Master Mixologist Pays Tribute to Prohibition with Monthly Classic Cocktail Highlights, Educational Handcrafted Cocktail Series and Roaring 20's Party

Contact: Amanda Kozinn, 617-375-9700; Marlo Fogelman, 617-375-9700, mfogelman@marlomc.com; both of marlo marketing-communications

BOSTON, July 10 /Standard Newswire/-- To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, Master Mixologist Jackson Cannon of Boston's nationally-renowned Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks announces a year-long program designed to pay homage to the classic cocktail.

In 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed, making the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol illegal. On December 5, 1933, President Roosevelt signed into law the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment. The 13-year period between those two events, known as The Roaring Twenties, saw the rise of speakeasies, bootlegging and bathtub gin, as Americans found their way around Prohibition. One of the era's legacies included a number of now classic cocktails created to mask the harsh taste of inferior home-made liquor.

"Prohibition represents the triumph of ingenuity in the face of deprivation," said Jackson Cannon, Bar Manager at Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks. "Using syrups, juices and obscure cordials that remained from before Prohibition, bartenders created cocktails in order to mask the taste of homemade distillates. The legacy of Prohibition on today's modern cocktail program is that, what was arrived of out of necessity has -- using today's fine spirits -- withstood the test of time."

The classic cocktails featured were either developed during Prohibition or were first introduced during The Golden Age, and popularized during the 1920s. The Income Tax Cocktail and Scofflaw Cocktail reflect the country's prevailing mood towards law enforcement, while The Monkey Gland, so named for a forgotten quack medical procedure, illustrates the ribald, underground nature of the cocktail culture of the day. Other classics, including Maiden's Prayer and Satan's Whiskers, pay homage to the era's hard-to-drink spirits. While many of these classic cocktails had fallen out of favor since repeal, today's Master Mixologists have responded by keeping them vibrant and visible on some of the country's most innovative cocktail lists.

The year-long program includes a special menu of 12 Prohibition-era classic cocktails, offered through December at the restaurant's regular cocktail price of $10.00 each. In addition, each month one of the cocktails will be offered at the reduced price of $7.50 to encourage tasting. Finally, to further encourage experimenting with the era's various flavors, the bar will offer a Prohibition tasting "flight," featuring 2 oz. tastes of each of the 12 classic cocktails for $75.00.

After trying the various classic cocktails throughout the year, patrons will have the opportunity to learn how to make these and other handcrafted drinks directly from Cannon in a series of intimate classes that incorporate both lesson and practice. Every Saturday during the month of November, classes limited in size to 8 will be held on various topics, including The Golden Age, Prohibition, Tiki & Exotica and The Role of Bitters in Modern Drink Making. Each class costs $75.00.

The restaurant will wrap up its year-long Prohibition celebration with a Roaring Twenties-themed costume dinner and party that begins on Thursday, December 4 and ends after midnight on December 5 -- the day Prohibition was repealed. Guests are encouraged to wear flapper-era dress. A six-course menu featuring dishes enjoyed in the 1920's, paired with cocktails, will be followed by entertainment, dancing, breakfast and party favors. Tickets for dinner/dancing are $120.00 each; Late night tickets are $40.00 each. For additional information, please visit easternstandardboston.com or call 617-532-9100.

Located in Boston's Kenmore Square neighborhood, Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks opened in May, 2005. The definition of a neighborhood brasserie, its clientele of regulars runs the gamut from students to captains of industry, soccer moms to young professionals, restaurant industry folks to sports figures. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week, guests can enjoy dining at the bustling bar, canopied outdoor patio or handsome dining room. The first solo venture from restaurateur Garrett Harker, Eastern Standard has made an indelible impression on the Boston dining scene.