Bourbon & Branch

A simple block in Jones Street, next to the Tenderloin district in San Francisco houses a recently opened place called Bourbon & Branch.

There is no signage outside. The façade, an artistically casual ensemble, gives the place a feeling of abandonment. There is no number, only a buzzer discreetly placed next to a wooden door. As a suspect before being recognized by the victim, it seems to shrink when observed.

There are many bars with this undercover style nowadays. They can be found all over the United States, hidden in the shadows. Speakeasy is a fun term since the business is legal and what people are attracted to is the charm of the place, almost like an opium den.

People have an affection for the period of American prohibition history, and they want to feel part of the mystery of the time. The Bourbon & Branch gives its clients a password that must be mentioned by the intercom when making their reservation. Once inside the bar, customers are required to follow the rules of the place. “Speakeasy” is one of the indications sometimes demanded by bartenders, imitating the customs of the time.

His name is a legion: The Varnish in Los Angeles; Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco; Speakeasy in Cleveland; The Violet Hour in Chicago; Manifesto in Kansas City; Tavern Law in Seattle. The tendency everywhere, it seems, is to shake the cocktail shakers to serve elegant cocktails in murky spaces.