U.S. Prohibition Era Drinks

[ThinkingBartender]

So which mixed drink recipes can be traced back to prohibition (1920-1933), and can specifically be traced to a Speakeasy, on US soil?

Cheers!

George

[Gifted Gourmet]

The Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, and the Tom Collins all came from the Prohibition era ... many cocktails we know today were invented during the Prohibition such as the Long Island Iced Tea, the Highball and Gin & Tonic.

Bartenders were well paid and tipped for supplying the public illegal substance of alcohol... the Brandy Gump Cocktail, Rolls Royce, Gin & Sin, Charlie Chaplin, Grand Royal Fizz, Shady Lady, Flying Dutchman, French 75, Hurricane, Absinthe Special Cocktail and many others... interesting question, Thinking Bartender!!

Edited October 9, 2006 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

The Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, and the Tom Collins all came from the Prohibition era ... many cocktails we know today were invented during the Prohibition such as the Long Island Iced Tea, the Highball and Gin & Tonic.

Bartenders were well paid and tipped for supplying the public illegal substance of alcohol...  the Brandy Gump Cocktail, Rolls Royce, Gin & Sin, Charlie Chaplin, Grand Royal Fizz, Shady Lady, Flying Dutchman, French 75, Hurricane, Absinthe Special Cocktail and many others... interesting question, Thinking Bartender!!

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The Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Highball and Tom Collins were invented during the 19th Century. And the Long Island was invented in the 1970's.

The Gin and Tonic was invented before prohibition, the exact date I am unsure of, but it too could have been 19th century.

Also French 75 was World War One.

I will have to look up the others, so thanks!

Edited October 9, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[jmfangio]

The Last Word. Cribbing from the Cocktail Chronicles blog:

“This cocktail was introduced around here about thirty years ago by Frank Fogarty, who was very well known in vaudeville. He was called the ‘Dublin Minstrel,’ and was a very fine monologue artist.”

So wrote Ted Saucier in 1951 when introducing this drink in Bottoms Up. Saucier credits the drink to the Detroit Athletic Club, and if the bartender’s recollection is correct, that would place the Last Word as a Prohibition-era cocktail.

http://www.cocktailchronicles.com/2006/04/13/the-last-word/

I recommend picking up Straight Up or on the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail by William Grimes. You'll find lots of answers to your question there.

By the way, the other night I made a Last Word with fresh yuzu juice in place of the lime, and, to put it in MySpace speak, OMFG! Made one of my favorite cocktails even better.

[raxelita]

According to The Cocktail Chronicles, The Last Word was created in the US during Prohibition.

And, not what you asked for but this nice little piece talks about how prohibition stunted the art of American bartending

ah jmfangio, you've outGoogled me-- this time.

Edited October 9, 2006 by raxelita (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

The Last Word might be a prohibition era cocktail in the vein of what I am enquiring about. But apart from Ted Saucier's book, where else is it listed? Has it had to be plucked lifeless from the annals of time, and resusitated? or did it walk into the 21st century under its own power? Did Doctor Cocktail list it in his Vintage Cocktails book? I know he mentioned Saucier's book in there, but I do not recall the drinks he chose to include.

Cheers!

George

[raxelita]

Well, I had a Last Word at Pegu Club a few months ago. It was even listed on their menu. So I can say it hasn't fallen completely into obscurity.

[menon1971]

Well, I had a Last Word at Pegu Club a few months ago.  It was even listed on their menu.  So I can say it hasn't fallen completely into obscurity.

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No word on a Last Word, but I have a copy of Irwin S. Cobbs “Own Recipe Book” from 1934 (a year after prohibition ended) and would be happy to look anything up. It is basically a drinking memoir, recipe book, and full on advertisement for Frankfort Distilleries. Quite funny (and offensive) in places – he describes at the bottom of each recipe what the drink did to him.

[limewine]

The Last Word might be a prohibition era cocktail in the vein of what I am enquiring about. But apart from Ted Saucier's book, where else is it listed? Has it had to be plucked lifeless from the annals of time, and resusitated? or did it walk into the 21st century under its own power? Did Doctor Cocktail list it in his Vintage Cocktails book? I know he mentioned Saucier's book in there, but I do not recall the drinks he chose to include.

Before I wrote about the Last Word, I did a search of my (admittedly limited) cocktail library. Saucier's book was the earliest--and, if memory serves, the only--place I found the recipe (if anyone has found another printed reference, I'd love to hear about it). I included the full note from Saucier re: his source for the drink, as was pasted upthread.

