A bar has operated on the current Bourbon & Branch site since 1867, and an actual speakeasy operated illegally at this location throughout Prohibition. In 1923, it was purchased by John J. Russell, who was connected to well-known West Coast bootleggers, and the booze kept flowing in what was called “JJ Russell’s Cigar Shop.”
Customers would need to provide a password to gain entry, and then if they ordered a specific brand of “cigar” a trap door would open where the visitor would then be escorted to the basement for the real deal. There are five exit tunnels that were used for escapes.
Today, visitors can step foot in the main bar or in its speakeasy within a speakeasy, Wilson & Wilson — and yes, there is a password, which you are given when you make a reservation.
