What is a 'speakeasy'?

Speakeasies were illegal drinking establishments that opened all over the US in the 1920s, during the Prohibition-era, when alcohol was outlawed. These establishments became popular places for people of different races and social classes to drink, entertain and socialize together. The entrances to these places were cleverly hidden – behind bookshelves, at the back of a diner, or even in a shady alley – and often required a password or invitation to get in. There are still a number of speakeasies existing today (that are legal), even here in the Philippines.