A speakeasy is a place that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. The word speakeasy may have come from 19th-century England and Ireland, where illegal drinking establishments were called "speak-softly shops," because customers had to be quiet to avoid detection. Speakeasies became widespread in the United States during Prohibition (1920–33), when alcohol was outlawed. They ranged from modest establishments to glamorous nightclubs and contributed to the rise of organized crime. Speakeasies also caused a dramatic shift in the way women consumed alcohol. Today, legal bars are modeled on historical speakeasies, offering a more intimate and relaxed experience.

Why did speakeasies become popular in the United States?

Speakeasies became popular in the United States due to the Prohibition era , which outlawed alcohol under the Eighteenth Amendment . Despite the ban, many Americans still wanted to drink, leading to the rise of illegal establishments known as speakeasies. These establishments ranged from simple setups in basements to glamorous nightclubs, with an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 in New York City alone. Speakeasies often had safety measures like passwords for entry, and some even had ways to destroy evidence of alcohol. While saloons were legally barred from serving women in some states before Prohibition, speakeasies actively welcomed female patrons, contributing to a shift in drinking culture.

How did speakeasies differ from regular saloons?

Speakeasies and saloons both served alcohol, but they operated under different circumstances. Saloons were legal establishments, while speakeasies were illegal bars that emerged during the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-1933). Speakeasies were known for their secrecy, often requiring a password or a special knock for admittance. They arose from the Eighteenth Amendment , which outlawed alcohol, leading to the proliferation of these hidden establishments. Though illegal, speakeasies had a significant impact, changing how women consumed alcohol and contributing to the rise of organized crime.

What was Prohibition, and how did it affect speakeasies and saloons?

Prohibition in the United States, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, outlawed the production, sale, and transport of alcoholic drinks. Saloons, as places that sold alcohol, were legally shut down. However, the demand for alcohol led to the rise of speakeasies , illegal and secretive drinking establishments. Speakeasies varied from simple setups in basements to glamorous nightclubs and contributed to the rise of organized crime because gangsters often owned the bars or sold them bootlegged alcohol. After Prohibition ended with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, saloons could operate legally again, and speakeasies largely disappeared.

How did people secretly enter and operate speakeasies?

During Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933), speakeasies emerged as illegal establishments for selling alcohol. Gaining entry often required secret knocks or passwords. Once inside, patrons were expected to "speak easy" or quietly to avoid attracting attention. Operating a speakeasy involved precautions against detection, including bribing police and government officials. Some establishments, like the 21 Club in New York, had elaborate systems to destroy evidence during raids. Despite their illegality, speakeasies had a significant impact, contributing to the rise of organized crime and changing the way women consumed alcohol in public.

In what ways did speakeasies influence American culture and nightlife?

Speakeasies, born from the Prohibition era, significantly shaped American culture and nightlife. They revolutionized how women engaged with alcohol and nightlife, as speakeasies actively welcomed female patrons, a departure from pre-Prohibition norms where women were often barred from saloons. These establishments fostered a relaxed, intimate social atmosphere, offering amenities like restaurants and dancing, which paved the way for modern nightlife trends. Moreover, speakeasies inadvertently fueled the rise of organized crime, with many connected to gangsters who either owned the bars or supplied them with bootlegged alcohol. While the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 led to their decline, speakeasies have seen a revival in the 21st century, influencing the design and ambiance of contemporary bars seeking a retro, intimate experience.

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Also called:: blind pig or gin joint

Related Topics:: moonshine; prohibition; bootlegging

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speakeasy

saloon

Also known as: blind pig, gin joint

Written by

Amy Tikkanen

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Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 26, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a speakeasy?
A speakeasy is a place that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. The word speakeasy may have come from 19th-century England and Ireland, where illegal drinking establishments were called "speak-softly shops," because customers had to be quiet to avoid detection.

Speakeasies became widespread in the United States during Prohibition (1920–33), when alcohol was outlawed. They ranged from modest establishments to glamorous nightclubs and contributed to the rise of organized crime. Speakeasies also caused a dramatic shift in the way women consumed alcohol. Today, legal bars are modeled on historical speakeasies, offering a more intimate and relaxed experience.
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1. Definition of speakeasy
2. speakeasy
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Why did speakeasies become popular in the United States?
Speakeasies became popular in the United States due to the Prohibition era, which outlawed alcohol under the Eighteenth Amendment. Despite the ban, many Americans still wanted to drink, leading to the rise of illegal establishments known as speakeasies. These establishments ranged from simple setups in basements to glamorous nightclubs, with an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 in New York City alone.

