The History of Prohibition
The Great American Experiment (Drunk Version)
Wednesday, November 4th, 2026 - 6-8pm
Join master storyteller James Whittaker for a boozy jaunt through America's thirteen dry years.
"Prohibition is better than no liquor at all."
— Will Rogers
In 1920, the United States made booze illegal. Americans responded by drinking anyway, in basements, back rooms, and hidden bars with a password at the door.
James tells the whole story, from the saloon wars of the late 1800s to the night Repeal poured the country a legal drink again. Washington went dry four years before the rest of the nation, and Seattle produced one of the era's most famous bootleggers, so the local chapters are as wild as the national ones.
You'll hear it all inside the Eastside's only hidden speakeasy, with period cocktails poured at the moments in the story where they belong.
Tastings of 3 Prohibition-era cocktails included in the price.
For ages 21+. Please enjoy responsibly.
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Join master storyteller James Whittaker for a boozy jaunt through America's thirteen dry years.
Prohibition: The Great American Experiment (Drunk Version)
From the Temperance Crusade to Repeal
"Prohibition is better than no liquor at all." — Will Rogers
In 1920, the United States made booze illegal. Americans responded by drinking anyway, in basements, back rooms, and hidden bars with a password at the door.
James tells the whole story, from the saloon wars of the late 1800s to the night Repeal poured the country a legal drink again. Washington went dry four years before the rest of the nation, and Seattle produced one of the era's most famous bootleggers, so the local chapters are as wild as the national ones.
You'll hear it all inside the Eastside's only hidden speakeasy, with period cocktails poured at the moments in the story where they belong.
Tastings of [3] Prohibition-era cocktails included in the price.
FAQ’S
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A two-hour guided talk and tasting. James Whittaker tells the story of American Prohibition, from the temperance movement of the late 1800s through Repeal in 1933, and you drink period cocktails at the points in the story where they belong. The cocktails are the illustrations, not an afterthought.
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Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 6:00 to 8:00 PM, in the Speakeasy at Side Hustle Local, 18129 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011. Doors to the Speakeasy open shortly before 6:00.
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$25 per person, which covers the full two-hour session and tastings of 3 Prohibition-era cocktails. Additional drinks and food are available from the bar and kitchen at regular prices. No separate tasting fee, no minimum purchase.
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Yes. The full kitchen is open during the event and you can order from your seat. Several people eat dinner through the session. Ordering food is not required and is not included in the ticket. View Menu.
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We typically hold a History of Prohibition session annually. This is the last one in 2026.
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Thirty seats, total. The Speakeasy is a small room and we are not adding chairs. Tickets are sold online only and the page stops selling when the last seat goes, so if the purchase button is still live, seats remain.
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No. The whole point is that you leave knowing more than you arrived with. There is no quiz, no tasting vocabulary required, and nobody will ask you to identify hop varieties. People who already know beer well tend to enjoy the pre-1800s material most, because almost nobody knows it.
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Yes. Tastings are built into the ticket, so this session is 21+ and IDs are checked at the door. The main Side Hustle taproom is 18+, but Speakeasy events that include alcohol are not.
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Most guest park across the street in the free lot at the park. Parking Map.
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James Whittaker is the owner of Side Hustle Local and the host of the History series in the Speakeasy. James spent his career as an engineer at Microsoft and Google before opening a taproom in Bothell. He also hosts the History of Beer.