In the glittering world of the 1920s, cocktails were more than drinks — they were cultural statements. Despite Prohibition, or perhaps because of it, Americans of the Jazz Age elevated cocktail culture into an art form. Nowhere is that more vividly captured than in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 masterpiece, “The Great Gatsby.”
The novel paints a portrait of extravagant parties on Long Island’s Gold Coast, where champagne flowed freely and cocktails defined the social mood. Gatsby’s soirées were marked by excess, but they also reflected a new era in which mixed drinks became fashionable symbols of sophistication and rebellion.
“On the bar with a real brass rail, there was a small orchestra,” Fitzgerald writes of one of Gatsby’s parties. “The bar was stocked with gins, cordials and liquors that had just arrived.” In the background, glasses clinked with concoctions that would become iconic.
Among the drinks associated with the era were the Mint Julep, Tom Collins, Sidecar and Gin Rickey.
Fitzgerald himself was partial to gin, believing it to be harder for authorities to detect on one’s breath. The novel’s famous Plaza Hotel scene, where tempers flare on a sweltering summer day, unfolds over icy Mint Juleps — a Southern classic that became a Jazz Age staple.
The Sidecar, made with cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice, was another cocktail tied to the 1920s and its Parisian influences. Meanwhile, the Gin Rickey, consisting of gin, lime juice and soda water, was simple, refreshing and popular with both men and women.
Cocktail culture was fueled not only by Prohibition but also by changing social norms. Women began drinking openly in speakeasies, breaking away from Victorian restrictions. Bartenders, many of whom had emigrated to Europe to avoid Prohibition’s crackdown, returned with refined recipes that added glamour to gatherings.
Even a century later, these drinks retain their allure. A Mint Julep remains a refreshing symbol of the era, evoking both Gatsby’s fictional drama and the real-life exuberance of the Roaring Twenties.
Classic Mint Julep Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon
- Crushed ice
Directions:
Lightly muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup in a chilled glass. Add the bourbon and fill with crushed ice. Stir until the glass frosts, then garnish with a mint sprig. Served in a silver cup or tall glass, the Mint Julep remains as timeless as Gatsby’s parties — a taste of the Jazz Age in every sip.
