10 Classic Speakeasy Cocktails for a Taste of Prohibition

Grab your flapper dress and cocktail shaker. You're heading to the 1920s to visit a speakeasy. Nestled behind secret doors, the location hidden in plain sight except for those in the know, password protected, and only spoken of in hushed tones, the idea of a speakeasy is thrilling.

While the gin rickey wasn't born in a speakeasy, it was easy for those secret bars to produce and even easier for patrons to drink. Especially when you needed to disguise the flavors of bathtub gin.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• Ice
• Club soda to top off
• Lime wheel for garnish

Instructions

1. In a highball glass, add ice, gin, and lime juice.
2. Top off with club soda.
3. Stir briefly to mix.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel.

If you were ordering the old-fashioned in hushed tones in a speakeasy, no one would know what you meant. Back then, it was simply "the whiskey cocktail."

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 sugar cube
• 3-4 dashes orange bitters
• 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Ice
• Cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. In a double rocks glass, muddle sugar cube with bitters.
2. Add ice and bourbon.
3. Stir to mix.
4. Garnish with a cherry.

Tart lemon juice and sweet orange liqueur covers what would otherwise have been a very harsh cognac. Now? Cognac is much smoother, and so is this classic speakeasy cocktail.

Ingredients

• Lemon wedge and sugar for rim
• 1½ ounces cognac
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ ounce orange liqueur
• Ice
• Orange peel for garnish

Instructions

1. To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge.
2. With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
3. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.
4. Shake to chill.
5. Strain into the prepared glass.
6. Garnish with an orange peel.

Excellent, superb, magnificent, sterling, exceptional. We'll be honest; this honey drink's name really encapsulates everything about speakeasy cocktails and the slang from that era.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ ounce honey syrup
• Ice
• Lemon ribbon for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon ribbon.

Is it a mint julep as a martini with gin? Is it a gimlet with cool mint flavors? Doesn't matter. The south side or south side fizz was all the rage in speakeasies. After all, that bathtub gin was going to need a little something other than music to jazz it up.

Ingredients

• 5-7 fresh mint leaves
• 2 ounces gin
• ¾ ounce simple syrup
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• Ice
• Club soda to top off, optional for the speakeasy feel
• Mint for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves and lemon juice.
3. Add ice, gin, and simple syrup.
4. Shake to chill.
5. Strain into the chilled glass.
6. Garnish with mint leaves.

Just like many people don't remember Mambo No. 1-4, Corpse Reviver No. 1 isn't as famous as Corpse Reviver No. 2. Named for its ability to revive the weariest of souls, you might find it has the opposite effect.

Ingredients

• Absinthe rinse
• ¾ ounce gin
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ ounce orange liqueur
• ¾ ounce Lillet blanc
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In the chilled glass, add absinthe.
3. Swirl to rinse the glass, then discard the absinthe.
4. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and Lillet Blanc.
5. Shake to chill.
6. Strain into the prepared glass.

From across the pond in 1919, the white lady is more than just an urban myth you find across small towns in America. Once upon a time, you'd find lemon, orange liqueur, and crème de menthe in this cocktail. Now? Well, it's quite a makeover. Things don't look like they did anymore.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• 1 egg white
• ¾ ounce orange liqueur
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and egg white.
3. Dry shake for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
4. Add ice to shaker.
5. Shake to chill.
6. Strain into the chilled glass.

In a speakeasy, a standard highball was a simple scotch and soda. If that's not your type of giggle juice, feel free to swap in another classic combo like a vodka soda or a gin and tonic.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces scotch
• Ice
• Club soda to top off
• Lemon wheel for garnish

Instructions

1. In a highball or cocktail glass, add ice and scotch.
2. Top off with club soda.
3. Stir briefly to mix.
4. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Named for a silent film actress, channel the silent silver screen with a cocktail that'll leave you ... speechless.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces white rum
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• ¼ ounce grenadine
• 1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, white rum, pineapple juice, grenadine, and maraschino liqueur.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.

The last word was one of the first words for the speakeasy, since people started sipping it in 1915. However, that gave this herbaceous and tart gin drink a head start into the roaring 20s.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce gin
• ¾ ounce maraschino liqueur
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¾ ounce green chartreuse
• Ice
• Cocktail cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, and green chartreuse.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

Get ready to set sail to the 1920s and straight into a secret speakeasy. Better yet, these cocktails are the perfect touch to your speakeasy party. Now that you know your options, its time to get shaking.