Favorite Giggle Water of Prohibition Era Celebrities

Musique - "I Married A Bootlegger's Daughter" by Frank Crummit

About six years ago, I ordered John Dillinger's favorite drink, the Gin Fizz, at a bar in Seattle. The bartender had no idea what I was talking about. I had to tell her what was in it and even though they had all the ingredients, I just don't think it tasted the same for me as it probably did for John back in the day. So, I decided to abandon 1920s and 1930s cocktails and stick to beer. Seattle knows how to do beer.

But with the 1920s and Prohibition being so popular these days (thanks in no small part to the amazingly awesome and brilliant show, Boardwalk Empire), it might be a good time to try again. Here are some of my favorite celebrities from the 20s and 30s and their drinks of choice. Prost!

John Dillinger: Gin Fizz
2 oz. gin
Juice of 1/2 lemons
1 tsp powdered sugar
Carbonated water

Shake gin, juice of lemon, and powdered sugar with ice and strain into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water, stir, and serve.

 
F. Scott Fitzgerald: Gin Rickey
2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. lime juice
Top with club soda
Lime wheel

Pour gin and lime juice into a chilled highball glass filled with ice cubes. Top with club soda, and stir gently. Garnish with lime wheel. Serve with two straws.


Humphrey Bogart: Scotch (but also beer, bathtub gin martinis, Jack Rose cocktails, and Black Velvet)  
5 oz. chilled stout
5 oz. chilled champagne

Pour stout into a champagne flute. Add champagne carefully, so it does not mix with stout, and serve.

 
Ernest Hemingway: Mojito (also Absinthe, Daiquiri, Martini, Papa Doble)
6 fresh mint sprigs
1 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. light rum
Lime wedge

Crush 5 mint sprigs into the bottom of a chilled highball glass. Pour in lime juice, simple syrup, and rum. Fill glass with crushed ice. Garnish with lime wedge and remaining mint sprig. Sometimes a splash of club soda is added.


Dorothy Parker: Champagne Cocktail
1 sugar cube
2-3 dashes of bitters
Quarter measure cognac/brandy
Champagne

Place the sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute, add the bitters and roll the sugar lump around to soak it up. Add brandy and top with champagne.


Greta Garbo: Glögg (Swedish spiced wine)
1 bottle of red wine
0.5 Liter inexpensive brandy or vodka
10 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick (broken down)
1/2 orange peel (dried or fresh)
1/2 lbs sugar (regular or lumps)
Optional additions: 5 cloves, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup almonds, 5 dried figs

Heat the wine and brandy spices, fruit, and nuts in a pot (and any optional additions you might like)Be careful not to boil the mixture; just let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
Then, strain through a cloth to remove all additions.
Serve your Glögg hot over lumped sugar (or with regular granulated sugar).
Optional: You can also serve the Glögg with raisons or almonds. If you'd like the drink to be stronger, use more brandy.


Rudolph Valentino: Blood & Sand (inspired by his movie of the same name)
1 oz. scotch
3/4 oz. red vermouth
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering (You can substitute 1/2 oz Kirschwasser if you can’t find Cherry Heering.)
1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

Shake vigorously in shaker over ice for 25-30 seconds, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.


Busby Berkeley: Martini
1 measure gin
Dash of sweet red vermouth

Mix gin and vermouth gently in a pitcher of ice, then strain into a cocktail (Martini) glass. Squeeze a twist of lemon rind over the surface to release essential oils on top of the drink. Add a green olive skewered on a cocktail stick.


Nick and Nora Charles—okay, so they're fictional, but they looooove their alcohol, as evidenced by the below quote from The Thin Man (click links for drink recipes):

Nick Charles: The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.

And why not one of the most infamous folks of the Prohibition era:

Al Capone: Templeton Rye
2 oz. Templeton Rye
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. Champagne
1 Dash Bitters

Mix, chill and serve with a lemon twist.


Some celebrities preferred straight drinks to cocktails:

Cary Grant: Aquavit

James Cagney: Whiskey

Josephine Baker: Montaudon Champagne

If you're interested in more drinks of the 20s and 30s, you can find some here, here, and here.

Note: all of the drink recipes are completely copied and pasted from the links referenced, so none of the directions are my own writing. ;)