If you are a cocktail enthusiast like me (enchantée, friends), I love nothing more than a boozy drink in a boujee bar. Add in house-made syrups, high-end spirits, and innovative pairings, all enjoyed in a speakeasy shielding you from the frenetic outside world—pure poetry, not to mention the perfect escape.
If date night is feeling a little stale these days, a sexy, secret bar might be just the thing. An ode to the Prohibition-era “speakeasy” (think: underground bars, blaring gramophones, free-spirited Flapper girls, and a young Al Capone), covert bars and lounges have cropped up across Canada to pay homage to these historic hideouts, some even encouraging guests to arrive in costume.
But you don’t have to be a free spirit to play one for the evening. If you are Calgary or Edmonton-based, here are four speakeasies you should try this weekend:
Betty Lou’s Library (Calgary, AB)
Betty Lou’s Library is the quintessential Prohibition-era speakeasy, faithful to its muse. Check the rules online, grab a reservation and the password, and look for the old British lamp post with a red bulb. Your night begins in secret, just behind the bookcase, where Tiffany chandeliers, Persian rugs, and a Parisian salon meets New York speakeasy aesthetic beckons great company and flawless libations. Roleplay is encouraged, so feel free to dress the part.
Ever in character, you and your date could also be treated to sensual burlesque performances and live jazz, so be sure to check out their online calendar in advance. Cocktails are prepared with high-quality in-house syrups and herbs, with local and international spirits and bitters—no bathtub gin in sight. Choose from a list of on-tap cocktails, even ones named after the bodice-ripping epic Wuthering Heights…well, the rest is history.
Alchemy (Edmonton, AB)
Alchemy is an upscale rendezvous overlooking Edmonton’s Ice District—and if you’re a fan of a bookcase entrance, you’ll like this one too. But this is not your standard lounge: it’s Victorian parlour décor, playfully wallpapered, and boldly tropical.
Their small plate and cocktail menus are crafted by ever-curious chefs and mixologists on an unending quest for extraordinary sips and snacks. Charred pineapple honey syrup, Fassionola syrup (a Prohibition-era staple), and brown butter fat-washed bourbon infuse every glass with the excitement and intrigue Alchemy avows. Choose from selections, including “Smoke on the Water,” “Sleepy Hollow,” or get the last word with a cocktail on their “I Dare You” list.
Sub Rosa (Calgary, AB)
An underground paradise, discoverable only by the glow of a neon triangle, is Calgary’s electric hot-spot Sub Rosa, a late-night haunt for discerning guests craving a full-body experience, soundtracked by rotating DJs.
Velvet curtains, leather couches, and bird-cage chandeliers give this heritage venue a sultry vibe, but at 11pm this hidden haunt transforms into a subterranean dance club. Get ready to choose from an extensive list of bubbles, beer, and spirits, with bottle service and curated table packages for larger groups.
Shelter (Calgary, AB)
Self-described grungy and industrial, opulent yet casual Shelter bar is an invitation into a strangely artistic, post-apocalyptic imagination. Identifiable only by a black flag and an iron standard, you’ll enter through an unassuming door into an intimate bunker-style hideout adorned with a wall of embellished gas masks, a 5,000-piece overhead lightbulb mosaic, vintage artwork and couches. Take cover in one of Canada’s Best 100 Bars (2025).
You can expect the unexpected with in-house mixologists who are obsessed with reinvention. Their menu features coveted spirits, seasonally-rotating cocktail lists, and bold small plates crafted by guest chefs. Try a “Strawberry and Mushroom” if you’re looking for a fresh take on a negroni, or order a conversation starter the Shelter team calls, “Who the f*ck is Polina?”
