First Look: Circa 1857’s speakeasy Hearsay opens next week

Baton Rouge is about to get its thirst quenched in style.

Inspired by the secretive culture of Prohibition-era speakeasies, Hearsay officially opens in a back corner of Circa 1857 next week. A soft opening will be held July 14, with an official opening to follow on July 17.

Designed with a mishmash of fine antiques and modern and vintage flourishes, each element in the moody two-room space feels intentional, from glassware and spirits to wallpaper and lighting.

And it should. The bar is the brainchild of Circa 1857 owner Garret Kemp, who bought the business 10 years ago at the ripe ol’ age of 21. Since then, Kemp has transformed the Mid City anchor from disparate vendor space to focused French and English antiques merchant.

His eye for European furniture and finishings shines through inside Hearsay. But don’t think stuffy. Quirky touches commit the vibe to the edgy, rebellious culture of 1920s bars on the down low.

“It’s been a fun project,” Kemp says. “We wanted to create a very cozy lounge where we could utilize the pieces that people already know and love from Circa, but updated with modern and whimsical flairs.”

The 35-seat space features chat sets, a large banquette and a sprawling mid-19th-century bar imported from France. It’s topped with a slab of polished wood sourced from a locally reclaimed live oak.

The cocktail menu was created by hospitality consultant and Level 2 sommelier Scott Higgins, former owner of Blend Wine Bar.

“One of the trends you’re seeing in cocktailing right now is a chef-driven approach,” Higgins says. “So we’re looking at tinctures and shrubs (concentrated syrups) made in-house, and really curating the spirit that goes into the craft cocktail and building flavor profiles and textures the way you would in a dish.”

The roasted coconut clarified piña colada is a good example. It’s built with toasted coconut-infused Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum, coconut water, coconut milk and lime juice. To clarify it, Higgins deploys “milk washing” by adding milk, letting it sit, then straining it through a coffee filter over several hours.

“The clarification process takes the color out, which is kind of fun in a piña colada, and it adds a textural element,” he says.

There’s also a French breakfast martini comprised of gin or vodka with orange marmalade syrup and finished with sparkling wine and orange zest. Higgins anticipates it will sell well during daytime hours as Circa shoppers browse.

Another daytime-friendly option is the Hugo Spritz, made with fragrant elderflower St. Germain liqueur, simple syrup, seltzer, sparkling wine, lime and fresh cucumber. A non-alcoholic cocktail combines ginger syrup, rosewater, guava and raspberry puree.

In keeping with the Japanese cocktail craze, Hearsay’s Hoji Highball features housemade smoked green tea cordial with the Japanese whisky, Nikka, and umeshu, or plum liqueur. It’s served in a Kuria highball glass with an ice spear.

Hearsay will also offer classic and popular cocktails like espresso martinis, French 75s and Bloody Marys, but made with boutique ingredients. The bar will serve a selected list of mostly European wines.

There’s a lot to take in while you sip. The design is awash in jewel tones, chosen with assistance from designer Ellen Kennon. Pops of emerald green appear in velvet draperies separating the two rooms and on the walls and in the trim of the main bar. The lush green scheme is punctuated by pops of pink and blue.

Small golden monkey sculptures keep watch from several ceiling corners. Boutique wallpaper by British designer Divine Savages hangs on the lounge wall. Kemp commissioned Baton Rouge artist Jade Brady to create two new works that hang near it and riff on the paper’s animal imagery.

In the same room, an antique portrait of a lady reveals Kemp’s eye. He bought it at an auction for $70, but it appraised recently for $100,000, he says. Nearby, a sign mounted on a wall features the letters ESOM, the backward spelling of prolific New Orleans painter Tony Mose, who formerly used this space as a studio.

“That sign hung above our door outside probably since 2005,” Kemp says.

Hearsay is intended to encourage customers to enjoy face-to-face shopping, while also rounding out what is already a multi-stop experience in the Circa complex. It also includes Leola’s Cafe and Coffee House, Mosaic Garden gift shop and other retailers.

“This is a place you can go and spend the day,” Kemp says. “Hopefully, this will keep you here longer.”

Hearsay is located at 1857 Government St. and will open beginning July 14. Hours will be Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight.