Alcotraz, Themed Speakeasys, & Hidden Bars Behind The Fridge (Naked City)

Melbourne might have got the drop on us when they opened what was billed as the world’s first prison themed cocktail bar, Alcotraz, but Sydney punters can now enjoy the same exhilarating incarceration experience.

A direct copy of the Melbourne lockup recently threw open its cell doors in Chippendale with a ‘guilty ticket’ (cocktails/beer/wine included) setting you back a punishing $95.00. The venues boasts:

“Immerse yourself at the ‘bar behind bars’, where the inmates are your bartenders. Work with the guards to keep your contraband hidden from the Warden. Experience a world of contraband and corruption at Alcotraz, the world’s first immersive, prison-themed cocktail bar. Don your orange jumpsuit, collude with the corrupt guards and enjoy a range of delicious cocktails within your cell whilst you try to keep your contraband hidden from the prying eyes of the Warden.”

Needless to say both the Melbourne and Sydney operations have faced criticism from various prisoner action groups across the country. The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls has called for a pubic boycott with one human rights lawyer stating:

“The entire concept of Alcotraz isn’t just poor taste; it shows a fundamental disregard for the lived experiences of people who have been and continue to be harmed by the prison system. Prison is not a game — it is harsh, it is brutal and all too often a life-ending reality. Privileged white people cosplaying as prisoners for fun while real people suffer is just grotesque.”

Just how long this novelty experience will last remains to be seen but bizarrely themed hidden bars and cafes are an increasing world wide phenomena.

Ever fancied getting chummy with a capybara or slurping your latte with a hamster? The Bulu Bulu Mini Zoo & Café in Penang has a whole range of cuddly critters for your enjoyment from racoons to alpacas. As far as I know the café is dry as getting jiggy with a skunk when you are “as drunk as a skunk” would not be a good look.

In the same Malaysian city, you might wonder why a small innocuous coffee shop is open but not serving customers. Suddenly a couple of ‘in the know’ patrons enter and disappear into a large fridge in the corner. It’s the secret entrance to a funky little bar known as Out Of Nowhere, totally legal but still offering a clandestine thrill.

Fridge Door entry to hidden bars is not restricted to Penang and around the world you’ll find similar discreet entrances. In Manchester in the UK it’s a fridge in a bustling burger joint that leads you into one of the city’s coolest bars, Ego Death. Here in Sydney the very popular speakeasy Cumberland has a similar doorway through an old vintage refrigerator and The Soda factory in Surry Hills beckons the hip crowd via a phoney fifties coke machine.

There’s a certain section of the population who are obviously bored to death with traditional boozers like pubs or even scenic rooftop cocktail bars. They are are seekers of the adrenalin rush, fuelled of course by alcohol and other chemical stimulants.

With this in mind I’d like to make a few suggestions for some new ‘hidden’ bars in Sydney, Melbourne, Penang or just about anywhere in the world (party-pooping North Korea excepted).

OLD SPARKY: Here’s a concept that takes the Alcotraz franchise to an extreme but hopefully does highlight the fact that capital punishment is still legal in many countries including twenty seven states in America. After you have entered the bar (yeah another fridge door), you are seated in a comfy vintage electric chair. No need to worry about 2,500 volts bringing you evening to a catastrophic finish, there’s just a mild tingle and a few theatrical sparks. For the more daring there’s the long drop gallows, reminiscent of the ultra harsh Changi Prison in Singapore. Again don’t worry, as this is just a reconfigured bungy jump and there’s a free Bloody Mary cocktail for anybody keen enough to take the plunge.

BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR: Once again don’t worry, you won’t find yourself encouraged to play a bit part in a Marilyn Chambers movie. The bar is actually a tribute to Shakin’ Stevens where his limited number of hits are on permanent rotation. Each night there’s a playful stage show with actors recreating the episode in which Shakin’ assaulted a press photographer with a microphone stand. Nothing violent, just a good old laugh!

THE EMBALMING ROOM: Following the hospital theme of Singapore’s ‘The Clinic’ where cocktails were once served via IV trips to patrons in wheelchairs and stretchers, ‘The Embalming Room’ is a wonderful post death experience. You won’t find any formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde in your ‘preservation’ cocktail, but you are encouraged to spend 60 seconds in a cryogenic chamber and experience a brief moment of eternity.

And finally – Oh dear, whatever happened to a quiet couple of beers or a rum and coke in the local pub!?