A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: Prohibition Pop-up Cocktail

By Raul Dias

Lasting for more than a decade, from 1920 right up to 1933, prohibition in the United States was
an era that celebrated the word ‘clandestine’ like no other, thanks to a constitutional ban on the
production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. Surreptitiously hidden
from the nosey authorities, speakeasy bars sprung up in people’s basements and garages across
the country, with alcohol often distilled in bathtubs and kitchen sinks!
These were places where copious amounts of alcohol mingled with the strains of a jazz band,
while flapper-styled girls danced the Charleston till the wee hours of the morn. One often
required a password to enter and was told to keep conversation light and easy, so as to avoid any
unnecessary and attention-drawing flare ups. Hence the term ‘speakeasy’.
Interestingly, even the cocktails that were concocted during this period were often designed to
hoodwink the authorities. In order to mask the strong smell and taste of home distillations such
as hooch and moonshine, several stronger tinctures and tonics like the orange-y Angostura bitters
and grenadine were blended into the cocktails.
Very much on trend today, the prohibition era-style cocktail has spurred on several interesting
iterations the world over. One that I recently came across is particularly interesting. Served at the
new Pra Pra Prank brasserie in Gurugram and simply called ‘Prohibition Pop Up’, this bourbon-
based cocktail is as much a visual delight, as it is deceptively potent.
Inspired by the time people used to have their drinks hidden within the fold of a newspaper, the
cocktail is the sum of its coffee, popcorn-infused bourbon and ginger syrup parts. Topped off
with a dash of spicy bitters and a generous pour of stout at the end, it comes to the table
overflowing with a candied popcorn garnish, all wrapped in a sheet of faux newsprint paper.

(This column first appeared in the 18th March 2018 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/prohibition-pop-up/article23283133.ece)