As baseball catcher Yogi Berra reportedly said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” That’s the feeling I get when it comes to comparing the Roaring Twenties (1920s) to the 2020s – two decades that share a similarity of extremes, especially cultural and social extremes some describe as edgy.
These similarities may explain why Art Deco, jazz and anything Great Gatsby is trending. They are an eclectic mix that embodies a decadent decade, which may be best recaptured in a cocktail glass.
Fanciful cocktails and mixed drinks weren’t anything new during the 1920s. Yet, what made them chic and made the 20s roar was the post-World War I prosperity and Prohibition.
Prohibition made alcohol illegal, but the booze never stopped flowing. Sipping Mint Juleps, Sazarec and Old Fashioneds continued along with the countless libations the era produced. It didn’t matter what was used – whether it was bathtub gin, whiskey or rum, bootleggers and bartenders at the local speakeasy stayed busy, resulting in what became known as the “golden age of cocktails.”
Today’s speakeasies are legal, attracting the thirsty who wish to sip vintage cocktails in posh Art Deco surroundings. I mean a place like Union Station’s Grand Hall, a marvel in Art Deco architecture, renowned for its decoration, featuring torch-bearing Art Nouveau ladies, stained glass and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. It’s an opulent location that inspired Opulence, with a Roaring Twenties-themed pop-up cocktail experience that runs daily through March.
The event provides curated small plates to complement seven vintage cocktails served by flappers and bootleggers – the servers who know how to strike a pose for selfies and Instagram posts.
Union Station’s master mixologists have shared two of its speakeasy favorites, the Sazarec and the French 75. Both can be sipped and enjoyed during Union Station’s Opulence from 4 to 9 p.m. through March 31 in the Grand Hall. And don’t forget, unlike other speakeasies, you won’t need a password to enter.
SAZAREC
2 ounces Rye
.5 ounce simple syrup
5 dashes Peychauds bitters
Absinthe mist
Glass: Rocks with no ice
Garnish: lemon peel
Place two large cubes into mixing glass. Combine ingredients (minus absinthe) in mixing glass. Stir for 20 seconds. Mist glass with absinthe. Strain and garnish with lemon peel.
FRENCH 75
1.5 ounce Camus VS (suggested Cognac)
.5 ounce simple syrup
.5 ounce lemon juice
Champagne
Glass: Flute
Garnish: 1 luxardo Cherry
Combine ingredients minus Champagne in shaker tin. Add Ice. Shake for 15 seconds until tin ices over. Fine strain into glass. Top with 4 ounces of Champagne. Garnish with the cherry.
