When picturing Tainan, what typically comes to mind is charming alleyways, Japanese architecture and world-class cuisine. But look beyond the fray, through stained glass windows and sliding bookcases, and there exists a thriving speakeasy subculture, where innovative mixologists ply their trade, serving exquisite concoctions and unique flavor profiles to rival any city in Taiwan.
Speakeasies hail from the prohibition era of 1920s America. When alcohol was outlawed, people took their business to hidden establishments; requiring patrons to use hushed tones — speak easy — to conceal their illegal activities.
Nowadays legal, speakeasy bars are simply hidden bars, often found behind bookcases or secret doors that retain that old-school cool, bluesy jazz vibes of the roaring 20s. Consider the modern speakeasy as a game of hide-and-seek, an “insider secret” that needs to be discovered. Expect to pay a little extra for premium ingredients and service but the experience drinking in a clandestine waterhole is worth a few extra dollars.
Photo courtesy of Hollie Younger
CRAWLING TAINAN
Hordes of tourists pouring into Chikan Temple every day remain unawares that just opposite, tucked down a conspicuous side alley, lies Chikan Pharmacy (赤崁中藥行).
Opened in 2020, its owner took inspiration from the speakeasies of New York and Hong Kong and added a Taiwanese twist, showcasing the lost art of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Their cocktail menu leans towards the medicinal, herbal and even slightly bitter, with a strong focus on gin.
Photo courtesy of Hollie Younger Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health.
On the sweeter side, we recommend Straw (NT$400) a complex blend of gin, tea and spices topped with whipped cream, or test your palette with The Jerry Springer Show (NT$400). The combination of curry spices, rum and Earl Grey packs a punch as strong as its namesake’s TV guests. This venue is jam-packed until the early hours, so reservations are recommended in advance.
Once our appetite is sufficiently wet, we head to our second location, Speakeasy Bar (民生大戲院), arguably the best of Tainan’s speakeasies. Fantastic drinks, Instagram-worthy presentations and a quirky, classically speakeasy entrance. If you visit just one bar, make it this one. The facade looks like an old-school movie theatre, with billboards and posters. We approach and, seeing no other entrances, push the elevator button. Steeping out to check which floor we’re heading to we find the opposite panel of the elevator slides away to reveal the low lighting of a lively cocktail bar. Bingo!
A vintage cinema theme is retained throughout, with a cult film classics playing via a projector at the back of the bar. The has no menu so there can be no recommendations: staff will simply ask if you prefer sweet, sour, bitter — or, you can point to one of the fanciful creations being enjoyed by your fellow patrons with a casual “I’ll take what they’re having.”
Photos courtesy of Hollie Younger Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health.
Genie lamps, ornate vases, hip flasks hidden in bibles — the experience is reminiscent of an antique store that ran out of glasses. Smoke cascades from the nostrils of the black clay dragon which dispenses a cocktail into the awaiting teapot below. Everything bubbles and steams; these guys love dry ice and they’re not afraid to use it.
Expect to pay around NT$400 per cocktail.
GREAT NIGHTCAP
Photo courtesy of Hollie Younger Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health.
To wrap up the night, we head to our final and most unassuming speakeasy, Eureka (發現酒吧). Wall walking around a parking lot on a residential street, we begin to question the location provided by Google Maps. But on an otherwise bare wall to our right is a stand-alone bookshelf, mysteriously lit from above. Slide it to the side and “Eureka!” the bar is revealed.
This spot features a masterfully crafted menu and a more relaxed vibe: jazz music plays, and the bartenders have time to stop and socialize with customers.
Saving the best for last, our favorite cocktail of the night was the Thatch Under Tree (NT$350). Made from rum shaken with coconut water, passionfruit, marigold and the star ingredient, lemongrass it was subtle, herbaceous and easy to drink.
Word on the street is, speakeasies are popping up all over Tainan, so keep your eyes peeled but your lips sealed — one could be right under your nose.
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