My spouse and I visited the Speakeasy at the Omni William
Penn on a Saturday evening in late November 2016. The venue is open daily
beginning at 5:00 pm. On the night that we visited, a crowd had formed outside
the doors prior to opening time, and within 30 minutes, patrons occupied all
seats and tables.
In the
1920s, a speakeasy was
a hidden “gin joint”, a place where alcoholic beverages were illegally sold
during the period of Prohibition. Speakeasies were born in Pennsylvania in
1888, when the Brooks High-License Act raised the state fee for a saloon
license from $50 to $500. The number of licensed bars plummeted, but some
barkeeps continued to operate unlicensed. One such owner, when her patrons got
too rowdy, hushed them in a hoarse whisper saying, “speak easy boys, speak
easy!”
Tucked
discreetly under a staircase that leads to up to the lobby of the Omni William
Penn, the below-ground Speakeasy space served as a storeroom for decades;
however, its original use was that of a speakeasy, and the new venue resides
exactly where the old bar was located in the 1920s. In fact, part of the mahogany bar
is original, and a display case near the bar contains old
whiskey bottles distilled for the hotel in the early 1910s. The modern-day Speakeasy opened
on December 5, 2012 to mark the 79th
anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. The dimly lit lounge (which does not contain a
television) features low lighting, plush scarlet seating options (shared
leather banquettes, leather chairs, stuffed armchairs), lounge tables, and
small cocktail tables, flocked wall paper, and a tin roof to produce a dark,
cozy, and private atmosphere. The bar separates the main lounge area from a smaller
sitting area behind the bar. The architect created a
historically accurate environment that includes an escape route in the event of
a police raid. We stayed at the Omni dozens of times over
the past 20+ years when this space functioned as a storage room, so we are
pleasedl to see it returned to its original purpose.
The
Speakeasy serves cocktails from the 1920s era, including the Rob Roy, Old
Fashioned, Absinthe, Highball, Collins, and Sour, as well as beer and wine. We
ordered an Apricot Sparkling Gimlet (apricot and maraschino cherry liqueurs, fresh lime juice, and sparkling
wine) and a beer, along with a snack (pate). The food menu is limited: a
meat and cheese board (available only on weekends), pate (a meat spread served with
grated cheese, cornichons, blackberry compote, and pita bread), hummus,
mozzarella, and pickled sours (marinated olives, peppers, and cauliflower).
We enjoyed our happy hour at The Speakeasy at the Omni
William Penn because it offers something unique downtown.
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