We’ve got a few Prohibition cocktail recipes for you to try. They’re easy to make at home, and you’ll find that they make a great addition to any party or event.
For delicious cocktails, it doesn’t get better than these amazing Prohibition cocktail recipes!
Drinking has been a part of American culture since the very early days. In the colonial period, people drank rum, brandy, wine, beer, ale, and all the other delicious alcohols we know and love today.
However, over-drinking is a problem that often accompanies alcohol consumption, which is what has led to various prohibitions. For example, the General Court of Massachusetts banned rum, “strong water”, wine, brandy, and other alcohols in 1657. During the 1800s, liquor manufacture and sale was again banned in different states, including Maine, Kansas, and Pennsylvania.
But things really heated up on January 16th, 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment went into action. This Amendment officially banned alcohol in the entire nation, and over 1,500 Federal Prohibition agents were tasked with enforcing the law.
Of course, just because the law went into effect, that didn’t mean people actually obeyed. President Woodrow Wilson himself kept a stash of liquor at his Washington home, and his successor, Warren G. Harding, actually moved his liquor supply to the White House after being inaugurated. It was estimated that 80% of Senators and Congressmen drank during the Prohibition Era.
And it wasn’t just the powerful people that found ways to get their hands on alcohol. Due to the varied terrain of the United States, bootleggers had many methods of smuggling alcohol into the United States from Canada and Mexico. A number of illegal distilleries flourished during the Prohibition Era, as the demand for the “illegal” liquor was incredibly high.
Speakeasies popped up all around the United States. These establishments illegally sold alcohol and alcoholic beverages, and they became incredibly popular during the Prohibition Era. These establishments were also known as “blind tigers” or “blind pigs”, due to the fact that they charged people a fee to see the animal attraction, then offer a “complimentary” alcoholic beverage.
Sadly, speakeasies have mostly disappeared since Prohibition ended in 1933, but there are still a few retro-style bars where you can find the sort of cocktails and drinks served during the Prohibition Era. If you’re looking for a great place to get a drink, you’ll love the laid-back, “underground” feel of these venues. Plus, the cocktails are AMAZING.
