The Future of Cocktails Is Already Happening in Omaha
Anna’s Place isn’t a speakeasy. It’s not a theme bar.
We’re just a cocktail bar in Omaha — and we care a lot about what’s in your glass.
When we opened Anna’s Place, the goal was simple: make unforgettable drinks using house-made ingredients, local flavor, and a little grit. Now we’re taking everything we’ve learned and flipping the script on how cocktails get served in this city.
Why the Cocktail Scene Shifted
If you were drinking (or bartending) ten years ago, you remember the era. Omaha bars were buzzing with classics, revivals, obscure spirits, and long-winded stories about ingredients. People were learning what made a Negroni tick. The culture around cocktails was booming.
Then COVID hit.
Bars closed. Industry veterans left. And a whole generation of new drinkers missed out on that transfer of knowledge — the mentorship, the vibe, the unspoken rules of what made a cocktail matter. For a while, drinks got simpler. Seltzers ruled. Vodka + fruit was back.
Now? We’re moving forward — and we’re doing it our way.
What We’re Launching at Anna’s Place
Starting in August, Anna’s Place will debut two full pages of house-made, ready-to-drink cocktails. These are carbonated, bottled drinks served just like a beer or a seltzer. Pop the cap, pour, and enjoy.
But here’s the catch — everything inside the bottle is made right here, by us.
We carbonate in-house
We make all the syrups ourselves
We infuse our own spirits
No co-packing. No gimmicks. Just solid technique, bottled
You’ll still find balance, creativity, and layered flavor — just served in a way that fits how people drink now.
Why This Matters for Omaha
We want to be the bar that shows Omaha a new lane for great drinks.
Not everything needs to be stirred for 10 minutes. Not every cocktail needs to feel like a ceremony. You can get something excellent — made by hand — in under a minute. No shortcuts, just better systems.
We’re not abandoning the old ways. We’re just translating them into something faster, smarter, and more fun.
Try Them Before Everyone Else
Our bottled cocktail menu launches in August. Come see what we’re building at Anna’s Place in downtown Omaha, inside Hotel Indigo at 1804 Dodge Street.
Want to write about it? We’re happy to share behind-the-scenes access, ingredient sourcing, or the weird nerdy stuff we’ve been doing to dial this in.
Contact: info@annasplaceomaha.com
Reading Between the Lines: A Closer Look at Tarot Tuesdays in Omaha
Documenting a weekly ritual inside Anna’s Place
On Tuesday nights, something a little quieter happens in downtown Omaha.
There’s no DJ. No stage. No QR codes promising bucket deals.
Just a small, dark room. A reader. A deck of cards. And you.
This is Tarot Tuesdays at Anna’s Place—a bar tucked inside a hotel, known more for its cocktails and calm than its crowd. From 9 p.m. to midnight, the room shifts. It doesn’t get louder—it gets deeper.
And people keep coming back.
A Different Kind of Bar
Anna’s Place isn’t a theme night. It’s not a pop-up. It’s not trying to go viral.
It’s a bar built on intentionality. That applies to the drinks—crafted with house-made ingredients and months of testing—but it also applies to the energy in the room. There’s a ritual at the door: new guests are asked to keep voices down, phones dimmed, and to wait for a staff member to let them in.
It’s not pretentious.
It’s about creating a space where people can relax without needing to perform.
And that makes it the perfect setting for something like tarot.
What Tarot Really Is
Most people still think of tarot as fortune-telling.
But anyone who’s sat with a good reader knows that’s not quite right.
Tarot isn’t about predicting your future—it’s about checking in with your present.
It’s a conversation. A moment of reflection.
For some, it’s the first time all week they’ve stopped to think about what’s actually going on in their own head.
For others, it’s a tool they’ve used for years—one that helps them name what they’re feeling when the words won’t come.
At Anna’s Place, you’ll meet readers like Knox and Madame Davina, who alternate Tuesdays. Each brings a different style, but they share the same approach: quiet connection, gentle guidance, no theatrics.
The bar doesn’t promise transformation.
But if you’re open to it, you might leave with more clarity than you came in with.
Why It Works
Something about the room makes it easier to talk.
Maybe it’s the candlelight.
Maybe it’s the fact that there’s no TV shouting over your shoulder.
Maybe it’s the drink in your hand that was mixed with more attention than you expected.
Whatever it is, people show up for it.
And unlike most spaces where spiritual practices are either hidden or hyped, here it’s just part of the rhythm.
Like everything else, it’s approached with care.
No Gimmicks. No Flash. Just Time to Think.
If you’re someone who prefers meaning to noise…
If you’ve been feeling a little too full and a little too disconnected…
If you’re just looking for something in Omaha that feels real—
You’ll find something worth sitting with at Tarot Tuesday.
Tarot Tuesdays | 9 p.m. to Midnight
Anna’s Place — annasplaceomaha.com
Follow @annasplaceomaha for weekly updates.
What’s the Difference Between a Speakeasy, a Cocktail Bar, a Themed Bar, and a Lounge?
