Experience Macabre Poetry and Cocktails at this Traveling Speakeasy
One of the performers at the Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy introduces the next poetry reading performance.
When I was a kid, there was absolutely nothing quite as exciting as bedtime; when I would finally have a chance to cozy up in bed, turn the lights off (save for a nightlight, of course), and shine one of my 1990s boyhood flashlights under the covers with a new book. This was almost certainly a fringe-type novel that I picked from the Scholastic book fair or the neighborhood library that week. Many of those childhood years were spent unraveling my mind with the words of a 19th-century macabre poet, Edgar Allen Poe.
You’re probably asking yourself, “How does a nine-year-old find himself sinking into an Edgar Allen Poe reading”?
Maybe it was the suspense of his writing? Or the 19th-century vernacular he wrote in? Better yet, it could have been the way Poe amalgamates our minds with those of his demented and twisted characters, luring us into the abyss of their madness, driving us into their imaginary corium, and with each of their beating heartbeats, so beats our hearts until the torment ends.
Whatever the case may be, Edgar Allen Poe has posthumously gained an enormous following. Consequently, a troupe of poetry enthusiasts and actors traveling the U.S. brings together a rendezvous of craft cocktails and theatrical performances of some of Edgar Allen Poe’s most enigmatic works.
The stage at the Historic German House is decorated with antique furniture, candles, and pseudo cobwebs.
Back in October 2025, I had the pleasure of purchasing tickets to the Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy that was traveling through Rochester, New York, on the night of October 31st, Halloween. Uniquely designed craft cocktails and macabre theatrical performances sounded like the perfect pairing for a night out. I was right.
The traveling speakeasy was held in the South Wedge neighborhood at the Historic German House on Gregory Street. Built in 1908, the historic house-turned-event space was an outstanding venue for this curated macabre experience. From floor to ceiling, the mansion acted as a portal to another dimension, one of sight, sound, poetry, and tasteful mixed drinks. Further, the stage was decorated in a way that complemented the unique ensemble; Soft lighting, candles, and antique furniture elevated the experience and acted as the perfect backdrop for the show.
Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy actor portrays a character in the Fall of the House of Usher.
Shortly after a quick round of cocktails were handed out and a brief comedic introduction by the MC, the lights dimmed, and the performances commenced. The night began with one of Poe’s chilling works about the psychological and physical torture of a prisoner during the Spanish Inquisition: The Pit and the Pendulum.
During this haunting rendition, the actor’s performance of the prisoner included an emotive sense of fear and agony associated with his confinement to the pit, and the dread of death that looms over his head, swinging like a sharp pendulum, and captivating the audience’s anxieties of death and the uncertainty of when the pendulum will strike.
Performers at the Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy prepare the Swing of Fate cocktails and hand them out to the crowd before each act.
During this nightmarish act, the taste of the Swing of Fate, a sweet yet biting cocktail with a prosecco float, brought you closer to the work as the sharpness of the cocktail faded to sweetness, and back again with each sip, much like a pendulum. The night went on, from torment to sweet revenge, love lost, and the supernatural. The Fall of the House of Usher brought the evening to an end. This final performance was paired with a dark, cold brew cocktail, featuring rich, creamy mocha and vanilla flavors, and crafted with pomegranate juice, a fantastical end to a brilliant show.
The Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy is a spectacular show that travels city to city, delivering outstanding performances and showcasing the ghastly works of one of history’s greatest and most prolific writers. Catch them if you can.
