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Speakeasy in Dubai


I've just seen, that "Speakeasy" won the award as best new bar at the Time Out awards. I wasn't there yet - and even haven't heard yet from it - good job of them, you might think [as speakeasy's supposed to be clandestine]. The strange thing though was, that it was a Facebook post of DJ Lance, which brought me on that.

I searched the web - and directly found their very own website.
Which. Puts. Their. Name. To. Shame.

So Wednesday they have a ladies night. How in the name of hell, they would do a ladies night in a speakeasy? But it is not only that. I see bright colorful [hello artificial] drinks on there, and a dart board and a rowdish crowd with beers cheering; or "impressing" girls.

How is Dubai to screw up the character of a speakeasy bar?

Now, it is important to understand - what exactly a speakeasy is and why is it called like that [maybe the guys of the Ramada should have researched this as well and might just used a different name for their venue]?

Speakeasies were clandestine bars, which served alcohol, in the prohibition era in the United States.
Yes - there was no alcohol allowed in the US of A. It would be here too much to explain in length the political and society enmeshment of the noble experiment - but this is the reason, why you would look up the wikipedia article.

Anyway - as alcohol was prohibited and the bars obviously illegal, patrons supposed to keep silent, while drinking - and if the alcohol and other factors let somebody be too boisterous and loud, the bartender reminded the guest to "speak easy" to avoid discovery of the police.

Nowadays, speakeasies are a sign for cocktail revival and craft bartending. Usually there are also strict house rules, which ensure an adequate and sophisticated night out, where gents can practice their politeness and style and ladies remain unbothered of malapropos braggers.

Examples for speakeasies are Milk & Honey [both London & NYC], PDT, Employees only, Bourbon and Branch and so on - and well, you could blindly assume, that you could not count "Speakeasy" to them.



Comments

  1. truly enough,the decor and atmosphere do suggest a "speakeasy" as you might know it. However so, the picture on the site doesn't suggest so, and is false - there is no such. Well, with exciment when i first went there, I thought I would actually be at a speakeasy... But,not. It is more of a chilled sports bar with speakeasy undertones for lack of a better word. The bar is still on the rise,hence the award , bartenders are yet to be fully trained ans so on. Bottom line - it is a good bar, and not tarty a place to enjoy a drink without all the hustles.
    P.S - it's my current favorite, I'll snap some pics for you next time I drop by. (and it does one up the competition - studio 1 and the hub)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kagiso, thanks so much for your comment.
    Like said - it is sad, that they call it speakeasy, which is totally a mislabelling. Nothing against a casual sports bar.
    But if you see nowadays speakeasies, these are the very best, what bar culture has to offer. And it ain't that for sure.

    Will definitely pass by and will make my own picture. Anyway, I had for long time the project, to make a bar rating spreadsheet. It is just another reason, to go out :)

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