Mountain Mayhem: Blind Tigers

Illicit establishments selling alcoholic beverages found their origins during Prohibition and were referred to as a blind pig, blind tiger or a straight up speakeasy. They mostly disappeared after 1933 when Prohibition ended, but over time the concept has been resurrected with the introduction of secret bars all over the world, creating a bit of mystery with a nod to nostalgia.

To keep patrons on their toes, there’s often a concealed entry and a password required for admission, an unlisted phone number, moody ambiance inside and there always ought to be gin cocktail on the menu.

Aspen has its share of speakeasies, which aren’t full-blown secrets or they’d be out of business. There’s Hooch (beneath Meat & Cheese), Mini-Jimmy’s (which otherwise serves as the coat check closet at Jimmy’s American Bar & Grill), Bad Harriet’s (downstairs in the original Aspen Times building, owned and managed by the Hotel Jerome) and The Board Room, which just debuted in a secret setting, shown in these photos.