Want in on a secret? Here's where to find hidden speakeasy bars in Des Moines
Although the term speakeasy conjures images of flappers, Jay Gatsby, mobsters and bathtub gin, the word dates back a century before Prohibition and refers to an unlicensed venue for illicit liquor. But it is the under-the-radar image of 1920's bootleggers and Tommy guns that has frequently inspired retro-recreations of dark and shady noir lounges.
Des Moines was never a hot bed of establishments requiring secret knocks or code words for entry. In 1929 Glenn A. Brunson, deputy Prohibition administrator for the southern district of Iowa, told the Des Moines Register there were "few, if any" speakeasies in the city, or across Iowa. It was far easier and safer for customers to buy from a friend, or stealthy retailer, for home consumption.
One known destination has passed into local lore. Cy Griffiths' Moonlight Inn in Windsor Heights counted future President Ronald Reagan as a regular. Then a sports broadcaster on WHO Radio, Reagan enjoyed low-alcohol "near beer" topped with a shot of spirits. "Dutch," as Reagan was affectionately known at the time, possessed such nostalgia for the era that when the Moonlight Inn closed, he relocated the bar's exterior sign to his California ranch home.
Today, a speakeasy-style flourishes in modern cocktail lounges, catering to every taste and age-group. One constant is the intimate settings tend to create opportunities for innovative drink menus, encourage experimental mixologists and leave customers with a great story to share.
On Halloween night, a newcomer is also scheduled to debut. The horror-themed The Haunt plans to open on Fridays and Saturdays for a year-long Halloween mood at 500 Locust St. Spooky-inspired cocktails are already in the works.
Presented alphabetically, these eight local venues have all taken the loose speakeasy concept and made it their own.
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Black Sheep
A speakeasy for the modern world, Black Sheep has been defying expectations and forging its own path in the East Village since 2016. Located a few steps from Ceviche Bar and across Third Street from the very different concept, Ken’s — A Not So Secret Speakeasy, customers need to look for the number 223 above Black Sheep’s door and head downstairs to the basement. Once inside, the dark space is bathed in red neon and offers seats at the bar, weathered wooden seating and tables and an essential element of the Black Sheep experience, a vinyl spinning DJ booth.
Customers who immediately warm to the environment will have found a second home and can check social media for notices of themed deep-cut music nights, including post-punk playlists, tributes to The Smiths, hip-hop, funk, and eclectic mixes. And the DJs don’t take requests. Black Sheep is noted for its shifting inventory of innovative cocktails and is particularly proud of its uncommon collection of mezcal and tequila choices.Location: 223 E. Walnut St., Des Moines
Contact: instagram.com/blacksheepdsm
Hours: Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 p.m. to midnight and Thursday to Saturday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
More: These Des Moines Halloween-themed pop-up bars are now open with blood cocktails and more
Dugan’s Hideaway
The location of Dugan’s Hideaway has long been an open secret to loyal fans of The Station on Ingersoll, but first-time visitors to the very popular sports bar might not be aware of the low-key and welcoming space located at the back of the venue. Named after Willie Dugan, one of The Station’s owners, the Hideaway is decorated with less sports memorabilia, and includes its own U-shaped bar, darts games, a small event stage, plus a couch and recliner chairs.
Accessible via an outside door, or by following the neon sign inside The Station, the smaller room will undergo a facelift in the new year, creating a self-described “elevated dive bar.” Regulars can look forward to “new hours, cocktails, and specials.” Until the upgrades begin, the Hideaway is home to the spooky-themed Nightmare on Ingersoll until Nov. 4, followed by the yearly return of the Christmas pop-up, Miracle on Ingersoll, starting the day before Thanksgiving and running until the end of the year. Information on trivia nights, live music and one-off events are regularly posted to the bar's Facebook page.
Location: 3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-381-0052 or thestationdsm.com
Hours: Open Sunday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Good News, Darling
Accommodating a quarter of the customers flowing into its sibling cocktail lounge, Good News, Darling is hidden behind hit bar Hello, Marjorie in a space that feels like a secret kept from the rest of downtown Des Moines. Dimly lit and decorated with newspaper nods to its address’ previous history as the Register and Tribune Building, the compact space motivates customers to engage with fellow cocktail enthusiasts and converse directly with the innovative bar staff.
Frequently overhauling its menus, mixologists pour their latest creations using premium spirits and ingredients. You can’t go wrong with the curated, or special drinks on offer, and any experimental ideas they have cooked up that week. The bar recommends that visitors place an online reservation for entry into the small space, especially on the weekend, at exploretock.com/good-news-darling/ or liaise with the Hello, Marjorie reservation desk to check for availability at one of the stools at the bar.
Location: 717 Locust St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-369-2296 or facebook.com/p/Good-News-Darling
Hours: Open on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to midnight and 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday to Saturday.
