STAFF REVIEW - IMMERSIVE COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE AT ALCOTRAZ PRISON BAR
Alcotraz is a theatrical, prison-themed cocktail bar that has emerged in recent years as one of the UK’s best immersive cocktail experiences. With cells located in London, Brighton, Manchester and Liverpool, your time in the cells is influenced by the infamous Alcatraz prison and the legend of the Wild West’s outlaw, Cassidy.
Annie, Ayla, and I were lucky enough to attend one of their events. We kept it local and headed to their Brighton cell along the seafront on a Friday evening for one of their 7 pm sessions. The duration was three hours, although it felt much quicker.
From the moment we arrived at the doors of the cell, the experience began. We were met by prison guards at the entrance where they began the theatrical performance by adding a fun twist to the prison rules and general terms that needed to be laid out to all the attendees.
Alcotraz’s main selling point is getting their guests to smuggle in their own alcohol past the warden, which is then used to make a concoction of cocktails, or ‘chicken soup’ as they called it, for your group. They recommend any spirit you enjoy (which must be sealed), and we decided on vodka. The prison guards at Alcotraz are on your side, and will help you smuggle your alcohol past the warden through a variety of creative ways.
Once we were checked in by the guards and let through the doors, we were given an orange jumpsuit, which I felt particularly brought us into the immersive side of the experience with the actors. Everyone was led to their cells by groups. On our way down, we were greeted by the infamous Cassidy, who was one of our fellow inmates with us.
With some top tips from the prison guard, we managed to get Cassidy’s help in smuggling our alcohol through. We ended up hiding ours in a pillowcase for Annie to bring through, which she blamed on a ‘horribly crooked neck’ to the warden. Somehow, it worked.
The whole night has a storyline, during which us ‘inmates’ and those working at Alcotraz are on one side against the Warden. The bartenders were also our fellow inmates, who made their way over to each group’s cell to take our alcohol and ask us how we would like our ‘chicken soup’ to be. We asked for a mix of fruity and sour, which they certainly delivered. The drinks arrived in prisonesque mugs, and each cocktail was wonderfully different to the last.
Without giving away too much of the night (as it is better kept a surprise!), ours consisted of a running storyline from the actors, interspersed with personal group interactions from the guards and the warden.
There was plenty of time given to sip on your cocktails and chat with your friends. Four cocktails were given to us each for the duration of the experience - and maybe a shot snuck to us from Cassidy too! Whilst we didn’t know exactly what each cocktail was, we noted flavours of passionfruit, pear, orange, and coconut, which were all super tasty with their delivery perfectly timed.
The cast were brilliant at playing their roles and really got into character. They were funny, witty, and quick with their responses. I noticed a lot of what they do is improvised as they respond to the guests, and they always had a hilarious comeback for you without once breaking character.
There were around six groups in for our evening, and our hosts were amazing at making the night feel personal as they regularly came over and interacted with each group. A selection of groups were partaking in the evening, varying from couples to bigger friend groups of six or seven. Any group size is incorporated terrifically there, but it might be worth noting if you come in a two, you’ll likely share a cell with other guests.
We were never short of entertainment and amusement during our time at Alcotraz, with the team integrating several little activities for groups to leave their cell and do together. The prison guard ‘Stanley’ was remarkable at bringing groups out of their shells and encouraging us to immerse ourselves into the night. The three of us felt he added a particular buzz to the evening. At one point he took me, Ayla, Annie for some group photos and was very accommodating with our request for many photos from multiple phones and cameras!
Alcotraz is the perfect gift experience for friends getting together for a fun night out, and I’d recommend this particularly at the moment with Halloween approaching. Whether it be a birthday, stag do, or just for fun, Alcotraz accommodates a variety of groups and it is guaranteed to be an amazing night. Thank you to the team at Alcotraz for having us!
