Summer House – Libation Room
Speakeasy bars came to prominence during the era of prohibition, when, during the industrialization boom, an alcohol ban was perceived by government regulators as a solution to social problems and to improve health and hygiene so that workers would report on time, and fill the day with dedication and attention to craft. The opposite occurred, of course, with citizens revolting, crime increasing (some say the dawn of organized crime), and workers demanding a way to release their energy and frustration during lean economic times. All of this contributed to the birth of the speakeasy, which sold illicit alcohol, much of it poisoning and none of it good, contributing to the worsening of the work force. Repeal of the 18th Amendment has been heralded as a reaction to the national mood at the time (and a way to collect taxes during the Great Depression), and Americans gloriously returned to their neighborhood bars, but speakeasys maintained their daring lure. Enter almost a century later, the Libation Room, a private, dimly lit bar located through a secret entrance at the back of Summer House requiring an escorted entry, bringing back the speakeasy tradition, because it requires a personal invitation. The booze is not cheap, but the mix of singular drinks, many smoking and others layered, are unusual but special, all in the hands of your trusty skilled bartender. The Libation Room offers the regular Summer House menu (see accompanying review) and a special tapas menu, if you want to go light on the grub as you take in the exotic cocktails. Ahh, the place is not for everyone, because the room is dark, spooky, with the mild thump of house music in the background, and only a handful of privileged folks get to share your special moment at any given time. All right, it is not that special, requiring only a reservation through a text or website, but Summer House makes you feel like you are visiting a prohibition era jaunt, and the evening, while perhaps a little too much theater, is fun, and the drinks are exceptional. When it initially opened, Libation Room had the hard-to-get-into vibe; what made it irresistibility fascinating was its purported exclusivity, its gleeful snobbishness. Now, with reservations available online, what’s the point of bragging about your impassable moat if the drawbridge is always down? Still, try it at least once, knowing that Al Capone will not benefit from your spending, but you may conjure his spirit as you sip a smoking cocktail delivered by a hardly seen server wearing all black in the dark room. Only the shine from the chip in your credit card at the end of the evening will illuminate the experience (Capone required cash, of course, which still is accepted, but almost as rare as a 21st century food reviewer trying to persuade you that a brand-new speakeasy will immerse you back to the 1920s). The Libation Room is fun with a group or even on a date, making you feel like you are part of the privileged invited to enjoy nearly $20 cocktails, until that is, when you click the reservation button on the website for a repeat visit with your next date.
228 Rehoboth Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
302-827-3096 (text only)
