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February 1, 2024

Prohibition-themed speakeasy, The 196 Club, opens in downtown Hartford – if you can find it

Contributed The 196 Club recently opened in downtown Hartford.
By Andrew Larson

Dimly lit and hidden from plain view, The 196 Club lurks in the shadows of a new downtown Hartford vintage sweet shop.

The secret bar, tucked away in a back room of Emrey’s Specialty Sweets & Sodas, would be illegal in 1920 – and that’s part of the allure.

The speakeasy transports visitors back to the Prohibition era, when revelers would imbibe behind the cover of a legitimate business like a deceptively innocuous soda fountain.

The 196 Club opened in January, following the launch of Emrey’s Specialty Sweets & Sodas at 196 Trumbull St. in December. Patrons are asked to make reservations at www.the196club.com, at which point they will receive instructions to access the hideaway.

Inside, the decor is glamorous, reminiscent of the decadence of the Roaring ’20s. The drinks menu includes craft cocktails and standard favorites, developed by bar manager Jack Forbes, who has experience in mixology. 

The options range from classic martinis and margaritas to house specialties like “Strawberries and Cream,” a riff on a family of drinks called “Flips,” which contain a whole egg. 

Alcohol-free offerings are available, along with bar snacks.

The food menu was assembled by award-winning Chef Kacee Potter O’Brien, who previously worked at Engine Room in Mystic, Millwright’s in Simsbury and most recently Trigo Wood Fired Pizza in Willimantic.

There are small plates – such as duck fat smashed potato, tuna crudo, duck confit and beef tartare – along with shareable dishes including oysters, local cheese, charcuterie and caviar. Desserts, wine and beer are also available.

Emrey’s Specialty Sweets & Sodas and The 196 Club are owned and operated by Melissa Melonson, founder and owner of Hartford-based Lumi Hospitality, a boutique marketing agency with a focus on hospitality and real estate. 

Contributed
Melissa Melonson and her husband,Tim Burdick, at The 196 Club.

Melonson is also the founder of the media platform WeHartford, and is a board member of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce and the CT Tourism Coalition.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many valued real estate and hospitality clients through my business Lumi Hospitality, and we continue to do that every day, but it was always my dream to develop and operate some hospitality concepts of my own as well,” Melonson said. “It has been surreal to finally be able to do that, and in the city I love most: Hartford.”

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