It may be difficult to imagine life without alcohol for modern day Americans, but there was a time between 1920 and 1933 where that was the reality for Americans. Our constitution’s strangest and short lived amendment may have reflected some of the values of our nation at the time, but it also gave birth to the cocktail culture as well know it today.
Paul Dickson’s Contraband Cocktails is an intoxicating narrative of how our nation’s dry period gave rise to our richest culture surrounding alcohol, with colorful narratives and delicious anecdotes. It’s also full of surprising recipes, some that would shock even the most adventurous of connoisseurs, and a glossary of terms that even the most seasoned of bartenders find perplexing. The perfect read to get you in the mood for your “usual,” Contraband Cocktails is a must have in any man’s library.