The date was 17th January, 1920 and the US of A decided to go war against a very different kind of enemy – alcohol. For the next 13 years, this ban remained. I’d like to cheekily suggest that this imposition on mankind’s favourite past-time led to the financial crisis of the century but let me not fall prey to a classic ad hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. But one thing is for sure, had I been alive then, the term “The Great Depression” would have referred to the absence of money in the bank…and alcohol in the shops!
(Clockwise from far left) Cocktails at PCO; Cobbler and Crew; Pousada; Copitas; and bartenders at Cobbler and Crew special arrangement PRIYADARSHINI PAITANDY
That said, one wouldn’t be wrong in connecting the rise of organised crime in the form of mobs who quickly pivoted from extortion and theft to simply making alcohol available to the common man. So vast were the profits from running illicit stills and speakeasy bars that mob bosses made over (in today’s equivalent) 1.3 billions dollars and paid bribes to the tune of 6 million dollars annually.
So much for temperance, it kept the businesses flowing but the money ended up in the hands of henchmen than the government. It did have one upside; it gave us many cocktails that we drink, unchanged, to this day – The Last Word, Sidecar, Hanky Panky, Old Fashioned, Gin Rickey, Bee’s Knees, French 75, and even the Mojito.
Not only in the US, anywhere that a government has tried to ban alcohol, the repercussions have always been quite, well, significant and led to increased smuggling and other nefarious practices (like proliferation of moonshine or hooch) which were in fact more harmful to public health in the long run. In Finland, the ban lasted a while but eventually was lifted and today, the distribution is strictly state-controlled which is a mid-way to ensure civility around the alcohol-health debate. Similar systems exist in other Scandinavian countries as also in other parts of the world.
Sure there are Muslim countries where it’s completely banned by law (and religion) but even then, some Islamic countries find ingenious ways to keep people on both sides of the debate happy.
Fresh cool summer cocktail Bloody Merry, made of bio tomatoes with lemon, tobasco SM | Photo Credit: Anna Kainova
Well, the reason I have been harping on about the Prohibition era today – and so early into this series eulogising the ‘devil’s water’ – is because we have had our own tryst with temperance. So much so that, the Father of the Nation’s birthday, 2nd October, is now celebrated as World No Alcohol Day.
That’s quite a significant impact to have.
However, if you are home and wish to try a fun mixed drink here’s my favourite lazy recipe. It’s lazy because it uses things that are mostly available in any kitchen and yet make for a fabulous cocktail – sugar, lemon juice, ice. Voila! It’s that simple. Combined these three (30ml lemon juice, 10ml sugar syrup, loads of ice cubes) in a shaker with a 45ml alcohol pour of your choice – white spirits like rum, gin and tequila work better. Give it a good shake and strain it into a glass. Get creative with your garnish and you are ready to serve your first classic cocktail.
Make sure to take a break in between with a big glass of pure aqua. Else, come 3rd, you’ll be waking up with a headache and a hangover that would definitely change your vote if the temperance movement somehow sprouted again and took a poll that morning!
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