Underground

A family honors its matriarch’s legacy with an alluring Louisville speakeasy 

By Kalene McCort

Since 2023, Nora’s Speakeasy—a low-lit subterranean lounge on Louisville’s Main Street—has provided patrons with a clandestine atmosphere to sip in the shadows. Located In the basement of the event space, The Simon, guests slip in through a back door accessible on South Street and take the stairs to the reimagined space boasting skull and flower wallpaper, intimate booths, an illuminated bar and walls dressed in an alluring shade of dark hunter green. 

“We want people to come down here and feel like they’re an insider,” says Caitlyn Elvendahl, who co-owns The Simon and Nora’s with her father, Dan Kelly. 

Elvendahl’s background is in wedding planning, and she initially had no intention to open up a speakeasy. Still, upon seeing the space—just a core and shell—her vision for a unique secret saloon began to take shape. 

“When we found this building, we fell in love with it and got really excited about doing weddings here,” Elvendahl says. “We couldn’t ignore that the basement would be such a cool gathering space and a cool speakeasy, so that’s how this came to be. We’re surprised but happy to be in the bar business. People are excited about the craft cocktail bar being here, and the response has been great.” 

Elvendahl worked closely with D.J. Riemer, founder of Grove Street Alchemy—a Longmont-based boutique liqueur line made from quality ingredients—to create the opening menu. In addition to Riemer’s finely crafted, flavor-forward liqueurs, Elvendahl makes sure to stock her bar with Colorado brands, such as Laws Whiskey, Stranahan’s and Boulder Spirits. 

The establishment’s namesake pays homage to a memorable matriarch in Elvendahl’s family who made all who entered her Aspen home feel welcome. Nora Kelly—originally from Chicago—was Dan Kelly’s mother and Caitlyn’s grandmother. Her legacy of warm hospitality lives on within the inviting space. The top level—where couples tie the knot—pays tribute to Nora’s husband and Elvendahl’s grandfather, Simon Kelly. 

“My grandmother was a wallflower in the most wonderful way,” Elvendahl says. “She loved her people and was always happy to be celebrating them. If she knew there was a whole bar named after her, she would chuckle under her breath in disbelief and be proud of what Nora’s is and that we’ve built a space where people get to show up as themselves.”

On Mondays and Tuesdays, customers can savor reasonably priced cocktail flight samplers. Served in mini glassware, various tasters allow folks to see what pleases their palates most. Rotated weekly—from an extensive selection of 52—the samplers range from tropical tiki-style sippers to gin-forward nightcaps. 

House-made infusions, such as lavender and cacao nib, elevate the flavor profiles of dozens of cocktails. An impressive amount of beer and wine is also up for grabs, including local options from Stem Ciders and Avery Brewing. Currently, Elvendahl’s favorite cocktail is the Buzzword, a full-bodied drink built on a strong foundation of rum and whiskey. 

In addition to a rotating selection of one-of-a-kind drinks crafted by skilled staff, Nora’s serves several classic favorites such as whiskey sours, daiquiris, old fashioneds and more. Those looking for a cocktail outside the standard mix can peruse Nora’s Takes—eight offerings that provide slightly different versions of classics. From 5 to 6 p.m. nightly, patrons can enjoy all house cocktails for $10, half-priced wines and $5 beers. On the wagon? No worries. Mocktails are also served in style. 

Elvendahl has kept the marketing to a minimum—adding to the elusiveness of the underground haunt, where being in the moment is to be savored alongside potent libations and appetizing bites.  

While the food options at Nora’s are limited, they still provide variety and quality regulars have come to know and love, including a brie board with almonds, olives and jam—all sourced from The Cheese Importers in Longmont. Elvendahl recommends the amaretto cheesecake, also from Cheese Importers, for a must-try sweet. Pretzel bites, a crowd favorite, come from a German breadmaker in Thornton, XLVII’s Bakery. Sandwiches and refreshing salads are prepared in-house.

In a dimly lit corner of Nora’s sits the faded wedding license of Nora and Simon in a frame, clustered among family photos of yesteryear. The host stand is the actual childhood desk of co-owner Dan Kelly, a wooden memento of his adolescence. Thoughtful touches radiate the warmth of a family history kept alive within the jazzy barroom.

“The ultimate experience I want guests to have here is all about connection, whether it’s the story of the cocktail you’re drinking or the person you’re sitting across the table from,” Elvendahl says. “There’s not great cell service down here. We love it when people don’t connect to the Wi-Fi.” 

Nora’s Speakeasy
957 Main St.
Louisville
noras.place