphia, PA
Patrons shouldn’t be offended if a bouncer makes them wait on the sidewalk for entry into the swank, below-ground temple to liquid luxury—it’s just Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.’s way of ensuring that each one of its guests has a seat on a leather banquette. It’s only appropriate that the lucky few who get to partake in the hushed atmosphere, hand-chipped ice and elaborately constructed throwback cocktails have a chance to enjoy them properly. After all, the bar is named after the business that fronted for the country’s largest Prohibition-era alcohol ring, which was based right in Philadelphia.
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Manhattan @ Ranstead Room
2013 Ranstead St. Philadelphia, Pa
To find the chandelier-bedecked, gold-accented, leather-bound Ranstead Room in its back-alley hideaway, party-goers must scour Ranstead Street for a red-brick façade, a dark door and two adjoining “R’s” painted on the portal. Once the entrance is spotted, there’s still another set of doors to cross before reaching the subdued and classy interior, where craft cocktail specialists shake and stir their way into people’s hearts.
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Rye Whiskey @ Village Whiskey
118 S 20th St Philadelphia, PA
Iron Chef Jose Garces recreates a 1930s Windy City saloon with Village Whiskey—complete with décor that’s evocative of the period and bartenders who dress the part. Garces distills his drinks into “Prohibition” and “Repeal” categories, with the former describing drinks inspired but not conceived during the 1920s and ’30s, and the latter indicating recipes that were invented just after the 21st Amendment repeal of the 18th Amendment. Village Whiskey lives up to its name with a dozen selections of rye whiskey, one of the spirits that formed the centerpiece of Al Capone’s bootlegging empire.
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Absinthe @ TIME
1315 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA
The aesthetic centerpiece of Time restaurant is a 1930s chandelier, but what truly sets this parlour apart is its whiskey lounge—serving seven varieties of rye—and its Bohemian Absinthe Lounge. Visitors climb the stairs to enter a Parisian-style salon where patrons go to relax over the sounds of a DJ and the ritual of preparing absinthe from a two-or-four-person tower.
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Tom Collins @ southwark restaurant
701 South 4th Street Philadelphia, PA
One of the first bars to pioneer the classic cocktail craze in Philadelphia was Southwark Restaurant, whose menu runs wild with old-fashioned drinks like the Pisco Sour, Sidecar, Gimlet and Tom Collins. For purists, almost 30 rye whiskeys line the menu, and 20 variations of gin keep the liquid staple of Prohibition alive and pouring.
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Pink Moon @ Chick's Cafe & Wine Bar Inc
614 South 7th Street Philadelphia, PA
At Chick’s Cafe & Wine Bar, bartenders concoct fresh versions of old classics using absinthe, the licorice-like spirit popular amongst pre-war expats that was, until recently, banned in the United States. Devoted to interpretations of classic cocktails, Chick’s adds drama to the cityscape with drinks like the Pink Moon, a mix of Bluecoat gin, Vieux Carré absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters and fresh grapefruit juice.
