7 minute read
American Prohibition
1910-1930
In 1920, the United States issued the 18th Amerndement which put a ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages (Miller). But this did not exactly stop motivated drinkers. The trade of alcohol moved underground and was usually run by organized crime gangs. During this time, a new wave of alcohol consumption rose and underground illegal bars called “speakeasies” were the new place to gather to get a drink. Even with the bootlegging going on there still was not enough alcohol to go around, so people resorted to homemade methods. Their were several methods of homemade distilling which ranged from gin made in bathtubs and industrial alcohol made from chemicals used in ink and perfume. As you can probably guess, it did not have the best taste on its own. Bartenders had to get creative in order to mask the harsh taste of the bootlegged booze they could get their hands on. Various mixers including fruit juice, honey, maple syrup and soda were used to sweeten up their drinks and soften the harsh taste of homemade alcohol (“Mixed Drinks”). Most of the well-trained bartenders moved across seas to continue their craft and combined American and European mixing techniques. Prohibition is long gone, but the cocktails and strategies used are still with us today with much higher-quality booze!
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Gin Rickey
The Gin Rickey is named after American Democratic lobbyist Col. Joe Rickey who resided in Washington, D.C., during the 19th century (“Gin Rickey”). Rickey would commonly order a bourbon and club soda because he favored zero-sugar drinks. One day at the Shoomaker’s bar, Rickey ordered the drink with a splash of lime and the cocktail took off from there. The crafting bartender, George Williamson, would add the cocktail to his menu and name the drink after Joe Rickey. People started customizing the drink with different alcohol combinations realizing the combination of club soda and lime created a balanced tangy flavor. The bourbon was eventually substituted for gin and would become the more popular drink in history. The Gin Rickey was featured in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 classic “The Great Gatsby,” when Tom Buchanan served his guests a platter of Rickeys on a hot summer afternoon. In 2011, the Gin Rickey was declared the official cocktail of Washington, D.C.
2 oz. Gin 1/2 oz. Lime Juice Club Soda 2 Lime Wheels
Recipe
Glass: High Ball
1. Fill a glass with ice 2. Add gin and lime juice over ice 3. Top with club soda 4. Garnish with lime wheels
Southside
The true origin of the Southside cocktail has been lost in history, but there are two speculative backgrounds that remain attached to the drink. The first one is that during prohibition-era Chicago, two gangs controlled the illegal alcohol distribution (“Southside Cocktail”). One controlled the northside, the other controlled the southside run by Al Capone. The northern gang smuggled in a gin that was really smooth and could be simply drank with ginger ale. However, Al Capone’s gang smuggled in a gin that was much stronger and needed some serious mixing in order to conceal the strong taste. Like most prohibition cocktails, citrus, fruits, and sugar were used to better the harsh gin taste. The drink would become popular with Al Capone and his associates, thus giving it the name “Southside.” The next speculation is the earliest account of the Southside, which was published in Hugo Enslinn’s book Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1917. The book refers to the drink as a “Southside Fizz,” but the recipe is slightly different using club soda. The proposed theory on how the drink got it’s name in the recipe book is that its named after the Southside Hunt Room in Long Island, NY.
Recipe
5 Mint Leaves 1 oz. Lemon Juice 2 oz. Gin 1 oz. Simple Syrup 1 Mint Sprig
1. Add mint leaves and lemon juice into a shaker and muddle together 2. Add gin and simple syrup with ice and shake gently 3. Double-strain into a cocktail glass using a fine-mesh sieve 4. Garnish with mint sprig
Bee’s Knees
The Bee’s Knees cocktail is the perfect example of a Prohibition Era drink. During Prohibition, bathtub gin was the easiest liquor people could get their hands on, but few could tolerate the strong taste of it alone. Bathtub gin was made and bottled at home by using a small still to ferment a mixture of corn sugar, fruits, beets, or potato peels with a touch of juniper oil for flavor (“Bootleggers”). This potent combination needed to be watered down by half, but their bottles were too tall to fit under a kitchen sink. They would instead use a bathtub spigot, thus giving it the name “bathtub gin.” Adding honey to drinks was one tactic prohibition drinkers used to mask the rank taste and was used as a natural sweetener (“Bee’s Knees”). The honey also masked the potent smell of the gin and made it difficult for police to detect the smell of alcohol. The “bee’s knees,” was a popular expression used in the 1920s and was used to express something as outstanding. It is unclear how the phrase was attached to the drink, but it surely added a discreet way of ordering the drink.
