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A new prohibition-era themed bar with a secret entrance is hiding near City Post Chophouse, just off the Square.
Brass Peacock had a soft opening this fall, and is set for a grand opening early in 2025. The speakeasy-style bar serves specialty cocktails, charcuterie boards and desserts, and is open Fridays and Saturdays after 6 p.m., with live jazz music starting at 7 p.m.
“This [speakeasy] space is really giving Georgetown an elevated late night option,” said Kevin Cummins, the owner of Brass Peacock and City Post.
Brass Peacock is a 21+ bar. To find the speakeasy, visitors must go to the host stand in City Post Chophouse to get a hint. However, there is no password or reservations.
“It’s exclusive... only in the sense that it feels special, not in the sense that you’re not welcome, or you have to know somebody, or have this secret pass code that’s impossible to find,” Mr. Cummins said.
He envisioned the space as a speakeasy even before he purchased City Post the building.
“Not only are there secret entrances [...] the building was built in the 1930s, during the depression and during Prohibition. It had to become a speakeasy,” Mr. Cummins said.
Business partner Thomas Zavaleta said the goal is for guests to feel as though they are stepping back into 1933, before alcohol was legal in Texas.
Prohibition-themed concept
The speakeasy trend has been popularized in the past decade, and Bar Manager Patrick Nikel said the movement has helped reclaim “bars” as a place where people can commune with one another and “actually engage in the moment versus just succumbing to distraction.”
Mr. Nikel described the menu as “a contemporary menu designed for a classic space.” Highlights include the Chai Rye, a whiskey drink inspired by a chai tea, and his Side Char— a drink inspired by a traditional Sidecar cocktail and a charcuterie board featuring goat cheese.
Despite the speakeasy theme, the cocktails and ingredients aren’t exactly what you’d find in the 1930s. Mr. Nikel said drinks from the prohibition era did not contain fresh citrus or other perishable ingredients. Citrus was generally used in milk punches—like eggnog— so it wouldn’t go bad overtime. It was also used to milk-wash other cocktails.
“You’d pour the cocktail with citrus into milk, and that curdles the milk,” he explained. “Then you strain out the cocktail, and that removes all volatiles that'll go bad over time.”
Compared to the 1930s, Mr. Nikel said refrigeration and produce vendors have been transformational when it comes to creating cocktails.
“I can get lychee from [China] halfway around the world here tomorrow,” he said. “I can get spices from the Middle East, from Asia. I've got a tea that is sourced from India. All these different things you wouldn't have had access to [during prohibition]. I’m definitely making the most of the time we’re in now.”
Mr. Nikel consults his “Flavor Bible” culinary book behind the bar for inspiration when making new drinks. Some may sound odd, but he said drinks wouldn’t be featured on the menu if he wasn’t proud of the results. He encourages customers to get out of their comfort zones.
“If you don’t like it, I’m gonna make you something else,” Mr. Nikel said.
But for less adventurous customers, he said the bar offers traditional cocktails and beer as well. The goal is for everyone to feel comfortable, he said.
Future plans
After an official grand opening in January, Mr. Cummins said the speakeasy plans to open more days of the week.
A cigar lounge is opening in mid-January, Mr. Nikel said. It will be in a separate hidden room inside Brass Peacock, with a separate HVAC system so the smoke does not enter the rest of the building.
A spotlight on the decor
Brass Peacock has appropriate art deco decor. There’s a lot of gold and copper tones, dark wood and exposed brick— making for a cozy and old-timey atmosphere. The business also has a 1930s player piano and showcases jazz musicians.
In the anteroom, there will be a 1930s calendar on the wall— flipped to align with the current month. There is also a radio from the time period.
The glowing, stone bar was originally in the Brown Building in downtown Austin. It has held the drinks of many famous political figures, including President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Megan Fincher was the designer and general contractor for Brass Peacock. She was hands-on during the construction work to ensure everything fit the time period, Mr. Zavaleta said.
Ms. Fincher modified antique cabinets from the 1930s to fit the space— one now serves as storage behind the bar and the other is in the bathroom. She also made a mock fireplace to warm up the nearby seating area, in an aesthetic sense. There is a small Brass Peacock fire screen in front of the fireplace, hence the speakeasy’s name.
It was a coincidence that there was a Brass Peacock statue by Dan Pogue featured in the Georgetown Sculpture Walk. After the city purchased the sculpture, Mr. Cummins saw the statue and decided he had to have it as a sneaky “signpost” for the speakeasy. He said luckily, the city allowed him to purchase it.