Here’s to alcohol, the rose-colored glasses of life. — F. Scott Fitzgerald
Cocktail culture flourished in the Art Deco period. It was an era of risk and creativity as Americans lived through the drinking restrictions of Prohibition as well as alcohol’s legal re-integration into the nation’s culture.
Spend an evening with vintage cocktail aficionado Luis Rodriguez learning the ways people drank in “our” period, and also what they were drinking. Using insights from novels, films, cocktail manuals, and other period sources, the presentation explores drinking habits both during Prohibition and after its end, and features a number of mixing demonstrations. You’ll learn what makes a martini dry in the Deco period, and why, if you are “drinking Deco”, it’s a good idea to get a cocktail pitcher. Our host will take you where people went to escape Prohibition – Paris, Cuba, speakeasies – and will also show you the ways they drank at home. Finally, you will leave with all sorts of tips and information to create your own Deco Drinking party sure to be the bees’ knees.
This lecture is entirely virtual and will be hosted on Zoom. A link will be sent out to ticket holders prior to the event.
One martini is alright. Two are too many, and three are not enough. — James Thurber
Bio
Luis Rodriguez is an amateur cocktail historian captivated by the drinking culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While a long-time mixologist, his fascination with vintage cocktails was piqued as he developed an interest in early 20th century life and manners, particularly as expressed in period literature and cinema. He has led a number of presentations on Art Deco cocktail culture for the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, including See in You in C-U-B-A: Cocktails in Prohibition-Era Havana and Martinis with Nick and Nora, as well as organized the weekend event, Bootlegging in Bakersfield. You can follow him and his vintage cocktail musings on Facebook or Instagram…just look for GiggleH2O.
A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her. — W.C. Fields
Recipe
Bees’ Knees (from The Artistry of Mixing Drinks – 1936)
In a shaker: the juice of one-quarter Lemon, a teaspoon of Honey [or honey water], one-half glass [1 oz] of Gin; shake well and serve.
There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne. – Bette Davis