Recipe
Glass: Coupe Tools: Shaker, Strainer
2 oz. Gin 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice 1/2 oz. Honey Syrup 1 Lemon Twist
1. Add gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled 2. Strain into a glass 3. Garnish with a lemon twist
Old-Fashion Tip:
Disguise your drink with homemade honey syrup. Add 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of water into a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until the honey is dissolved and let cool. Transfer into a container and refrigerate.
Mary Pickford
The Mary Pickford cocktail is named after a legendary silent film actress that was popular during the 1920s. The cocktail itself has roots in Havana, Cuba, and was thought to have sparked the “Americanization” of the Cuban bar culture (Beauchamp). The cocktail was supposedly named in Pickford’s honor when she visited Havana with her husband and Charlie Chapman for a film, but there is no evidence that they were actually there. The first recording of the cocktail was in 1928 in Basil Woon’s book When It’s Cocktail Time In Cuba. Woon was hired by the Cuban government to promote the country, and he took advantage of a vulnerable spot in American history; no legal drinking. He knew he could capture the attention of the American’s by writing a book about something they can not have. Rum was Cuba’s most produced and most popular alcoholic libation and had not made a huge appearance in America up until this point. The drink became insanely popular worldwide after the publication of Woon’s book and an increased demand for the smuggling of rum into America was seen.
Recipe
Glass: Coupe Tools: Shaker
1 1/2 oz. White Rum 1 1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice 1 tsp. Grenadine Maraschino Cherries
1. Add white rum, pineapple juice, and grenadine into a shaker with ice and shake well 2. Strain into a glass 3. Garnish with maraschino cherries
Old-Fashion Tip:
Harry Craddock published his own version of the Mary Pickford. His recipe was essentially the same, but called for the addition of 6 drops of maraschino liqueur. Try Craddock’s version to give it a boost of flavor!
White Lady
The White Lady is a cocktail that has gone through several recipe changes throughout the years. The original creator is believed to be Harry MacElhone who was working in London at the Ciro Club in 1919 (“White Lady”). His original recipe called for creme de menthe, but would later change his recipe to include gin instead when he opened his own bar in Paris called Harry’s New York Bar in 1923. In 1927, he would completely change the recipe in his published cocktail book Bar Flys and Cocktails where it called for creme de menthe, triple sec, and brandy. This was an entirely different drink. However, in 1930 Harry Craddock, a bartender at the American Bar at The Savoy in London, would save the original recipe of the White Lady in his legendary book the Savoy Cocktail Book. He increased the amount of gin put into the mix to create a dryer taste. Peter Dorelli, who worked with Craddock at the American Bar, was the one who suggested adding egg white to the cocktail to give the drink a smooth silky finish. Craddock’s version of the White Lady is the recipe that stuck around in history and the use of the egg white has always been optional.
Recipe
Glass: Coupe Tools: Shaker, Strainer
2 oz. Gin 1/2 oz. Triple Sec 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice 1 Egg White 1 Lemon Slice
1. Add gin, triple sec, lemon juice, and egg white into a shaker and dry shake vigorously 2. Add ice into shaker and shake vigorously again 3. Double strain into a glass 4. Garnish with lemon slice
Old-Fashion Tip:
Make Hary MacElhone’s original White Lady. Use equal parts creme de menthe, triple sec, and lemon juice. The egg white was not in Macelhone’s original recipe, but is recommended for the proper consistency.
