A new speakeasy concept called The 1933 Society will open May 5 beneath Hotel Distil on Louisville’s historic Whiskey Row. The 60-seat venue draws its identity from Prohibition-era figures who helped preserve American drinking culture during the ban on alcohol.
Located with a discreet entrance on 1st & Main Street, the bar occupies a subterranean space below the boutique hotel on what was once the epicenter of the American bourbon industry.
The venue features authentic period interiors and a mix of lounge and bar seating.
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READ THE STORY"Whiskey Row has always been central to bourbon’s story," said Casey Grinold, general manager of Hotel Distil. "The 1933 Society builds on that legacy by offering access to rare and exclusive pours alongside a cocktail program rooted in the people who carried the industry through Prohibition."
Grinold added: "It’s an experience designed for guests who want to be immersed in the history of our bourbon culture."
The cocktail menu serves as the venue’s central draw, with each drink inspired by a historical figure who defied Prohibition. Among them is Louisville-born bartender Tom Bullock, whose early cocktail book became a guide for underground mixologists. Another is Mary Dowling, a distiller who famously relocated her operation across the Kentucky border to continue production.
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The program spans classic and inventive cocktails alongside rare pours and one-of-a-kind single barrel selections.
The 1933 Society targets both bourbon enthusiasts and cocktail connoisseurs, positioning itself within a competitive and growing bourbon tourism market in Louisville. Whiskey Row has undergone significant revitalization in recent years, with multiple distilleries, hotels, and hospitality venues opening along Main Street in the city’s downtown corridor.
Hotel Distil itself is a boutique property that has leaned into the neighborhood’s deep ties to the bourbon industry since its opening.
The speakeasy will operate Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The venue’s name references 1933, the year the 21st Amendment ended Prohibition in the United States.
