Entertainment The Volstead, Downtown Jacksonville's Premier Prohibition Style Whiskey Lounge Is Closing by 904 Newsroom

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The Volstead has announced that it will be closing its doors on August 21. The Volstead was a popular downtown Jacksonville speakeasy-style bar that has been open for about 3 1/2 years.

The Downtown speakeasy-style bar located at 115 W. Adams Street fronts as an old post office, but once inside, it is a bar specializing in cocktails from times past . It is an upscale bourbon bar serving premium bourbons, scotches and whiskeys in an upscale lounge, 1920s-themed setting.

“The Volstead” gets its name from The Volstead Act, which enacted Prohibition in the United States in late 1919. The act was later repealed in 1933, but the era would forever leave its mark on history. Some of histories most colorful personalities were players in bootlegging operations, and to this day bars still carry on

Jacksonville Florida pre-prohibition was a beautiful, bustling city where people came to achieve their dreams; designed to be the original site of Hollywood where the stars and starlets of the era came to spend their time.

As the decade progressed the nation fell on hard times, Congressman Andrew Volstead chalked up the bill to eradicate the production and sale of liquor throughout the United States. As liquor became more scarce, people became craftier in finding ways to get hooch into the country. Due to the prime waterfront property, Jacksonville became the hub for transactions during thus time. Top bootleggers such as William “The Real” McCoy operated out of The River City.

The Volstead intends to continue normal operation until August 21 with a farewell affair to remember on August 18.