Summit Sips » classics

Drink of the Week: The Scofflaw

Randy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:43:46 +0000

Prohibition was enacted in 1919 but didn’t go into effect until January of 1920. The thirteen years that followed should have hurt the popularity of cocktails, but limited availability and the constant reminder of illegality did more to promote them! The taboo of drinking made it that much more exciting, and while the social aspect was kept out of the public eye in America—limited to secret back-room speakeasies—most of the innovation and creativity was naturally taking place outside of the United States. Our Drink of the Week is one example of such a creation.

It was a well-known fact that some people in America were simply ignoring the law. So, in 1923 a contest was held to create a word that meant, “a lawless drinker of illegally made or illegally obtained liquor.” The winning entry was submitted by two people independently, and on January 16th, 1924, the Boston Herald

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Classics Series: The Old Fashioned Cocktail

Randy — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:13:23 +0000

You don’t have to be a fan of AMC’s Mad Men to be interested in the Old Fashioned cocktail. Even though it’s Don Draper’s favorite, you too can make this one like a Madison Avenue executive. The fact is, the Old Fashioned comes from an era long before Don started drinking. It’s always regarded as a classic, and indeed, along with the Sazerac, it is probably one of the earliest cocktails to be created. The original definition of the cocktail was first printed in 1806 when it was described as “spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.” The Old Fashioned perfectly fits these requirements, although today the word cocktail is used to describe virtually every variety of mixed beverage.

So, what is the Old Fashioned? Well, it’s a drink that has earned it’s own glass, for one. While there are many variations, and some that take additional ingredients way

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