Remember, you were never here. That’s always been the code behind the Underground, the hush-hush Prohibition-era speakeasy and distillery located in the Mob Museum’s basement. It’s a place that thrives off secrecy—and has for the past five years—but try as we might, we can’t keep quiet about its new spring libations.
Belly up to the bar and order a round of Liberty’s Last Word ($15) for starters. Infused with house-distilled Cinn-City Moonshine—a Fireball-esque mixture of cinnamon with a hint of cardamom—Liberty packs a pleasant heat, with herbaceous notes from the chartreuse.
Everything’s Jake ($15) wields a stallion’s kick with its Ginger Jake Moonshine, based on the Jamaica ginger medicinal alcohol that was so potent during Prohibition, large amounts could cause paralysis. This hooch is strong enough to keep you on that barstool (or off, depending on how much you’ve had), but when combined with chili liqueur, jalapeño honey and egg whites, it’s a refreshing and spicy spin on a once-popular spirit.
Refined palates will also love detecting the sweetened carrot notes in the decadent rye cocktail A Wild Hare ($14), which pays homage to the sugar rationing during Prohibition that forced many to use carrots instead. Speaking of decadent, how does Cognac, banana liqueur, chocolate and nutmeg sound? The Golden Indulgence ($15) is the Underground’s play on a Brandy Alexander—aka dessert in a glass.
Between drinks, new seasonal charcuterie plates, mezze samplers, spinach artichoke dip and sliders all make fine bar bites, and with the weather warming up, a cool Caribbean-style cocktail is just what you need to wash it down. The Tequileros Cooler ($14) scores high marks for its use of hibiscus, cucumber, lime, mint and a blend of tequila and mezcal for a splash of spring. We could see ourselves toasting with more than a few of these, and while we’re at it, let’s lift our glasses to the Underground’s first five years—and many more to come.
THE UNDERGROUND Mob Museum, 702-229-2734, themobmuseum.org/underground. Monday-Wednesday, noon-10 p.m.; Thursday-Sunday, noon-midnight.
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