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Prohibition -

For nearly 13 years between 1920 and 1933, the sale and consumption of alcohol was banned all across the United States during what was called the Prohibition Era.

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Prohibitive supply lines -

These laws, of course, didn't stop Americans from drinking—it just made things a little more complicated. The distribution of alcohol largely fell into the hands of crime syndicates and crooked public servants, making certain spirits and other supplies difficult, expensive, and dangerous to procure.

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Working with what you've got -

But as they say: where there's a will, there's a way. Clandestine speakeasy bars operated and raked in loads of money, employing all sorts of cloak-and-dagger strategies to keep the booze flowing freely.

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Brave bartenders -

And, of course, the heroes of Prohibition were the bartenders themselves. Working under the table, with limited resources, they still managed to produce some of the most famous cocktails in history during a time when bartending was illegal.

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Gin Rickey -

To this day, the Gin Rickey remains Washington, D.C.'s official cocktail. The original was most likely made with bathtub gin and with some lime juice and club soda to even it all out.

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Sidecar -

The Sidecar might have been reserved for the well-to-do of the 1920s, but today it's one of the most iconic cocktails in the world. Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice make this a delicious sour cocktail.

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Old Fashioned -

The aptly-named Old Fashioned has been served since the late 19th century, but it thrived during Prohibition due to its simple yet elegant ingredients: whiskey, bitters, sugar, and a lemon twist.

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French 75 -

Champagne was a hot commodity during Prohibition, and leave it to the speakeasy bartenders to make the sparkling wine even more delicious by adding gin, sugar syrup, and lemon juice.

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The Mary Pickford -

The shining star of the Golden Age of silent film, which happened to neatly overlap Prohibition, was Mary Pickford. It's only fitting that a delicious cocktail be named after the actress.

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Bee's Knees -

The Bee's Knees was one of the first popular cocktails that utilized honey as a sweetener, which was both deliciously innovative and utilitarian given the circumstances.

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Highball -

The Highball is an old, iconic drink that is both delicious and elegant. Only two ingredients are needed, both of which were relatively easy to find during Prohibition: Scotch and club soda.

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Ward Eight -

Rye whiskey was one of the most iconic spirits of the Prohibition, second only to gin, so it's no surprise how many cocktails listed it as the main ingredient. The Ward Eight, named for the eighth ward of Massachusetts, adds grenadine, lemon juice, and orange juice to the mix.

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South Side -

Famously the drink of choice for Chicago mobster Al Capone, the South Side is a delicious gin cocktail that incorporates mint, sugar syrup, and lime to make a drink popular for gangsters and laypeople alike.

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Corpse Reviver -

It's not hard to guess what time of day this drink was meant to be enjoyed: the Corpse Reviver was Prohibition's favorite morning hangover cure. Taking a "hair of the dog" approach, this intimidating tincture added absinthe to gin, along with Cointreau, Lillet Blonde, and a dash of lemon juice.

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The Last Word -

This devilishly strong gin-based drink packed in green Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur, ostensibly to mask the sharp and not always pleasant taste of the homemade gin that was so common at the time.

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The White Lady -

Another popular and accessible drink in speakeasies around the country was the White Lady, which also made good and tasty use of bathtub gin. With just a little bit of Cointreau and lemon juice, it was transformed into a delicious cocktail.

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The Bacardi -

During Prohibition, Bacardi was synonymous with rum. It might not have been the only brand, but it was the only one anyone cared about. The Bacardi cocktail itself, of course, was based on rum, and added dashes of citrus juice and grenadine for a sweet and simple cocktail.

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Tom Collins -

When supplies were in particularly short supply, bar flies and bartenders could always rely on a simple and effective Tom Collins. All that was needed was bathtub gin, sugar syrup, and lemon.

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Monkey Gland -

A health craze of the early 20th century was a ghastly surgery involving a monkey's reproductive glands. It became such a fad that a 'healthy' Prohibition invention was named after it. The Monkey Gland cocktail mixes orange juice with grenadine, before throwing in some absinthe to sweeten the deal.

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Hemingway Daquiri -

Ernest Hemingway was almost as famous for his drinking habits as he was for his writing, and the author had a particular affinity for daquiris. Unfortunately for Hemingway, these rum cocktails were never strong enough for him. That is, until a bartender in 1921 mixed up a new daquiri with more rum than sugar, with an added twist of grapefruit, making what is now known as the Hemingway Daquiri.

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Chicago Fizz -

The Chicago Fizz might not be the most famous drink at the bar today, but during Prohibition speakeasy patrons couldn't get enough of it. This heavy rum cocktail incorporated ruby port wine, egg white, and club soda.

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Jack Rose -

Another favorite of Hemingway's, as well as fellow author John Steinbeck, was the Jack Rose. This drink was made with readily-available, homemade applejack brandy, grenadine, and lime juice.

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Sazerac -

One of the oldest truly American cocktails in history, the Sazerac has been enjoyed since 1838. Back then, it was made with cognac and bitters, but during Prohibition whiskey became a common substitute. It became increasingly popular due to the simplicity of its ingredients and the complexity of its flavors.

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Mint Julep -

This classic, 19th-century drink was made with whiskey, mint, and a dash of sugar. Its simple and procurable ingredients made the Mint Julep a Prohibition Era favorite in muggy, summertime speakeasies.

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Whiskey Sour -

One of the most famous and beloved drinks in the world, there's not much that beats a good Whiskey Sour. During Prohibition, the challenging tastes of bootlegged whiskey would be pleasantly masked with sugar, lemon juice, and egg white.

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Boulevardier -

The Boulevardier could be considered the Prohibition drink that got away. It's said that respected New York bartender Harry MacElhone fled his home at the start of Prohibition to Europe in hopes of finding some work. He eventually opened his own bar in France, where he crafted the Boulevardier by combining newfound European favorites with a classic American sprit. Bourbon whiskey was mixed with Campari and Italian vermouth.

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El Presidente -

Named in honor of the Cuban president Mario Garcia Menocal, the El Presidente was crafted by American Prohibition bartender Eddie Woelke. Woelke's creation combines white rum, dry vermouth, curacao, and grenadine.

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Singapore Sling -

The Singapore Sling traveled quite a long way before landing in the speakeasies of the US. It was originally crafted in the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore, using gin, Benedictine liqueur, cherry liqueur, and Grand Marnier.

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Hanky-Panky -

According to legend, the Hanky-Panky is named after the exclamation of the first customer to enjoy it, who apparently shouted out that this clever concoction of bathtub gin, Fernet Branca, and sweet vermouth was "the real hanky-panky!"

Sources: (Advanced Mixology) (The Spirits Business) (Thrillist)

See also: Delicious cocktails from around the world

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