The Roaring Twenties: Cocktails and Culture
The Jazz Age of the 1920s was a dynamic period in American history, defined by social, cultural, and technological transformations. This era, coinciding with Prohibition, witnessed a surge in cocktail culture, which became emblematic of rebellion, modernity, and innovation.
How Prohibition Influenced Cocktails
- The Volstead Act: Launched in January 1920, Prohibition aimed to eliminate alcohol consumption but inadvertently drove cocktail culture underground. The Act, however, contained loopholes that allowed a new generation of entrepreneurs to establish illicit distribution networks.
- Speakeasies: As secret venues for drinking and socializing, these establishments required passwords or membership cards and became synonymous with the era's illicit glamour.
- Vocabulary of Defiance: The vocabulary of the time reflected the new era, with men and women speaking of speakeasies and bootleggers.
- Medicinal Alcohol: A loophole in the law allowed liquor to be prescribed for medicinal purposes, leading to a surge in the number of physicians and druggists licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor.
Evolution of Cocktail Culture
- Social Customs: Cocktail parties in private homes became popular, with women participating, breaking gender barriers that previously excluded them from barrooms and cafés.
- Classic vs New: While pre-Prohibition recipes remained, new, distinctive drinks were created. The Smart Set magazine hailed the Martini, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned as a "holy trinity" of libations.
- Improvisation: Prohibition led to "new drinks, new ways of drinking," as noted by Gilbert Seldes, with disagreements on ingredients and proportions becoming commonplace.
- Literary Cocktail Parties: Cocktail parties were frequently depicted in novels and short stories, reflecting the gatherings occurring nationwide despite the "dry decade".
The Bootlegging Industry
- Criminals as Businessmen: Traditional brewers, distillers, retailers, and tavern keepers were now criminals, with many fronting as legitimate businessmen.
- Supply and Demand: Adam Smith's law of supply and demand governed the trade, as bootleggers sought to meet the burgeoning thirst in both cities and rural areas.
- The Real McCoy: Bill McCoy earned a reputation for shipping clean, undiluted liquor, with every bottle off his vessel reliably "the real McCoy".
Cocktails of the Era
Many cocktails were created and gained popularity during this time, some of which include:
- Bronx: A cocktail made with gin, orange juice, and vermouth.
- Nineteen-Twenty Cocktail: A cocktail created at Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
- Volstead Cocktail: Another cocktail from Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
- The Flapper Cocktail: Made with Jamaican rum, French vermouth, and bitters.
- Dance the Charleston Cocktail: Combines Tom gin, Italian vermouth, and orange marmalade.
- It Cocktail: A mix of dry gin, Italian vermouth, and orange bitters.
- Sidecar Cocktail: Made with cognac, triple sec, and lemon juice.
- Lindbergh Crossing: Combines cognac, Bénédictine, and fresh lime juice.
- Orange Blossom: A simple cocktail of gin and orange juice.
The End of Prohibition and its Enduring Influence
- Repeal: In 1933, Congress proposed the repeal of Prohibition, with the Twenty-First Amendment ratified by December.
- Lasting Impact: The Jazz Age left a lasting impact on cocktail culture, with many cocktails from the era remaining popular. The speakeasy concept has been revived in modern bars worldwide.
Jazz Age cocktails symbolize a period of rebellion, innovation, and social transformation. The era's unique circumstances led to new drinks and customs that continue to influence modern cocktail culture.