Prohibition: Happy Days are Here Again 

The delectable yet distasteful-sounding Aspen Crud was created during the days of Prohibition when the J-Bar in the Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colo., was converted to a soda fountain. Crud was the code word instructing the bartender to add several shots of liquor, usually bourbon, to the rich milkshake served at the bar-turned-soda fountain. Aspen Crud recipe follows at end of this release. 

The Cruise Room at The Oxford Hotel in Denver opened its doors on December 6, 1933, the day after Prohibition was repealed. It was christened the Cruise Room as it was designed to replicate a lounge on the luxury liner the Queen Mary. The walls were, and still are, adorned with bas-relief panels that depicted �toasts� from countries around the world. Germany�s entry paid homage to none other than Adolf Hitler. The panel was removed when the United States entered World War II. Lemon Drop recipe from the hotel follows at end of this release. 

Although Prohibition was abolished in 1933, remnants lingered in many states in the form of �blue laws.� Until the state of Washington repealed one of its remaining restrictions in 1976, lounges were strictly forbidden from being viewed from the outside lest the temptation of seeing a bar and bartender mixing drinks would lure an unwilling person inside for a drink. Oliver�s Lounge in the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle emerged as the city�s first �daylight bar,� opening for business with large floor-to-ceiling windows and 300 panes of glass showcasing street-side activity. Recipe for Oliver�s Classic Martini follows at end of this release. 

The ban on alcohol sales in Rockport, Mass., lasted even longer. It was finally repealed in the spring of 2005. Bruce Coates, the owner of the Emerson Inn by the Sea was the first person in line with a completed application for a liquor license. On July 12, 2005, the first drink legally sold since 1933 ended a tradition of allowing guests to bring their own beverages. 

Western Watering Holes 
 
In 1887, Hermann Kampmann, general manager of The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, decided that the hotel�s new bar should be modeled on the House of Lords Pub in London. An architect was dispatched to England and returned to replicate the original tavern, down to the paneled cherry wood ceilings and booths, French mirrors and decorative glass cabinets at a cost of $60,000. It was in this bar that Teddy Roosevelt recruited many of his Rough Riders, the storied cavalrymen of the Spanish-American War. 
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The Menger Bar,  San Antonio, Texas.

Babcock & Story Bar, Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, Calif.

The bar at The Driskill in Austin, Texas, captures the spirit of Texas justice. It was there in 1934 that Frank Hamer and the Texas Rangers hatched plan to capture notorious outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. During the meeting, Hamer agreed to aid the Rangers by setting a trap at a nearby mail drop, ultimately resulting in the demise of Bonnie and Clyde. 
 
The Silver Dollar Bar opened in The Wort Hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in 1950. It boasts a serpentine, mahogany-rimmed bar, inlaid with 2,032 un-circulated 1921 silver dollars from the Denver mint. The bar�s classic Western design also includes thirteen leather murals by Western artist Paul Clowes, each inspired by an actual event in Jackson Hole�s colorful history. The bar remains a popular gathering spot and draws an authentic mix of senators, cowboys, skiers, community leaders and politicians. 
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The Silver Dollar Bar, The Wort Hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

A Vieux Carre from the Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans.

Literary Libations 

The Algonquin Hotel in New York has been a gathering place for luminaries for decades. In addition to a drink menu that pays homage to the hotel�s literary roots, with offerings such as the Slush Pile Martini, The Parker, My Fair Lady and The Vicious Circle, all cocktails are served on napkins inscribed with Dorothy Parker�s quote, �I love a martini�but two at the most. Three, I�m under the table; four, I�m under the host.� Now, the Algonquin offers guests a chance to capture their share of the limelight with the Martini on the Rock. The drink carries a $10,000 price tag and includes a private meeting with the hotel�s preferred jeweler to select the perfect piece of �ice.� At a pre-arranged time and place within the hotel, your signature drink will be poured � and memorably garnished. 

The Last Hurrah Bar at the Omni Parker House in Boston derives its name from the novel 1956 The Last Hurrah by Edwin O�Connor. Although the author claimed it was a work of fiction, it bore significant resemblance to the life and career of Boston�s legendary mayor and governor, James Michael Curley. Curley reportedly considered filing a libel suit against O�Connor but was actually rather amused with the attention and eventually backed down. 

Raising the Bar   
 
A long-time favorite New Orleans hotspot and the city�s only revolving bar, the Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge at the Hotel Monteleone has lured guests in from Royal Street to take a spin on the 25-seat, bright circus-clad merry-go-round. Patrons circumnavigate at one revolution every 15 minutes, but the ride doesn�t end there. Since 1949, some of its riders most creative ideas, inspirations and business deals have been shaken and stirred to fruition here, not to mention some of the best spirits. The Goody and The Vieux Carre cocktail were first concocted at the Carousel Bar. This carousel is the only one in New Orleans that you have to be 21 to ride! Recipes for the Goody and the Vieux Carre follow at end of this release. 

In 1927 when The Hotel Northampton in Northampton, Mass., opened, it achieved the goal of entrepreneur Lewis Wiggins of building the finest hotel in Northampton. Seeking to expand the hotel�s restaurant offerings, Wiggins acquired an adjacent building and moved the historic Wiggins Tavern from Hopkinton, N.H., to the site. Originally built in 1786 by Benjamin Wiggins, a direct ancestor of Lewis Wiggins, the tavern featured carved paneling, hand-hewn beams and antique hearths, all of which were all carefully reconstructed at the Hotel Northampton. Antiques from both the original tavern and other parts of New England were collected to further enhance the authentic flavor. 

