SPVAQ22021 - 22

Cola " spent 10 weeks at the
top the Billboard chart in 1945,
despite questionable lyrics and
the mention of alcohol and a
commercial product.
By 1946, the average per capita
consumption of alcohol in the
U.S. reached pre-Prohibition level,
about two gallons, reports Alcohol
Problems & Solutions. By the late
'40s and '50s, " cocktail rituals
were woven into the fabric of the
dominant culture " and drinking
began shifting from occasional to
daily, woven into leisurely life at
home.
Until 1968, Virginians couldn't
order liquor-based cocktails at bars
or restaurants, just wine and beer.
In 1968, the General Assembly
passed " the whiskey bill, " which
gave voters in Virginia cities and
counties the option of deciding
whether their restaurants and bars
should be allowed to sell mixed
drinks. The first drink legally sold
was a Scotch & Soda on a C&O
Railway dining car.

CONVENIENCE MEETS
MODERN LIFESTYLE
The mid-century ushered in
increasing attention to culinary
convenience. Think frozen foods,
TV dinners, Hamburger Helper
and packaged mixes for items like
cakes, chow mein and macaroni
and cheese. The movement sloshed
over into drinks, too. Bottled
sour mix, simple syrup and juices
became common behind the bar,
and cloyingly sweet drinks gained
in popularity. Classic herbaceous
liqueurs like Benedictine made
way for sweet schnapps. Vodka
surged, promising alcohol without
interference from flavor.
" By 1970, all the classic, wellmade cocktails were considered
old-fashioned and unpopular, "
drinks expert David Wondrich
told First We Feast. The rise of

22 SPIRITED VIRGINIA

illegal recreational drugs led to the
declining use of alcohol, so " Liquor
companies started churning out
sweet gimmick cocktails featuring
fruit juices, dairy and crazy names. "
The creation of the Kamikaze
in 1976 marked the advent of
shooters, where rapidly consuming
alcohol overtakes the urge to
taste the potion. This period saw
the birth of many more shooters,
including the B-52 (1977) and
Jell-O Shots (1980s).
Ready-to-pour cocktails and
mixers served-and still serve-
the delightful purpose of making
at-home preparation easier.

FAVORITES OF
OUR PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS
As living historians, our parents
and grandparents can shed light
on popular drinks of the past.
We might see our contemporary
cocktail scene as, well, the bee's
knees, but Gramps, Granny, Mom
and Pop had some worthwhile
tipples too!
Generically speaking, whiskey
graced many an after-work glass
back in the day, often with classicand-still-familiar liquors: Old
Grand-Dad, Jack Daniel's, Wild
Turkey, Seagram's and Crown
Royal.
Scotch was a favorite: neat,
on the rocks or with a splash of
club soda. People were drinking
Dewar's, Chivas and Johnnie
Walker Red. They drank the
occasional Scotch cocktail too.
In the 1940 film, " Angels over
Broadway, " Rita Hayworth sipped
on a Rob Roy (a Manhattan but
with Scotch instead of bourbon or
rye). At home, sippers mixed up a
Scotch & Milk.
Modern palates might prefer a
Bourbon Cream-same concept,
but with rich cream rather than
milk. Vary the recipe by adding

vanilla, simple syrup, a pinch of
grated nutmeg, vanilla ice cream,
orange zest or triple sec and a dash
of bitters.
Canadian whisky had a place in
many home bars, too: Seagram's
7, Seagram's VO, Crown Royal,
and Windsor Canadian whisky.
One nostalgic granddad enjoyed
Windsor whisky in a riff on a 7 & 7.
There were fans of Tennessee,
rye and Irish whiskey, too. This
is less surprising considering
that the drink was once touted
as medicinal, boasting added
ingredients like cloves, balsam
and horehound to support the
claims. The popularity of the
combination never died, and a few
distilling companies still produce
a pre-blended rock and rye, with
sweetener and flavorings.
But perhaps most plentiful were
the bourbon loyalists. Besides
neat, with a splash of water or
on the rocks, bourbon found its
way into a diversity of cocktails.
Favorite whiskey cocktails were-
and still are-Manhattans, Old
Fashioneds and Whiskey Sours.
Other favored liquors from a
generation or two ago are cream
sherry, Cherry Heering, Drambuie,
applejack, amaretto, moonshine,
schnapps, Mickey Finn green apple
whiskey, cognac and Ricard anise
liqueur.
Other go-to cocktails included
Vodka Tonic, Gin & Tonic,
Sours with a variety of liquors,
Hot Buttered Rum and Tom &
Jerrys for the winter holidays,
Screwdriver, Tom Collins, and, of
course, Martinis-gin or vodka or
the Upside Down Martini.
This cocktail reverses the gin-tovermouth ratio and was a favorite
of classic chef Julia Child. Shared
by food stylist Lori Lynn, at Taste
with the Eyes, the recipe uses a
favored Julia Child vermouth. The
Upside Down Martini creates a
lower-alcohol martini, prompting
SPVAQ22021

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