Speakeasy Cocktail Twists

We decided to shake up a few of our own favorite speakeasy cocktails! Since all of the liquor during Prohibition was illegally brewed and distributed, most of it had harsh flavors. This bathtub gin needed a bit of flavoring to mask their unrefined taste. The result? Some pretty ingenious cocktail combinations. Most of these drinks have become staples in the American bar and taste even better with the high-quality liquors we have today. Grab your vest, flapper dress, and fedora to step into 1920’s to tempt your senses with one of these four classic Prohibition-era cocktails.

The southside cocktail is the most notorious of our libations today. As Al Capone’s drink of choice, the cocktail is named after his southside Chicago gang. The rival northside gin was smoother and typically drunk with ginger ale. Capone’s gin, however, had a harsher flavor. This was masked by sweet and sour syrup and refreshing mint in the Southside cocktail. Add a splash of club soda for a Southside Fizz!

This European invention is named, as you might expect, after a motorcycle passenger attachment. As the legend goes, this combo was requested by an army captain who rode up to a Parisian bar in a sidecar. The recipe traveled to the U.S. and became especially popular in New Orleans in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. This drink gets its sweetness from orange-flavored liqueur and iconic sugared rim.

Sidecar Serves 1 in TOSSWARE's 12oz Pint Jr

Ingredients 2oz Cognac 1oz Cointreau 1oz Lemon juice 1 Tablespoon Turbinado Rimming Sugar

Instructions Cut an orange quarter and slide it around the edge of TOSSWARE’s Pint Jr. Dip the cup into rimming sugar Add the Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice into the shaker Add ice and shake for about 30 second Strain into the glass and garnish with an orange peel

12oz Pint Jr

The Bee’s Knees cocktail started popping up across speakeasies in the 1920’s. The origins are a little unclear, some say it originated in San Francisco others say it was invented in Paris. Either way by the end of Prohibition it was one of the most popular libations. Named with 20’s era slang for “the best,” the bee’s knees truly is a knockout. It uses honey instead of sugar, adding a nice floral note to the drink. The sweetness is balanced by a squeeze of lemon juice, resulting in a simply elegant cocktail.

The Bee's Knees Serve 1 in TOSSWARE's 12oz Tumbler Jr

Ingredients 2oz Gin 1oz Honey 1oz Lemon juice

Instructions Add all ingredients to shaker Add ice and shake for about 45 seconds Strain into TOSSWARE’s 12 oz Tumbler Jr. and garnish with a lemon quarter

12oz Tumbler Jr

A Southern drink that was a morning pick-me-up for farmers, the mint julep is the perfect beverage for a humid summer’s day. The word “julep” comes from the Persian word gulab, a term for rosewater syrup. While not traditionally made with roses, but the floral notes gave this refreshing cocktail its name. We’ve added a dash of rosewater into our recipe for a modern twist.

Mint Julep Serves 1 in TOSSWARE's 14oz Vino

Ingredients 2oz Cognac 2 Full mint sprigs 2 Teaspoons powered sugar 2 Tablespoons rosewater

Instructions Start the night before you plan to drink the mint juleps Mix two tablespoons of rose water into one cup of water and use this mixture to fill an ice tray The next day fill a shaker with the rosewater ice cubes Add cognac and powdered sugar and give the shaker a 45-second shake Open the shaker and add in 5-6 mint leaves and give the shaker another 10-second shake Pour all of the contents of the shaker into one of TOSSWARE’s 14oz Vino glasses

14oz Vino