From Prohibition-era hideaways to moody basement bars and in-the-know drinking dens, Savannah’s love affair with mischief and mixology is alive and well — no password required.
Written by Allison Arbuthnot Sanders
Savannah is well known as a great place to get a good drink, but historically, its relationship with the bottle is more of a torrid affair than a Hallmark love story. The fraught relationship began just two years after the colony of Georgia was founded, when an official decree forbidding the sale of strong liquor was issued in 1735.
Although the effort lasted just seven years, it was the first of many that would make its way across the desks of Georgia lawmakers, eventually culminating in a statewide prohibition bill in August 1907, 13 years before the nationwide ban known as Prohibition, capital P, was enacted in 1920. Even after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Georgia kept their statewide ban for another two years.
Given this history, if one is tempted to conclude that Savannah was a fairly dry city in the early 20th century, one would be forgiven. Savannah was then, as now, sopping wet. In fact, the City of Savannah was so against the 1907 regulation that it threatened to secede and become its own state. Instead, the port city surrounded by serpentine rivers and creeks made the most of its geography by funneling so much bootleg booze into the region that it established itself anew as the “Bootleg Spigot of the South.”
Courtesy the American Prohibition Museum
Local lore is rich with stories of rum runners, from famous Chicago mobster Al Capone to “The Savannah Four,” a small family affair with a broad reach. It is also rich with stories of speakeasies, clandestine watering holes tucked behind secret doors where in-the-know patrons could imbibe illicit beverages safe from the prying eyes of pesky law enforcement.
Although Prohibition was repealed 91 years ago, the tradition of Savannah’s speakeasies — and the exclusive, sly ethos they embody — has never been stronger. This is especially true at the American Prohibition Museum in City Market, the only museum in the country dedicated to the history of Prohibition.
“It seems that speakeasies are becoming very trendy again, but specifically a modern take on the speakeasy,” says Val Ziegler, head bartender at the American Prohibition Museum and the museum’s own speakeasy, Congress Street Up. “I think it has to do with the renaissance of a lot of forgotten classic cocktails. People are feeling nostalgic for a different time right now, and that nostalgia has birthed a contemporary take on a lot of abandoned traditions.”
Museum tours conclude in Congress Street Up, which is designed as a true-to-life 1920s speakeasy, complete with period music, costumed barstaff, and an authentic menu. During museum hours, the bar offers a set menu of Prohibition-era cocktails including classic favorites like Old Fashioneds and Mint Juleps, along with some most people have never heard of, such as the Mary Pickford or a Brown Derby.
“This allows for an additional learning opportunity for our guests as well as a chance for guests to step out of their comfort zones,” explains Ziegler. “For example, we don’t serve vodka or tequila during the day because they had not been imported from their respective origins around the time period we’re trying to present. We have many people who are what I call ‘gin-phobic’ fall in love with gin once we teach them the difference between a dry gin and a botanical gin and mix it into a cocktail they love.” A very popular nightly cocktail class is also available for guests who want to bring the speakeasy into their own kitchen.
Photo courtesy The Escape Company
Down on River Street, inquisitive imbibers can also find Prohibition-inspired cocktail classes at The Bootlegger Speakeasy. Located within the historic River Street Inn, the Bootlegger opened its doors in early 2024. In addition to its twice daily happy hour (11 a.m.–4 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday) and First Friday Roaring ’20s Night (20% off drinks for those in 1920s attire), The Bootlegger is known for two main things: its Roosevelt’s Smoked Old Fashioned and its ghosts.
The Bootlegger’s Old Fashioned is, as River Street Inn Food and Beverage Director Lee Trammell puts it, “quite a show.” The camera-ready cocktail is one of several that you can learn to make yourself in its private cocktail classes, where participants can customize their drink from the type of bitters and bourbon to the type of wood chip used to smoke it. You even get to take home the torch.
Photo by Shot By Somi
As for the ghosts, “The Bootlegger is part of our almost 230-year-old building and is very much said to be haunted,” says Mary Carley, general manager of River Street Inn. “We’ve had paranormal investigators there multiple times telling us the same stories.” The Inn is planning to introduce a paranormal experience in the coming weeks, which will include a visit to The Bootlegger — and, just maybe, with one of its two resident apparitions.
For those looking for speakeasy-themed thrills of a less spectral nature, The Escape Company offers a “Savannah Speakeasy” escape room, in addition to its own speakeasy, The Hideaway. “It’s one of the more popular escape rooms,” says Hideaway bartender Nefeli Feyd. Although The Hideaway is not 1920s themed, the escape room certainly is. “Participants play the role of detectives trying to infiltrate the speakeasy and stop bootleggers from distributing Tommy guns on the street,” explains Feyd. While it’s a heart-pumping activity, it’s still suitable for all ages. “All of our rooms are Girl Scout approved,” shares Feyd.
Photo by Kelly Calvillo // Courtesy Midnight Auteur
Savannah’s Non-Speakeasy “Speakeasies”
Beyond true era-themed speakeasies, Savannah has no shortage of moody, exclusive, speakeasy-style bars, like the Peacock Lounge. “While we don’t lean heavily on the ‘speakeasy’ label in our official branding, as we prefer to let the atmosphere speak for itself, we certainly embrace the identity,” says Holly Smith, marketing manager for Rhino Hospitality Group, parent company of the Peacock Lounge. “We are a sophisticated, subterranean lounge tucked away beneath the street level, creating that classic ‘hidden gem’ feel. We honor the spirit of the speakeasy era through intimacy, a focus on craft, and a sense of discovery for those who find us.”
The Hot Eye is Savannah’s newest underground lounge. Hidden beneath the Municipal Grand hotel, the sexy space — picture a sleek black bar and red walls — is not just any hotel bar. “It’s meant to be a place for Savannah,” says head bartender Alexis Cooper. “For the SCAD community, for industry friends, for anyone looking for an offbeat spot that feels a little electric and alive.”
Another Historic District hot spot with speakeasy vibes is the Alley Cat Lounge, known for its extensive house cocktail list built using culinary-driven techniques (think interesting infusions and creative flavor combinations). “We don’t consider ourselves to be a speakeasy,” says bar manager Chris Schofield. “Just a bar in a basement with some good vibes and even better cocktails. What I think draws people to Alley Cat is they get an experience tailored by expertise without pretension on the subject.”
Finally, the newcomer to the chic basement bar scene (still in the works at the time of writing): V, the underground lounge below the new Italian fine dining restaurant La Vetta. While also not a speakeasy in the traditional sense, the back-alley access and discreet entrance lends definite in-the-know vibes. “Our vision for V is an elegantly moody cocktail lounge washed in warm tones,” says Marley Davis of Southern Cross Hospitality, La Vetta’s parent company.
Nearly a century after Prohibition ended, Savannah’s relationship with alcohol remains delightfully complicated: part rebellion, part ritual, part art form. Down the city’s famous narrow alleys and harrowing staircases, the city continues to toast its past while reinventing it, proving that some traditions are too spirited to ever truly disappear.