As to the 21st century resuscitation (I believe that's what you're asking, George), we can speculate. I do know that Murray Stenson, bartender at Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle, pulled it out of Saucier's book in 2002 or 2003, while compiling a cocktail list for the bar at a time when they were focusing on chartreuse and maraschino cocktails (the Last Word, having both, seemed a good choice). Since that time, the drink has popped up in different places, including (as raxelita points out) Pegu Club. Did Murray resuscitate the drink? Who knows; nobody can prove that one way or the other. Since Zig Zag is a bar that is popular among other bartenders and fans of quality cocktails, both those from Seattle as well as those visiting from other places, it's possible they may have introduced a number of other bartenders to the drink and its popularity spread (much as is the case more recently with the Red Hook). It could also be pure coincidence, that the popularity of and fondness for maraschino and/or chartreuse among classic-cocktail-loving bartenders in Seattle is similar to that among bartenders in New York, and London, etc etc, and everybody comes to the same small pool of drinks at roughly the same time. Through word-of-mouth and chats on eGullet, Drinkboy and Webtender, the revived drink gets around very quickly.

The Last Word is not in Doc's book. You'd have to ask him why.

[ThinkingBartender]

It seems, from Robert Hess' write-up on his Drinkboy site, that Murray Stenson re-found the Last Word in a copy of the 1977 barbook "Jones Complete Barguide".

So that makes two books that the last word is listed in. Though its resurrection in this new millenium does seem more than a little artificial.

There seems to be a vogue among the US cocktail set to dote over drinks with their favourite esoteric ingredients, why not just invent new drinks with said ingredients? And are these ingredients their favourites simply because they are esoteric?

It would be interesting to discuss where the fixation with certain ingredients and cocktails has arisen from. The public are told that old is good, and certain bartenders keep telling each other the same thing; I won't even mention the amateur mixologists and their spin on things.

My original question specified cocktails that originated in speakeasies (obviously in the US), and so that would exclude anything that Harry Craddock published in his 1930 book. When Craddock left the US in 1920 he didn't return until 1930, and that was to see what people thought of his book.

Cheers!

George

[ThinkingBartender]

Well, I had a Last Word at Pegu Club a few months ago.  It was even listed on their menu.  So I can say it hasn't fallen completely into obscurity.

←

No word on a Last Word, but I have a copy of Irwin S. Cobbs “Own Recipe Book” from 1934 (a year after prohibition ended) and would be happy to look anything up. It is basically a drinking memoir, recipe book, and full on advertisement for Frankfort Distilleries. Quite funny (and offensive) in places – he describes at the bottom of each recipe what the drink did to him.

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I hold Irwin S. Cobb in the same regard as H. L. Mencken, to both men it is not the truth of what is said that matters, but rather the style in which it is said.

[Grub]

Hold on there -- Gin and Tonic was invented by the British in India, as a way to obtain quinine (from the tonic), to fight off malaraia.

[menon1971]

Well, I had a Last Word at Pegu Club a few months ago.  It was even listed on their menu.  So I can say it hasn't fallen completely into obscurity.

←

No word on a Last Word, but I have a copy of Irwin S. Cobbs “Own Recipe Book” from 1934 (a year after prohibition ended) and would be happy to look anything up. It is basically a drinking memoir, recipe book, and full on advertisement for Frankfort Distilleries. Quite funny (and offensive) in places – he describes at the bottom of each recipe what the drink did to him.

←

I hold Irwin S. Cobb in the same regard as H. L. Mencken, to both men it is not the truth of what is said that matters, but rather the style in which it is said.

←

Agreed. I like to read passages (some of the less racist) to friends with a fake KY accent (more like Foghorn Leghorn really).

[eje]

[...]

There seems to be a vogue among the US cocktail set to dote over drinks with their favourite esoteric ingredients, why not just invent new drinks with said ingredients? And are these ingredients their favourites simply because they are esoteric?

It would be interesting to discuss where the fixation with certain ingredients and cocktails has arisen from. The public are told that old is good, and certain bartenders keep telling each other the same thing; I won't even mention the amateur mixologists and their spin on things.

[...]

←

Hmm...

Well, getting a bit off topic, but...

As an, ahem, amateur mixologist, I often wonder something similar.

There is a whole universe of ingredients available to mixologists today that Jerry Thomas could only dream of. Fresh herbs and fruits available year 'round, amazing varieties of exotic spices, unusual syrups and flavors in ethnic markets. Sure, maybe only 1 in 10 will result in a truly amazing cocktail; but, why not try?

On the other hand, if you don't understand the basics and the history of the craft, how can you hope to build on it?

To me, it is like cooking. Too many inexperienced chefs and cooks get seduced by exotic ingredients before mastering the basics. Adding lemongrass to your soup doesn't make it any better, if the stock sucks, the veggies are poorly chopped, and it is improperly seasoned.

If I'm in a bar, and they can't make me a proper Manhattan or old-fashioned, I'm not going to trust their lemongrass and muddled mango-tini.

[eje]

[...]

My original question specified cocktails that originated in speakeasies (obviously in the US), and so that would exclude anything that Harry Craddock published in his 1930 book. When Craddock left the US in 1920 he didn't return until 1930, and that was to see what people thought of his book.

[...]

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While I suppose it is valid to limit your criterion to recipes created during the actual time the 18th amendment was valid, it is good to note that the US struggled with the temperence movement for quite a bit longer than the duration of "the great experiment".

