A Drinkable Feast: A Cocktail Companion to 1920s Paris- Philip Greene

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

“When spring comes to Paris the humblest mortal alive must feel that he dwells in paradise.”

                                     – Henry Miller

“… shining a spotlight on the Paris of the 1920s and the expats and Frenchmen who created this monument to freedom, excess, and the art of drinking well”

– John Hemingway (in the foreword)

With the enactment of the Volstead Act (Prohibition) and widespread puritanical attitudes in the United States, many artists, musicians and literary greats fled to Paris in the 1920s for the very reasons stated above. With them came the popularity of “American” bars.

Cocktail historian Philip Greene combines history, culture, cafes and spirits in his latest cocktail companion, A Drinkable Feast. Drinks are presented in alphabetical order with the recipe, tasting note and the story behind it. He includes aperitifs and liqueurs in addition to cocktails.

Though you won’t find today’s popular tropical drinks like the Margarita or Daiquiri, Greene claims that if you master the Whisky Sour (which there is a recipe for), you can make these and other drinks by using the base and just switching in and out different components.

Last weekend at a holiday party, I discovered the Manhattan. Yes, I know I’m behind in the cocktail world. Anyway, I whipped out this book, looked in the index and  found two recipes for my new favorite drink. This cocktail, like the others, is rather simple to make using minimal ingredients.

Yes, there is a Parisian connection to the Manhattan, as well as other non-French cocktails such as Negroni (and its variations), Bloody Mary, Manhattan, Sidecar and Spirit of St. Louis. You’ll find what it is along with the recipes.

You’ll learn the salacious background of “The Jimmie Special”, favorite cocktails of Salvador Dali (the Bloody Martini), James Joyce (Sherry Cobbler), F. Scott Fitzgerald (the Orange Blossom), Ernest Hemingway (too many to count) and other artists, composers and writers.

Make sure you read the Foreword written by John Hemingway, the grandson of Ernest Hemingway.

This is one of the few books that I recommend you buy in hardcover as opposed to digital formats. I display it on my coffee table due to the gorgeous photographs in addition to the interesting stories. It will also make the perfect gift for the cultural history and cocktail lover.

A Drinkable Feast will make you feel like you’re stepping back in 1920’s Paris.