Airports Get a Taste of Speakeasy Culture

Airports are no longer just places to wait for your flight; they're becoming destinations in their own right. The latest trend is speakeasy-style bars that promise an escape from the chaos of air travel.

Williams & Graham, a Denver airport outpost of the city's famous speakeasy bar, has hidden its airport version behind a bookcase in a bookstore near Gate A38. To find it, passengers have to navigate through a dimly lit bar that feels deliberately removed from the concourse outside.

This concept is not unique to Williams & Graham; similar bars are popping up in airports across the country. Blinded Tiger at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is one such example, tucked inside a duty-free retail space in Terminal 8. The bar was conceived during the terminal's expansion and modernization as something travelers would not expect to encounter between security and their gate.

American Express has taken this concept further by putting a hidden bar called 1850 inside its Centurion Lounge at JFK. This Prohibition-era-inspired cocktail bar is concealed within the larger space, offering an escape from the airport experience even for those who have access to lounges.