Hidden speakeasy brings Prohibition-era cocktails to Old Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A new bar in Old Sacramento invites customers to step back into the Prohibition era, though they may have to figure out how to get inside.
The 1920s Bookstore, a speakeasy hidden in a historic courtyard in Pioneer Square, features a bookstore-style entrance, low lighting and vintage furnishings. Owner San Bao said the secrecy surrounding the bar is intentional.
“I’m really fascinated by the idea of Prohibition,” Bao said. “I think it’s just a really fascinating bygone era.”
Behind the entrance, the space resembles a private study. A vintage record player, piano table and antique details surround a fully stocked bar serving cocktails tied to different periods of American history.
“It’s almost like a portal to the past,” bartender Jeenu Lo said.
The bar’s cocktail menu is presented as a book, with each chapter representing a different decade. It begins with drinks dating to the 1920s and includes classics such as the Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Bao said the menu is intended to offer customers more than a drink.
“I want the customer to learn more about what they are drinking,” Bao said. “I think it just makes the experience more interesting, and then they’d be more educated.”
Bartenders said the menu focuses on strong, simple cocktails prepared using traditional methods. Many contain less sugar than modern versions of the same drinks.
Bartender Aaron Price said the speakeasy’s slower, more intimate atmosphere gives him time to focus on each cocktail and connect with customers.
“I just love caring about each drink,” Price said. “That’s one thing I haven’t really gotten to experience being in the service industry too much, where I just put my heart and soul into this drink for this person that I get to have a conversation with right after.”
Bao acknowledged that opening a business can be challenging, but he believes the concept is a natural fit for Old Sacramento. He hopes the speakeasy will attract more visitors and help support other businesses in the historic district.
“We love Old Sac,” Bao said. “I have a lot of memories of Old Sac. I kind of grew up in Old Sac as well. So I want Old Sac to be up and coming and to be revived again.”
Lo said the setting can make it easy to forget what is outside.
“A lot of times when I’m working here, I forget even what modern-day Sacramento looks like,” Lo said.
The exact process for entering the speakeasy remains part of the mystery. Clues inside Pioneer Square involve a clock, written instructions, a telephone and a bookshelf.
“It’s a speakeasy,” Bao said. “They just have to find out themselves.”
The 1920s Bookstore is set to open to the public Friday following a series of preview events. Bao said discovering how to enter is intended to be part of the experience.
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” he said.
You can learn more about the space by clicking here.
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