LUDO Dine & Vibe 
3 Gluten-Free Pastry Shops in Milan 
It all began in 1888 in Pennsylvania, when a new law increased the state tax for saloon licences from $50 to $500: the first step towards theAmerican Prohibition era. Bars lowered their shutters one after another, but many continued to work illegally, in cramped basements, awkward attics, the backrooms of restaurants and even barbershops, hidden by secret passages or with separate entrances and exits. The production and sale of alcohol was outlawed in all states of the Union, but Kate Hester, owner of a saloon near Pittsburgh, decided not to submit to the new law and, to prevent her establishment from attracting the attention of the authorities, when customers raised their voices she would whisper to them: ‘Speak easy, boys!’ – ‘Speak easy, boys!’ -.
Hence, the name given to these clandestine and dusty premises, which have come to the present day, changing their face. Modern ‘secret bars’ or so-called speakeasies, unprecedented outposts of exclusivity, with attention to the smallest details and devoted to the cult of mixology. Finding them is not easy, getting in can prove even more complex. In many cases you even need a password. We have selected the 10 most coveted cocktail bars in Italy: it is now up to you to find the key. We have selected the 10 most coveted cocktail bars in Italy: it is now up to you to find the key.
JERRY THOMAS SPEAKEASY | ROMA
Professor’ Jerry Thomas, who inspired the club, is the man who in 1862 wrote the first book on the art of mixing cocktails and laid the foundations for turning mixology into a real profession. Hence the choice of the name of the Roman club’s owners: Leonardo Leuci, Antonio Parlapiano and Roberto Artusio. Years of travel, research, study, cultural exchanges, seminars and a lot of determination have enabled the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy to enter the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ list five times. In 2013, after long and painstaking technical research, ‘Vermouth del Professore’ saw the light of day, the first in a long series of products created in collaboration with Distillerie Quaglia. Today, ‘Jerry’ remains a point of reference for blending in Italy, continuing to research, experiment and spread its knowledge with the same enthusiasm as at the beginning.
CLUB DERRIÈRE | ROMA
The Club Derrière respects the classic and underogable rule that distinguishes every secret bar that can be defined as such: they do not serve alcohol that is not distilled or blended. Designer cocktails come to life between leather sofas and a soft atmosphere. Two rooms in the room: one illuminated by the light reflected from the orange wall dedicated to bottles, a second with chairs and armchairs behind which stands a wall bookcase. The drink list starts with Big Bang, basically the perfect serves of a single distillate of your choice, and then develops in increasing order of ingredients up to a maximum of five per cocktail.
BACKDOOR43 | MILANO
Cocktail and whisky bar known to be one of the smallest in the world. BackDoor43 is, in fact, designed to accommodate only two people or, at most, four. Everything was born from the need to create cocktails that can be defined “tailored for each customer” in the truest sense of the word. The intuition that gave birth to this exclusive and particular concept is by Flavio Angiolillo and Marco Russo, for those of you from Milan who are the guys of MAG dei Navigli; it’s no coincidence that this small private temple of good drinking is right next to you. Needless to say, you must book to access this speakeasy. If you are not lucky, you can still consume in take away mode the drink that will be delivered through a kind of mailbox by a “cocktail man” disguised as Mr. V., as the movie V for Vendetta.
1930 | MILANO
The 1930’s was born to revive the atmosphere of the speakeasy where Americans gathered at shutters lowered during the prohibition. Once again the co-founders Flavio Angiolillo and Marco Russo have been able to create a cult place of the Milanese nightlife, engine of additional projects such as BackDoor43 above. The setting is surprising: wooden bar, distillates in plain sight, low lights, waiters with a nice look, vintage glasses and old style details. Drinking at 1930 is an experience worth living under one condition: to keep the secrecy of the place. The address, in fact, is not public domain and to find it and enter you need an invitation “granted” exclusively to selected MAG customers.
WHITE RABBIT | MILANO
Crossing the threshold you will enter the white rabbit’s den of Alice in Wonderland and take a leap back in time, among magazines, paintings and furnishings typical of the prohibition period. “If the light is on, ring the bell, you will be surprised…” reads perentory engraving on the front door. We are at White Rabbit, precisely in the Isola district, a secret bar with a curious menu: each cocktail is inspired by one of the greatest gangsters in history.
THE MAD DOG SOCIAL CLUB | TORINO
American, Vermouth Cocktail, Negroni and Torino Milano. Among great classics and drinks forgotten here the art of good drinking is made unique by the customization of recipes. Each drink is tapped directly from the barrels or the typical glass jars to revive the experience of “Vermuterie” of the past. The allure is more that of a “social cellar” than of a speakeasy, but the soft lights, the musical background and the live sessions of Jazz, give a retro flavor to the service. The room, underground, consists of a first room, large, with vaults in red brick and a huge bar. Outside the club you will not find a window or a sign, but only a door, similar to that of other buildings in the center, and a bell. You will need a password to enter.
RASPUTIN | FIRENZE
“Somewhere in Santo Spirito”. This is the enigmatic welcome phrase that welcomes the curious on the website of this secret bar in Florence. No address, no civic, no possible geo-location. The access to the place is through word of mouth, but once you enter you will see an open before your eyes a secret world made of paintings, carpets, wood panelling and inevitable cocktail glasses. The sign is inspired by the famous Siberian monk, a figure historically divided between spirituality and worldliness, perfect to feed the curiosity of the world of the night. The cocktail proposal travels on Twenties coordinates, ranging between great classics, such as Old Fashioned, Aviation, Last Word, and recent innovations such as the Dirty Artichoktini.
MALKOVICH | GENOVA
In the alleys of Genoa there is a speakeasy that borrows its name from movie suggestions: it’s called Malkovich and requires a pass. A password? A phone number? A password? We can’t tell you too much, but if you feel the aromas of a good hamburger in the air you are on the right track. The restaurant is located in the basement of an American-inspired burger bar. The cocktail menu is full of great classics – each original version is accompanied by a twist – protagonists in cinema: from White Russian of Big Lebowsky to Kill Bill 2’s Margarita, to the Manhattan prepared by Marilyn Monroe in Someone likes it hot.
COTTON CLUB | MODENA
A doorbell to enter and then the warm colors of wood, the soft light of candles, the leather sofa, the excellent cocktails. The tables are small, maximum for six people, so the advice is not to go in too many; the particularity is found in live concerts that every week you can listen sipping excellent drinks. The subdued atmosphere is animated with live jazz shows, just like in the famous night club of Harlem, to which it is inspired the name – Cotton Club -, a meeting point during the years of Prohibition. To access you must have well present ten basic commandments. The first one reads: the bartender is always right.
L’ANTIQUARIO | NAPOLI
A bar for mixing enthusiasts. Located in an area historically populated by antique shops, the restaurant is hidden between the district of San Pasquale and the promenade Caracciolo, but not invisible to the eye. The spirit of the place permeates the whole experience, from soft lights to retro-bar with mirrors, recalling an air of old times and especially other places. The place is in fact very nice and evokes the Twenties and Thirties style with floral tapestry, leather sofas, red velvet curtains, soft lights, jazz and swing music. The offer is limited but of absolute quality, in the list you can read exclusively cocktails and champagne, a kind of excellent niche in continuous experimentation.
