Drink
A Neighbor Complained About the Noise. That’s Why the Bar Is Hidden｜and Why Stories Added Later Often Serve the Storyteller’s Interests.
In June 2024, Wine Enthusiast published a feature on hidden bars around the world, including Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires. According to the magazine, the bar was created by mixologist Renato Giovannoni and restaurateur Julián Díaz, and it conceals its entrance. Yet the hidden doorway was not designed to cultivate mystery; it was constructed because the previous tenant generated noise complaints from neighbors.
When people hear “hidden bar,” many think of the Prohibition era in the United States, which lasted from 1920 to 1933 and prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, among other things. But this bar began with a dispute with its neighbors. It is not something to boast about. That is precisely why it later becomes a clue.
The Speakeasy Aesthetic Became Part of the Show
The magazine says that hidden bars first emerged out of necessity during Prohibition and that some remained after it ended. It dates the start of today’s trend to the early 2000s, when craft cocktails spread and bars styled after the Prohibition era appeared around the world. Some adopted themes and décor to match, while others took on a 1920s look. Today’s speakeasy aesthetic, then, is not always a direct survival of past necessity; some of it was chosen anew as a form of presentation roughly seventy years later.
Even the term “speakeasy” carries a mundane origin. It came into use in the 1880s, and it simply described illicit, unlicensed saloons. It was born not of grand rebellion, but of administrative pragmatism.
When a Story Is Invented, You Can Usually Tell
At Foxglove in Hong Kong, the story is openly fictional. According to the magazine, the bar invented Frank Minza and designed its interior around him. The operating company describes him as an English gentleman and adventurer.
The issue is not that the story is fabricated, but that invented myths tend to flatter their creators. They offer dashing adventurers; they omit neighborhood disputes.
Inconvenient Details Are the Strongest Clues
Fiction and fact can be delivered with equal polish. Yet when stories are crafted after the event, creators rarely invent details that undermine their image.
When an unglamorous explanation persists, such as a noise complaint, a lack of funds for modern equipment, or a shortage of labor, it usually signals reality. These are not details born in a marketing department.
The Same Test Can Be Applied to Stories About Japanese Alcohol, Too
In Bangkok, discussions around Japanese sake and spirits often revolve around terms like tradition, craftsmanship, and terroir. While frequently true, these descriptors are also convenient for sales. Their presence alone guarantees little.
To discern genuine heritage, look deeper in two ways. First, examine historical records detailing why a specific technique was initially adopted. Second, note whether a brewery or distillery openly discusses its historical constraints, such as seasonal labor shortages, lack of capital to replace aging tanks, or failed harvests. When pragmatism sits alongside heritage, the narrative gains authenticity.
Until inconvenient realities are acknowledged, a story remains unverified. The noise complaint cited in the feature is not a romantic origin story. It does not prove the account on its own, but it gives you somewhere to start checking.
This article is intended solely to examine how the origins of the speakeasy format have been described and re-described over time, and does not aim to promote or encourage the consumption of alcohol. / บทความนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อพิจารณาว่าที่มาของรูปแบบบาร์แบบสปีคอีซีถูกอธิบายและถูกอธิบายใหม่อย่างไรตามกาลเวลา เพื่อเป็นข้อมูลความรู้เท่านั้น มิได้มีเจตนาเพื่อส่งเสริมหรือโฆษณาเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ สำหรับผู้มีอายุ 20 ปีขึ้นไป โปรดดื่มอย่างรับผิดชอบ
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