Stylish sipping at the Capital Region’s newest speakeasy
One of the bright spots of Baton Rouge’s recent unfit-for- humans summer was the arrival of Hearsay Social Club, the atmospheric speakeasy situated in the back of Circa 1857. Since its velvet curtains flung wide in mid-July, the lounge has cultivated fans with its inventive cocktail menu and moody charm. Sipping a curated restorative in one of its fancy chat sets while the thermometer rose outside just made you feel cooler, in more ways
than one.
The novelty hasn’t worn off. This month, Hearsay will roll out fall-forward cocktail specials made with the kind of Martha-Stewart-like savvy that define today’s trendier bars. And now that the weather is mild, the spot will also host a delayed grand opening this month with live music and food trucks.
Owner Garrett Kemp says he is pleased thus far with Hearsay’s rollout.
“Everything has been very well received, and we’ve gotten some great feedback,” he says. “We already have regulars.”
Kemp bought Circa 1857 in 2016 and has spent the last decade sharpening the Mid City antiques store’s focus on French and English furnishings, gradually jettisoning its previous format of disparate vendors. Revenue has been solid, but the pandemic slowed down face-to-face sales, says Kemp, who wanted to add an amenity that sweetened the experience. Hearsay, furnished using Circa’s timeless—and sometimes kitschy—items, is giving patrons another reason to cross the threshold.
Kemp partnered with designer Ellen Kennon on the bar’s design, using lush jewel tones punctuated by gold objets d’art and contemporary flourishes. The sultry, two-room haven can seat 35 across its ample bar and an adjacent sitting room bedecked in boutique wallpaper, local and global artwork, and even some found objects from Circa’s early days.
Hospitality consultant Scott Higgins created the original drink menu, a tidy starter pack of cocktails meticulously layered with boutique spirits and house-made syrups, tinctures and shrubs (sweet-tangy syrups made from fruit, sugar and vinegar). Fat washing is involved in some, clarifying in others. Take it in. This is not a place for thoughtless guzzling.
A top-seller, and a good example of Hearsay’s POV, is the clarified piña colada, called the Coconut Under Glass. Barkeeps stir toasted coconut-infused Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum with coconut water, coconut milk and lime juice. They clarify the drink by adding milk, then straining it through a coffee filter over several hours.
The Japanese cocktail box is checked with Hearsay’s Hoji Highball, created with a house-made smoked green tea cordial mixed with Nikka Japanese whisky and the plum liqueur umeshu. It’s served over an ice spear. The bar also serves daytime-friendly options like the Hugo Spritz, composed of St. Germain liqueur, simple syrup, seltzer, sparkling wine, lime and fresh cucumber.
If faddy cocktails seem scary, you can seek refuge in a classic. Hearsay’s clientele orders a ton of Old Fashioneds, Kemp says. A short list of craft beers and European wines is on offer, too, but know that ordering one makes you part of the 1%.
“We sell 99% cocktails,” he says. “That’s what people are coming to us for.”
This article was originally published in the October 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.
