1920s Beverages for Your Wedding

What, no booze? You must be joking. Interestingly enough, 1920 began the time of alcohol prohibition. This was intended to start a great sobering-up period around the world. Don't worry! Since, family reunions, parties and weddings and just every day never ceases, the bootleg industry made it possible to continue to enjoy the spirits people demand at occasions like these. With a special event like a wedding, your guests are definitely looking for a little something to sip on at the reception. The 1920s were a turbulent, yet fun time, due to and despite the alcohol ban with gangsters, flappers, the speakeasy and endless parties. The smell of alcohol was often disguised in fruity drinks to keep the fun times rolling.

With a wide range of ages to please at a wedding reception, this fruity drink idea makes it possible to please both young and old at your 1920s reception. These classics are perfect for a 1920s themed wedding.

Bathtub Gin
14 cans Beer
1 Gallon Vodka or Gin
2 bottles Raspberry Ginger Ale
6 lemons, juiced
Lemons and limes, thinly sliced for garnish
4 cups sugar
Preparation: Dump all ingredients into a bucket or old time washtub. Pour over a glass well filled and a lemon or lime slice. Serve

Red Death
1 oz. Vodka
3/4 oz. each: Amaretto, Triple Sec, Southern Comfort and Sloe Gin
2 Splashes of Orange juice
Dash of Lime juice
Shake with ice. Pour into a Tall glass

Old Fashioned
2 oz. Whiskey or Bourbon
Splash of Simple Syrup
Bitters & Soda
Fill rocks glass with ice. Add simple syrup, bitters, liquor and soda.
Garnish with an orange slice and cherry

Mint Julep
4 to 6 leaves of mint
1/2 oz. of Bourbon Whiskey
1 tsp. powdered sugar
2 tsp. water
Mix mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a tall slim glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

Martini Cocktail
1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz dry Vermouth
Stir with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with 2 olives and onion or a twist of lemon.

Champagne Punch
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Orange Curacoa
2 cups sugar
Juice 2 lemons
1 quart California champagne
2 cups tea infusion
4 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons Medford rum
1 quart soda water
Prepare syrup by boiling water and sugar for ten minutes. Mix champagne, brandy, rum, Curacoa, lemon juice, and tea infusion. Sweeten to taste with syrup and pour into punch-bowl over a large piece of ice. Just before serving add soda water.

Backseat Boogie
1 oz Vodka (Absolute)
1 oz Gin
1 part Ginger Ale
1 part Cranberry Juice
Pour 1 oz of each, vodka and gin over ice in a 14 oz glass. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale and cranberry juice. Garnish with fruit and serve.

Salty Dog
1 gallon vodka or gin
2 cans or bottles of white grapefruit juice
1/4 cup salt (or salt to taste)
Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl. Pour over tall glass with ice.

Sloe Gin Fizz
1 oz sloe gin
1 oz gin
3/4 oz lemon juice, fresh
1 oz simple syrup
3-4 oz soda water
Shake the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup with ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda. Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry. Serve

Mary Pickford
Stir well with cracked ice:
1 1/2 oz white rum
1 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon grenadine
Strain into chilled cocktail glass and drop in a maraschino cherry.

Many recipes can also take a few dents out of your wedding budget by providing an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of the cocktails. Some of the favorite drinks of the 1920s were prepared just for party situations.

Booze, The Drinks Bible for the 21^st Century, Richard Neill, 2001