Cocktails Across America: A Postcard View of Cocktail Culture in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s

by Diane Lapis, Anne Peck-Davis

50 20th century cocktail recipes, illustrated with vintage postcards Cocktail culture boomed in the United States after Prohibition, starting with the jazz-filled cocktail lounges and elegant supper clubs in New York City and, as rail and automotive travel advanced, flowing all the way to the postwar-era resorts and cabaret night spots of California and beyond. Barkeepers and mixologists across the country were developing new-fangled concoctions like the Red Snapper, the Santa Fe Cooler, and Cooper’s Ranch Punch.  A newly liberated America couldn’t get enough. The unique cocktail lounges, hotel bars, and other more exotic drinking venues (ice rinks, carousels, and tropical gardens, just to name a few) defined this era of drinking culture and were immortalized in the linen postcards used to advertise them. With over 50 vintage cocktail recipes (including several modern twists), fascinating historical vignettes, and more than 150 pieces of vintage ephemera, you will be transported to an era of unbridled indulgence and distinct glamour.   150 color illustrations

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, History, Food and Drink, Cocktails, Beverages

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 29, 2018

Reviews

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read through the 30's 40's 50's of American Cocktail Culture. Vintage postcards are used as illustration to accompany the backstory of the location (city/hotel/lounge), drink creator, culture all broken down by region across the country.

[CD · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like time travel you will love this book! Period postcards illustrate the bars, restaurants, and venues that existed following the repeal of Prohibition in America. The book is organized by region and there are 53 cocktail recipes with fascinating historical stories attached to each drink! Cocktails Across America is a treat for cocktail and history fans alike!

[Andrew Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated with vintage color postcards and retro design Cocktails Across America takes the reader back to the bars and restaurants of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Over 50 classic cocktail recipes are attached to each regional story. The authors carefully depict the vast diversity of cocktail culture throughout America and the factors that influence each recipe. I highly recommend this book as a conversation starter at any party and an excellent source for cocktail recipes.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun trip across America (South, Midwest, Southwest, West Coast and Offshore Territories) is illustrated almost entirely with vintage postcards. The book features many classic drinks recipes from Red Snapper/Bloody Mary, Mint Julep, Zombie, Pink Squirrel, Salty Dog, Tequila Sunrise, and Moscow Mule to the alcohol free Shirley Temple and Roy Rogers. Has an Index.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at the history of nightclubs and their signature cocktails, many of which sound delicious! The collection of vintage postcards is impressive and the book’s design is appealing. (One note to the authors: Mammy in “Gone with the Wind” was not a “black servant.” Kudos, however, for pointing out that Jim Crow laws prevented Oscar-winning actress Hattie McDaniel from attending the film’s premiere.)

[Sharon Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This visually attractive book was clearly a labor of love for the authors, who dug not only into their own personal vast collections of vintage Americana postcards, but also into the histories of the postcard topics AND the cocktails invented and associated with them. America was shucking off its cowboy boots and entering an era of streamlined sophistication, and this book is the perfect sidecar for the ride. The facts are both informative and quirky (Jimmy Buffett, there really was a Margarita, née Marjorie above the border!), and the recipes compliment the wonderful postcards printed on linen in otherworldly hues. "Cocktails Across America" will enchant and encourage even teetotalers to imagine the lush life at a time not too long ago.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cocktails Across America is informative and engaging. As someone who does not know much about cocktails, it is great to have a book to reference for recipes. But this book does so much more! It gives the history in an engaging way. The postcards are beautiful and allow you to imagine the time period. This is a great book to use for recipes, to read for pleasure or to put on display!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously designed book with recipes for original cocktails, and a few new ones too! I'm a bit amateur when it comes to making cocktails but this is an easy reference when I need a recipe. The histories for each cocktail are informative and engaging and the postcards are vibrant and help tell the story. Bonus - there are even a few tear-out postcards you can use to send to friends!!! There's something for everyone here - the American history aficionado, the cocktail maker, and the postcard collector - or anyone who just loves a beautiful book for their coffee table or bookshelf.

[Evan Rk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cocktails Across America tells an enlightening tale about cocktails and cocktail culture at a critical time of American history. The stories are charming and the vintage postcards take you via time machine to spectacles and practices that are long lost in today's cocktail world. I found many of the recipes accessible while some will require me to expand my collection of liquors and bitters and try new things. My favorite thing is to flip through the pages until a particularly striking postcard catches my eye. This book will make a great addition to your coffee table or cocktail book collection!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so unusual! Provides a glimpse of America’s cultural past through cocktails, while also supplying many recipes for cocktails to try. It’s abundantly illustrated with vintage postcards from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, making it fun to leaf through. Is it a coffee table book? A history book? A recipe book? Yes, yes, and yes!

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combines two of my favorite things: booze and history

[Marie Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would be an excellent gift book for lovers of history and/or cocktails.