Ever heard of a speakeasy? Secret bars are a captivating trend in city nightlife, increasingly sought after and now widespread in many cities. Argot is the speakeasy in the heart of Rome that pays homage to literature, music and the art of good drinking. Read on and find out how to access the unique Argot experience.
What is a speakeasy
Speakeasies are peculiar cocktail bars, most of the time secret and only accessible by word of mouth or strict rules. These exclusive secret bars can be found in unsuspecting corners of cities, with anonymous, inconspicuous entrances, and offer the lucky guests who manage to get in drinks lists of the highest quality that honour the cult of mixology.
Something intriguing about secret bars is their retro atmospheres, often inspired by the Roaring Twenties. This makes speakeasy bars perfect locations for themed evenings with special dress codes. Most often, entering a speakeasy gives one the feeling of immersing oneself in another era, thanks to the vintage Great Gatsby-style décor and the typical swing music, of those years.
History of speakeasies in the 1920s
The history of speakeasies begins in the 1920s, during American Prohibition when the US government decided to ban alcohol, prohibiting its production, trade and, of course, consumption.
In response to prohibition, as the history books teach us, the demand for alcohol did not collapse. On the contrary, smuggling and the black market, orchestrated by the organised underworld, spread, as did a number of clandestine establishments where alcoholic beverages were served illegally.
This is how speakeasies were born, secret bars, most of the time hidden in the backrooms of shops or private homes, where alcohol could be consumed in total discretion and privacy.
Origin of the name speakeasy
Legend has it that the name speakeasy is even older and dates back to the days of illegal saloons in the late 19th century. More specifically, the name is said to echo the admonition to lower your voice, “Speak easy, boys!”, of a notorious Pittsburgh innkeeper so that her illicit activities would not be discovered.
According to another reconstruction, speak easy was the tip that, during the Prohibition era, bartenders in speakeasies used to give customers to order alcohol inconspicuously.
How to get into a secret bar
Whatever the origin of the name, the peculiarity taken from today’s perfectly legal speakeasies, that makes them truly fascinating, is their secrecy.
Hidden entrances, often connected to unsuspected commercial establishments, soft lighting and privacy are elements that cannot be missing in a speakeasy. In some cases, these are real exclusive clubs that can only be accessed through a watchword or password, often spread by word of mouth or by private invitation.
Secret cocktail bar, watchword: mixology
If you are a mixology enthusiast, you cannot fail to try the secret bar experience. In fact, what distinguishes these exclusive venues is also the range of refined spirits of the highest quality. In a speakeasy you can enjoy cult cocktails and unique creations by experienced and passionate bartenders.
After all, it is said that the art of mixology moves its first steps precisely from the mixtures arranged by clandestine bartenders to disguise spirits and liqueurs, as the Long Island legend suggests.
Argot, the secret bar hidden in the centre of Rome
Among the capital’s secret bars, Argot offers a unique experience. Inspired not by 1920s Prohibitionism, but by the French courts of miracles, Argot reminds of a real Parisian salon, with leather sofas, baroque decorations and soft lighting, where literature, music and the art of good drinking are at the centre.
Argot was the word for the coded slang spoken by beggars, gangsters and poets in the miracle courts of 17th-century Paris. The same atmosphere of conviviality, stripped of course of all criminal aspects, has been recreated in the Roman secret bar.
At Argot, every detail pays homage to art, starting with the drink list. The name Flusso di coscienza (Stream of consciousness) refers to the narrative technique introduced by the great writers of the 20th century, from James Joyce to Jack Kerouac, from whom Argot’s bartenders draw inspiration for the creative and unconstrained formulation of their blends and drinks.