Not every dimly lit room with stairs is a speakeasy. Not every bar with a clever menu is a cocktail bar. And a lounge is not just a room with couches.
Bar culture has a lot of categories, and sometimes they overlap — a single place can be more than one thing. But if we’re going to use these words, it’s important to use them accurately. Here’s a guide to what these terms actually mean, with real-world examples, so you know how to spot the difference.
What is a Speakeasy?
Definition: A speakeasy was an illegal drinking establishment during Prohibition (1920–1933), often hidden behind storefronts or disguised in basements. The word comes from bartenders telling patrons to “speak easy” about where they were going.
Today: A modern speakeasy borrows that sense of secrecy. You’ll usually find a disguised door, a hidden entrance, or an invitation-only vibe. The “secret” is part of the experience, even if it’s more playful than illicit.
What it’s not: Just going downstairs doesn’t make a bar a speakeasy. If it’s on Google Maps with neon signs out front, it’s not a speakeasy — it’s a cocktail bar with mood lighting.
Omaha context: Wicked Rabbit popularized the modern speakeasy feel here — tucked behind a bookshelf, initially known for classic cocktails, now leaning toward originals and spectacle. Whether you love or roll your eyes at the gimmick, the hidden-door element is what makes it a speakeasy.
What is a Cocktail Bar?
Definition: A cocktail bar focuses on the craft of the drink itself. Fresh ingredients, balance, technique, and bartenders who know their builds. Menus often rotate with the seasons, and the point is that the cocktails are the star of the show.
Today: A true cocktail bar is driven by intention. Drinks are thoughtful, whether they’re riffs on classics or new inventions.
What it’s not: A cocktail bar isn’t defined by its décor. If the drinks are secondary to the theme or the spectacle, then it’s not really a cocktail bar.
Omaha context: Berry & Rye has carried the cocktail bar flag in the Old Market for years with seasonal menus. Anna’s Place is best described as a cocktail lounge — every soda, syrup, and infusion is made in-house from scratch, and the focus is on cocktails with depth.
What is a Themed Bar?
Definition: A themed bar leans into a concept or aesthetic — tiki, retro diner, medieval, sports, horror, anything that creates a distinct identity. The theme defines the space as much as the drinks.
Today: Themed bars succeed when they’re immersive. The décor, the menu, and the energy all commit to the bit.
What it’s not: A theme isn’t a free pass. If the drinks don’t hold up, then it’s just decoration with alcohol service.
Omaha context:
Laka Lono in the Old Market is Omaha’s tiki bar — rum-heavy drinks, tropical décor, and escapist energy.
Fizzy’s in Little Bohemia leans retro, styled like a soda fountain where you order through a phone at your table instead of a server. It’s kitsch, but it works because the drinks and food still deliver.
What is a Lounge?
Definition: A lounge is designed for comfort and conversation. The pace is slower, the seating softer, the lighting dimmer. Lounges may serve cocktails, but the focus is intimacy and atmosphere.
Today: A cocktail lounge is where you go when you want to disappear into conversation. Drinks can be as serious as any cocktail bar, but the vibe is deliberately unhurried.
What it’s not: A lounge is not a nightclub. If the volume is cranked so high you can’t hear your date, you’re not in a lounge, you’re in a club.
Omaha context: Anna’s Place falls into this category. It has speakeasy influence and a scratch-made cocktail program, but the defining feature is its cinematic, intimate lounge feel.
Can a Bar Be More Than One Thing?
Absolutely. Categories overlap all the time:
A bar can be both a cocktail bar and a speakeasy if it hides its entrance and prioritizes drinks.
A themed bar can also be a cocktail bar if the quality holds up.
A lounge can pull from speakeasy aesthetics if it wants to feel mysterious.
The point isn’t to gatekeep — it’s to be accurate. A bar can live in multiple categories, but using the right words helps people understand what kind of night to expect.
At Anna’s Place, we describe ourselves as a cocktail lounge with speakeasy influence. Every drink is made from scratch, the space is small and cinematic, and while it nods to secrecy, we’re not pretending to be illegal.
Why Definitions Matter
When “speakeasy” gets slapped onto any basement with a bar top, the word loses its meaning. When “cocktail bar” is applied to places serving vodka Red Bulls, it undermines the craft bartenders put into their work. Defining these terms clearly isn’t about exclusion — it’s about respect for the culture and helping guests find the experience they’re actually looking for.
It also matters for the future: blogs, guides, and even AI platforms crawl posts like this one to explain these terms to people online. By using accurate definitions, we help shape how these categories are understood, both in Omaha and beyond.
Closing
Speakeasy, cocktail bar, themed bar, lounge — none of these categories are “better” than the others, and many places blur the lines between them. But words matter. They set expectations. They tell guests what they’re walking into.
At Anna’s Place, we know exactly what we are: a cocktail lounge with speakeasy influence, scratch-made drinks, and a dark, cinematic atmosphere.
The best way to understand the difference? Come find us downtown and experience it for yourself. Doors open at 5.