A Drinkable Feast – 3 legendary cocktails from the 1920s

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The end of the year is coming closer, we can hardly stop celebrating and again and again we ask ourselves the question: What special beverage can we drink if we don't always want champagne or the like? How about a sophisticated cocktail, for example? If the word "cocktail" makes you think boredly of the standard repertoire of your local bar, don't worry, I will introduce you to three cocktails that you may not have seen and tasted before. Of course, these are all drinks that were already appreciated in the 1920s, and in addition to the recipe and background information, you'll also get a tasting note from me personally.

Well then - cheers!

Mary Pickford

Silent movie icon Mary Pickford

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba in the 1920s

Cocktail Hour in Havanna

According to legend, the Mary Pickford originated in Cuba. Bartender Fred Kaufman of the Hotel Nacional De Cuba created the drink in honour of the silent film actress, who (like many other Hollywood stars at the time) liked to visit the island to escape Prohibition in the United States. Whether the actress was present at the birth of her own cocktail or even liked it is not known.

Recipe:

• 6cl White Rum

• 6cl pineapple juice

• 1cl Maraschino liqueur or Grenadine syrup

• 1 Maraschino cherry

Tasting note:

Of course, rum must not be missing from a real South Seas cocktail, but for my taste it is somewhat overdosed in the Mary Pickford. Together with the pineapple juice, the grenadine syrup and the Maraschino cherry, this makes for a very sweet mixture, which certainly fits in well with the nickname of its namesake - America's Sweetheart. Those who appreciate Cosmopolitan or Piña Colada might enjoy the Mary Pickford, yet one should not have too much of it to avoid a nasty next morning.

White Lady

Harry MacElhone's recipes were very popular in the 1920s

Bartender legend Harry MacElhone at work

Harry's New York Bar in Paris

The creator of this classic of mixology is bartender Harry MacElhone, known from Harry's New York Bar in Paris. He collected many of his creations and published them as early as 1921 under the name Harry of Ciro's ABC of Mixing Cocktails. An early version of the White Lady included mint liqueur (crème de menthe), but this was not well received by the public, so it was eventually replaced by gin.

Recipe:

• 6cl Dry Gin

• 2cl Triple Sec

• 2cl lemon juice

• optional: 2cl egg white

Tasting note:

The focus of the White Lady is clearly on the lemon. The egg white foam gives the drink a pleasant creaminess, the sweetness of the orange liqueur Triple Sec softens the citrus acidity somewhat, so that the cocktail tastes round overall. Suitable as an introductory drink for a lively evening, but it is advisable to add a few drops of Agostura bitters to the foam to give the White Lady a little extra spice.

Gin Rickey

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald - famous fans of the Gin Rickey

The Shoomaker's, the birthplace of the Gin Rickey

Washington D.C. in the 1920s

The drink was invented in the Shoomaker's bar in Washington D.C. by Colonel Joe Rickey at the turn of the century. Originally, the cocktail was just called Rickey and prepared with bourbon whiskey according to the taste of the time. But it was the switch from whiskey to gin a few years later that made the drink a classic. It is possible that the mention of Gin Rickey in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby did not hurt to make the drink known to a wide audience.

Recipe:

• 4cl Gin

• 2cl fresh lime juice

• optional: 1.5cl sugar syrup

• soda

• a lime wedge

Tasting note:

Similar to the gin and tonic, the Gin Rickey combines freshness, acidity and bitter notes into an invigorating drink that is not too strong thanks to the soda water. Best served in well chilled tumbler glasses on a warm summer evening on a cosy terrace. If the soda water is too neutral for you and you generally place more value on aromatics, you should rather switch to a classic gin and tonic.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I hope I have been able to inspire you with this small but fine selection for your next cocktail party. If you would like to read even more about legendary drinks, bars and famous lovers of the alcoholic beverage, I can highly recommend A Drinkable Feast - A Cocktail Companion to 1920s Paris by Philip Greene. A fascinating selection of cocktails, along with recipes and amusing anecdotes about the who's who of the Lost Generation in Paris, the book is the ideal companion for any fan of classic bar culture.

Cheers and Chin Chin!

Yours,

Marleen Tigersee