Some US states, counties, or cities first went dry in the 1800s and, heck, some are still dry today.

[ThinkingBartender]

Hmm...

Well, getting a bit off topic, but...

As an, ahem, amateur mixologist, I often wonder something similar.

There is a whole universe of ingredients available to mixologists today that Jerry Thomas could only dream of.  Fresh herbs and fruits available year 'round, amazing varieties of exotic spices, unusual syrups and flavors in ethnic markets.  Sure, maybe only 1 in 10 will result in a truly amazing cocktail; but, why not try?

On the other hand, if you don't understand the basics and the history of the craft, how can you hope to build on it?

To me, it is like cooking.  Too many inexperienced chefs and cooks get seduced by exotic ingredients before mastering the basics.  Adding lemongrass to your soup doesn't make it any better, if the stock sucks, the veggies are poorly chopped, and it is improperly seasoned.

If I'm in a bar, and they can't make me a proper Manhattan or old-fashioned, I'm not going to trust their lemongrass and muddled mango-tini.

←

You are anything but amateur Erik, I don't know anyone who would plough through the Savoy Cocktail Book.

Personally I equate Cocktails with Music. The cooking analogy just doesn't work for me.

My own style of Cocktails attempts to be like an impersonator, trying to do my best impression of a given song. This is at opposites with most peoples Lounge pianist approach, whereby they play every conceivable song is exactly the same way.

A Margarita requires a mariachi approach, a Manhattan requires a Classical approach, Pina Colada requires a Calypso approach, etc.

I will have to work on these analogies

Cheers!

George

[Pan]

[...]Personally I equate Cocktails with Music. The cooking analogy just doesn't work for me.

My own style of Cocktails attempts to be like an impersonator, trying to do my best impression of a given song. This is at opposites with most peoples Lounge pianist approach, whereby they play every conceivable song is exactly the same way.

A Margarita requires a mariachi approach, a Manhattan requires a Classical approach,  Pina Colada requires a Calypso approach, etc.[...]

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That's really interesting! So would drinks invented in the Prohibition Era require a hot jazz approach?

[KatieLoeb]

A Margarita requires a mariachi approach, a Manhattan requires a Classical approach, Pina Colada requires a Calypso approach, etc.

I am totally groovin' on this analogy...

[djsexyb]

ok, while this is a little off topic, i thought i would chime in with an old family story of mine...

Back in prohibition, my great grandfather and his two brothers, living in the south side of chicago (56th and kenneth) had had enough, so they decided to make their own potato vodka in the basement. to theit surprise, they had a knack for it and it was really good! lo and behold the neighbors found out, wanted some, more neighbors found out...and wanted some. a few months later, my great grandfather and his two brothers purchased 5 bath tubs and installed them in the basement for a total of six and went to work along with a few mini pot stills.

a few more months later, they were supplying high quality neutral spirit to all taverns, speakeasies, and private customers in a 35 miles radius.......untill this one guy found out....none other than Al Capone himself. They proposition was rather straight forward, "Keep doing what you're doing and cut us in and daily life wont change any, or keep doing what youre doing and dont cut us in and there wont be a daily life anymore."

They obligied and ran the spirts untill the near end of prohibition. every ten years or so a photo of my great grandfather and his two brother stirring potato voka in the basement, with 6 tubs in the distant pops up. ill see if i can find mind and post it up...

Just my family's contribution to the fine spirit consumption of America! lol

[Kent Wang]

Your ancestors were true heroes!

[ThinkingBartender]

[...]Personally I equate Cocktails with Music. The cooking analogy just doesn't work for me.

My own style of Cocktails attempts to be like an impersonator, trying to do my best impression of a given song. This is at opposites with most peoples Lounge pianist approach, whereby they play every conceivable song is exactly the same way.

A Margarita requires a mariachi approach, a Manhattan requires a Classical approach,  Pina Colada requires a Calypso approach, etc.[...]

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That's really interesting! So would drinks invented in the Prohibition Era require a hot jazz approach?

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You tell me.

[jmfangio]

A Margarita requires a mariachi approach, a Manhattan requires a Classical approach, Pina Colada requires a Calypso approach, etc.

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Surely, everyone here has seen The Thin Man? As Nick Charles instructs three New York bartenders at the elegant Normandie Hotel bar how to make a proper Martini. "You see, the important thing is the rhythm. You always have rhythm in your shaking. With a Manhattan you shake to fox trot time. A Bronx to two-step time. A dry Martini you always shake to waltz time."

I love that line, but with apologies to Nick Charles and James Bond, I still stir my martinis.

Edited October 10, 2006 by jmfangio (log)

[johnnyd]

a few more months later, they were supplying high quality neutral spirit to all taverns, speakeasies, and private customers in a 35 miles radius.......untill this one guy found out....none other than Al Capone himself.

Now that is why we come here. Outstanding. Please post pic when possible.