In Confidence
Old enough to be a contemporary of Des Moines’ first era of speakeasies, downtown’s Hotel Fort Des Moines has created its own sophisticated lounge in the basement of the 104-year-old building. To find your way to In Confidence, head through the lobby’s Hob Knob coffee shop and wine bar and look for an out-of-place, single glass doorknob on the light wood cupboard. One pull, and like Alice in Wonderland, descend into an upscale parlor, decorated with velvet booth seating, high-back chairs and a long bar to watch mixologists practice their bartending magic.
The evolving drink menu includes tributes to Ernest Hemingway, Mata Hari and classic concoctions of the past. Check with your bartender if they have a special off-menu favorite they enjoy mixing. They also serve non-alcoholic options of a mint julep and a gin and tonic for visitors who wish to enjoy the intoxicating atmosphere, without a boozy afterglow.Location: 1000 Walnut St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-528-7733 or hotelfortdesmoines.com/dining/in-confidence
Hours: Open Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Ken’s — A Not So Secret Speakeasy
The easy-to-find entrance may prove the bar’s name to be accurate, but once inside Ken’s — A Not So Secret Speakeasy, it’s easy to imagine you are in a revamped clandestine hideout. Located in the basement of The Iowa Taproom in the East Village, customers walk through the front door on Third Street, take a sharp right and head downstairs to the spacious bar named after Kenneth Sonderleiter, a genuine Des Moines bootlegger who flourished during the 1920s.
The warm environment has been decorated with recycled local wood and old Templeton Rye and Cedar Ridge whiskey barrels, and visitors can belly up to a bar built from a former auditorium stage removed from Haverhill, Iowa. Ken’s features booth seating and also long tables that are ideal for groups.
The lengthy menu includes classic cocktails that promote Iowa distilleries whenever possible. Ken's also offers a lengthy whiskey menu, gin drinks and its own cocktail innovations, plus, a selection of bar food, small plates and tempting desserts to accompany Ken’s musical soundtrack of vintage tunes.
Location: 215 E. Third St., Suite 100, Des Moines
Contact: 515-243-0827 or iowataproom.com/kens
Hours: Open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and closing at midnight from Thursday to Saturday
The Red Monk
The staircase leading to a European beer hideaway The Red Monk is visible to everyone entering downtown’s favorite British pub. But for only a few hours a week, thirsty customers can head upstairs at The Royal Mile and enjoy one of the largest selections of Belgian beers in the Midwest. Quirky goth ornamentation lines the wall and customers can slide into wood booths, admire the stained-glass windows, or sit at stools around the bar.
The roster of Belgian and Belgian-inspired beers would be the envy of any major city tavern, and is frequently updated, including options from the famous Chimay Brewery, plus refreshing framboise lambic beer fermented with raspberry juice to make you homesick for Brussels. Knowledgeable bar staff and chalkboard suggestions will help steer customers to try something new. And once ensconced upstairs, customers also have access to The Royal Mile’s extensive pub-grub menu.
Location: 210 Fourth St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-282-2012 or theredmonk.com
Hours: Open Thursday from 6 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight.
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Revival House
An exotic enclave lies in wait through a back door at downtown's Blue Sushi Sake Grill. Themed tiki bar Revival House has been hiding in plain sight since 2021. No secret knock or code word is needed for entry, and the bar also provides a direct entrance on Fourth Street. Hint: look for the neon and thatch awning. This partially hidden oasis is designed with a warm ambiance, attracting tiki aficionados from out of state to its bamboo, neon and tropical decor.
Revival House serves happy hour deals from 4 to 6:30 pm. The drinks menu features new innovations, plus tributes to classic tiki-culture favorites, including Mai Tais, rum punch and a spin on a strawberry daiquiri. Marketing advisor Lynlee Baumann recommends first-time adventurers sample the Pinky Gonzalez, "a tropical take on a margarita," the non-alcoholic Blue Hawaiian, concocted with pineapple, coconut and lime notes, and sample mango crab Rangoons from the small-plates food menu.
Location: 316 Court Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-379-6800 or revivalhousedsm.com
Hours: Open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. and closing at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Shorty’s Somewhat Fancy Bar
Shorty’s Somewhat Fancy Bar is another downtown venue that appears almost invisible until you happily stumble across its front door. Located in the basement below Court Avenue’s RoCA restaurant, Shorty’s does post an exterior sign, barely visible on Court, but take a few steps south on Second Avenue, past the murals, and the entrance will magically appear. Down the staircase, Shorty’s subterranean ambiance includes a sturdy vintage bar, bottles of Schlitz beer and a low-key, relaxed atmosphere. To take the experience into a fancier realm, customers can order anything from RoCA’s acclaimed entrees and shared plates menu while enjoying a draft beer during dinner hours.
Location: 208 Court Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-282-3663 or facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057459340641
Hours: Open Tuesday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight, the bar closes at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Richard Lane is a freelance writer for the Des Moines Register.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where to find the best speakeasy bars in Des Moines
