Photograph of a speakeasy in 1933 by Margaret Bourke-White from LIFE photo archive host by Google While the "speakeasy" trend in new bars has been going on for so long in New York that some establishments are sliding into "speak-cheesy" territory, it's still a relative novelty in most of the country. In today's New York Times, William Grimes takes a broad view of today’s speakeasy-style bars, and what they have—and don’t have—in common with the 1920s originals. Speakeasies had their heyday during Prohibition, when their hush-hush approach to selling alcohol had more to do with avoiding prison than with any kind of urban trend. As Grimes notes, these bars ran the gamut from small rooms with a table, a...
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