ProhibitionDenver

Charles “Lucky” Luciano was the architect of the modern American Mafia. Born Salvatore Lucania in 1897, he transformed scattered gangs of Italian criminals into a national crime syndicate that would dominate organized crime for decades. His innovations in criminal organization still influence how criminal enterprises operate today. This is the story of how a poor … Read more

Counterfeit bourbon has become an unfortunate reality in the whiskey world. As allocated bottles like Pappy Van Winkle, Weller, and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection command prices in the hundreds or thousands of dollars on the secondary market, scammers have found motivation to create convincing fakes. Learning how to spot a counterfeit bourbon bottle can save … Read more

The whiskey sour history stretches back nearly two centuries, beginning as a practical solution for sailors preventing scurvy and evolving into one of the most iconic cocktails in the world. This forgotten history reveals how a simple combination of whiskey, citrus, and sugar helped shape American drinking culture and influenced countless modern cocktails. What many … Read more

That first glimpse of a perfectly garnished cocktail sets the stage for everything that follows. The aromatic oils rising from a fresh citrus twist. The glint of salt catching the light on a margarita rim. A sprig of mint standing tall in a frosty julep. These details separate amateur pours from professional-grade drinks. I spent … Read more

Picture this: you sit down at a bar, glance at the cocktail list, and every rum drink is either a mojito or a daiquiri. Sound familiar? I have been there more times than I can count. Both are fine drinks, don’t get me wrong, but rum deserves way more credit than those two staples suggest. … Read more

There’s something magical about the first Saturday in May. As the Kentucky Derby approaches, my mind always turns to one thing: the classic mint julep. I’ve spent years perfecting this iconic Southern cocktail, and I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about how to make a classic mint julep for Derby Day that rivals what they serve … Read more

Ask most bourbon enthusiasts who invented the Old Fashioned and you’ll hear a familiar tale: a Louisville gentleman named James E. Pepper, the Pendennis Club, the 1880s, maybe even the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. It’s a compelling story, steeped in Kentucky charm and American whiskey heritage. But here’s the problem: it’s mostly wrong. The real … Read more

The history of the American cocktail begins with a simple definition printed in 1806. A cocktail, according to The Balance and Columbian Repository of Hudson, New York, is “a stimulating liquor composed of any kind of sugar, water and bitters, vulgarly called a bittered sling.” This single sentence launched what would become a distinctly American … Read more

When I first started exploring rye whiskey cocktails beyond the Manhattan, I was amazed at how much character this spicy spirit brings to classic drinks. Rye whiskey has made a remarkable comeback in , with bartenders and home enthusiasts rediscovering why this was the dominant whiskey in pre-Prohibition America. The mash bill containing at least … Read more

Bathtub gin was a dangerous, illegally-produced homemade spirit made during American Prohibition (1920-1933), often contaminated with toxic compounds like methanol that could cause blindness or death. The term refers to any amateur-distilled gin created in makeshift conditions when the Volstead Act made alcohol production and sale illegal across the United States. I’ve spent months researching … Read more