Hushed voices, dimmed lights. The sound of a cocktail being mixed, a waiter deftly weaving between the tables to bring sharing plates to a couple seated in an alcove. At one time the patrons of such a bar would be ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, wary of police raids. But it’s not Prohibition, that period (a much shorter time in Canada than the U.S.) was in the early 20th century when alcohol sales were banned. So what defines a speakeasy-style bar in 2026?
Just like the days when such an establishment was illegal, speakeasies can still be found behind camouflaged doors. “The ‘bookcase’ is fully closed, you have no idea until you’re entering.” says Jill Van Allen, the assistant general manager at Alchemy, a speakeasy-style bar inside the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District hotel. “It’s a fun experience, seeing the expressions of everyone surprised when it does open, and then inside being super small. It makes it quite intimate.”
You can, of course, locate Alchemy on Google Maps or through hotel signage, and its liquor sales are wholly on the up-and-up. What sets it apart as a speakeasy rather than any other bar is the curated vibe of the space, the attention to detail from the staff and having rare bottles stocked that you wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere in the city, explains Van Allen.
The term speakeasy comes from literally “speaking easy” (i.e., casually) about illegal establishments to avoid them being shut down. The modern version has its roots in New York City and the craft cocktail renaissance of the early 2000s. Bars like Angel’s Share and Milk & Honey in New York and the Aviary in Chicago introduced precision bartending and molecular gastronomy to push the bounds of what a drink could be. Fast forward to 2026, and speakeasy-style bars at home are still innovating.
“We do a lot of infusions. We have one called Funky Music that has a goat cheese clarification to give it a different flair,” says Van Allen. “We have an ‘I Dare You’ menu, which is quite pricey with drinks starting at $50 and one going all the way up to $1,000.” If you’re looking to spend that much, get the Louis XIII 24K Old Fashioned, mixing together Rémy Martin Louis XIII cognac, angostura bitters and gold leaf. For patrons looking to explore but spend a little less, $50 will buy the Cambridge Truffle Negroni, a spin on the Italian classic with Cambridge Truffle gin, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth and Campari Cask Tales.
Van Allen says part of running a speakeasy-style bar successfully lies in reading what different patrons want. “Some are here to immerse themselves in each other, for them you need to be a little bit invisible,” she says. “Then there are the cocktail nerds who want to talk and know everything at the bar.”
A modern speakeasy sets the mood by creating a clandestine space hidden inside another business, like Alchemy inside the Marriott. Other such hidden bars in Edmonton are Little Hong Kong inside Bajiu, Fu’s Repair Shop with it’s retro-vibe entryway and pop vending machine doorway and the Red Door inside of The Art of Cake.