Speakeasies often had safety measures like passwords for entry, and some even had ways to destroy evidence of alcohol. While saloons were legally barred from serving women in some states before Prohibition, speakeasies actively welcomed female patrons, contributing to a shift in drinking culture.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did speakeasies differ from regular saloons?
Speakeasies and saloons both served alcohol, but they operated under different circumstances. Saloons were legal establishments, while speakeasies were illegal bars that emerged during the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-1933). Speakeasies were known for their secrecy, often requiring a password or a special knock for admittance. They arose from the Eighteenth Amendment, which outlawed alcohol, leading to the proliferation of these hidden establishments. Though illegal, speakeasies had a significant impact, changing how women consumed alcohol and contributing to the rise of organized crime.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What was Prohibition, and how did it affect speakeasies and saloons?
Prohibition in the United States, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, outlawed the production, sale, and transport of alcoholic drinks. Saloons, as places that sold alcohol, were legally shut down. However, the demand for alcohol led to the rise of speakeasies, illegal and secretive drinking establishments. Speakeasies varied from simple setups in basements to glamorous nightclubs and contributed to the rise of organized crime because gangsters often owned the bars or sold them bootlegged alcohol. After Prohibition ended with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, saloons could operate legally again, and speakeasies largely disappeared.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did people secretly enter and operate speakeasies?
During Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933), speakeasies emerged as illegal establishments for selling alcohol. Gaining entry often required secret knocks or passwords. Once inside, patrons were expected to "speak easy" or quietly to avoid attracting attention.

Operating a speakeasy involved precautions against detection, including bribing police and government officials. Some establishments, like the 21 Club in New York, had elaborate systems to destroy evidence during raids. Despite their illegality, speakeasies had a significant impact, contributing to the rise of organized crime and changing the way women consumed alcohol in public.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
In what ways did speakeasies influence American culture and nightlife?
Speakeasies, born from the Prohibition era, significantly shaped American culture and nightlife. They revolutionized how women engaged with alcohol and nightlife, as speakeasies actively welcomed female patrons, a departure from pre-Prohibition norms where women were often barred from saloons. These establishments fostered a relaxed, intimate social atmosphere, offering amenities like restaurants and dancing, which paved the way for modern nightlife trends.

Moreover, speakeasies inadvertently fueled the rise of organized crime, with many connected to gangsters who either owned the bars or supplied them with bootlegged alcohol. While the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 led to their decline, speakeasies have seen a revival in the 21st century, influencing the design and ambiance of contemporary bars seeking a retro, intimate experience.
1 Britannica Source
1. speakeasy
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

speakeasy, place where alcoholic beverages are illegally sold, especially such establishments in the United States during Prohibition (1920–33). In more recent years the term has also applied to legal bars that are modeled on historical speakeasies.

According to some accounts, the word speakeasy came from “speak-softly shops,” illegal drinking establishments in England and Ireland in the 19th century. The name referenced the need for secrecy; customers were asked to speak quietly while inside to avoid detection. By the end of the century, speakeasy had come into usage in the United States. However, speakeasies did not gain widespread notoriety until 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawed alcohol. As the demand for alcohol continued, speakeasies began to proliferate. In New York City alone there were an estimated 20,000–100,000 speakeasies. Given the huge number, it is not surprising that they varied widely—from modest setups that served moonshine in building basements and people’s residencies to glamorous nightclubs that came to embody the Roaring Twenties. The latter included New York’s well-known Cotton Club, which featured jazz bands and dancing.

Corruption was rampant during Prohibition, and many speakeasy owners bribed police and government officials to avoid raids. Safety precautions were also implemented, and these included secret knocks and passwords for admittance. Some speakeasies even developed elaborate systems to destroy any incriminating evidence. The 21 Club in New York was especially notable. In the event of a raid, a special button was pressed, causing alcohol bottles to slide down a shaft that was designed to break the glass. At the bottom was a pile of rocks to complete the job.

While speakeasies are sometimes regarded as just a colourful footnote in U.S. history, they had a lasting impact on American life. Perhaps most notably, they caused a dramatic shift in the way women drink. In the decades prior to Prohibition, it was not common for women to consume alcohol in public, and, when they did, it was typically not in the company of men; in some states women were legally barred from saloons. Many speakeasies, however, actively courted female patrons with such amenities as restaurants, dancing, and powder rooms. These changes continued after the end of Prohibition and paved the way for modern nightlife.

In addition, speakeasies contributed to the rise of organized crime in the United States. Many of the establishments were connected to gangsters, who commonly owned the bars or sold them bootlegged alcohol.

With the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, speakeasies largely disappeared. However, in the 21st century they experienced a resurgence, though as legal establishments. An alternative to loud crowded bars, today’s speakeasies offer a more intimate and relaxed experience. Most feature retro furniture, and some places require passwords or a special knock to enter. Various cocktails are available, often prepared by a mixologist.

Amy Tikkanen

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