With its 30-foot long mahogany bar, the newly renovated and recently reopened Peacock Alley restaurant at The Waldorf=Astoria in New York, has a long and rich history. The restaurant salutes the original Waldorf=Astoria which was a hybrid of two neighboring hotels�The Waldorf and The Astoria, each owned by different members of the Astor family. The two hotels were joined by a 300-foot long mirrored corridor, which became a runway for showcasing the latest fashions. At both ends of that corridor were grand restaurants and it was common for the fashionable to wander back and forth showing off their splendor�sort of the red carpet of the time. Noted by a writer at the time as being akin to �many peacocks strutting,� the name stuck and the corridor became known as Peacock Alley. It became a tourist attraction and hundreds of spectators would witness the nightly parade. When the current hotel was opened in 1931, homage was paid to the Peacock Alley and a hallway off the lobby was created in its name. In the 1960s, the first incarnation of Peacock Alley restaurant opened. The recipe for The Peacock follows at the end of this release. 

Floyd�s Pub at the Windsor Hotel in Americus, Ga., derives its name from long-time hotel employee Floyd Lowery. At the time the hotel reopened in 1991 after being closed for 20 years, engineers were thrilled to discover an old safe. When opened, however, it did not reveal valuable records or money, but Lowery�s worn-out uniform. To honor Floyd�s forty years of dedicated service as a bellman and hotel operator, the hotel christened it�s newly re-opened bar in his name. Ironically, Floyd Lowery never took a drink. 

Timeless and Tasty � Creative Concoctions 

Although Kentucky lays claim to being the home of the Mint Julep, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., makes a strong case for ownership rights. The oldest account book at the resort dates to 1816 and it reveals that guests were ordering �julips� at a cost of twenty-five cents or three for fifty cents. The 1832 journal of well-known Baltimore lawyer John H.B. Latrobe writes, �I saw here for the first time a hailstorm, that is to say, a mint julep made with a hailstorm around it. The drink is manufactured pretty much as usual and well filled with a quantity of ice chopped in small pieces, which is then put in the shape of a fillet around the outside of the tumbler where it adheres like a ring of rock candy and forms an external icy application to your lower lip as you drink it, while the ice within the glass presses against your upper lip. It is nectar, they say, in this part of the country.� 

The Muddled Brandy Old Fashioned was the drink of choice at the Old Tap Room for the immigrant factory workers of the Kohler Co. which is now the Horse & Plow at The American Club Resort Hotel in Kohler, Wis. The drink was best made with muddled orange, cherry and lemon twist garnish. Recipe for a Muddled Brandy Old Fashioned follows at the end of this release. 

While iced tea may be the official drink of the south, Tar Heel Tea may lay claim to the title in the hearts of certain basketball enthusiasts. The drink was born in 2001 at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, N.C., as part of a friendly bar competition with the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Course to celebrate the great basketball rivalry between Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Beneath its gentle appearance, this tea-colored treat packs a slam dunk. Recipe for Tar Heel Tea follows at the end of this release. 

The Cave Lounge at The Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H., is a former speakeasy from the era of Prohibition. Today, this cool grotto with granite walls showcases live entertainment. 

For almost 30 years, bartender Sam Lek has been serving drinks to journalists, politicians, statesman, celebrities and tourists at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel�s Town and Country Lounge in Washington, D.C. He has developed a loyal following and receives fan mail from all over the world. Sam is revered for his award-winning martinis and delightful sense of humor, as well as his astonishing card tricks and levitation of $20 bills. A refugee from Cambodia, Sam returns there each year to bring food and supplies for villages in need. Recipe for Sam I Am follows at the end of this release. 

Michael Vezzoni, a 23-year veteran mixmaster at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, created the Bathtub Gin Martini using Prohibition-era bartending methods. Vezzoni uses a mixture of juniper berries and eleven other botanicals to make the potent libation. Bathtub Gin Martini recipe follows at the end of this release. 

Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Historic Hotels has identified more than 200 hotels that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance. To be selected for this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized as having historic significance. A directory of member hotels can be purchased for $4.00 by sending a check to National Trust/HHA, P.O. Box 320, Washington, D.C. 20055-0320. Rooms at any of the member hotels can be reserved by visiting www.historichotels.org or by calling 800-678-8946. Reservations made through Historic Hotels of America support the National Trust, a non-profit organization of 200,000 members that provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities. 
 

Aspen Crud � The J-Bar, Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colo. 
1 cup vanilla ice cream 
2 tablespoons warm chocolate sauce 
1 cup chilled heavy cream 
1 shot of bourbon (or to taste) 
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 

The Lemon Drop � The Cruise Room, The Oxford Hotel, Denver 
3 sugar cubes 
Juice of one lemon 
1 ¾ ounces Absolut Citron 
Shake and pour into a chilled martini glass with a sugar-coated rim. 

Oliver�s Classic Martini � Oliver�s, Mayflower Park Hotel, Seattle 
2 1/2 ounces Bombay Sapphire gin or Stolichnaya Cristall vodka 
1/2 ounces Cinzano dry vermouth 
2 large Cinzano dry vermouth Spanish olives 
Start with an empty ice cold Martini mixing glass. 
Lightly coat the mixing glass with Cinzano Dry vermouth. 
Swirl to coat the inside of the mixing glass with the vermouth; dispose of excess vermouth in sink. 
Fill mixing glass with ice. 
Pour Bombay Sapphire gin or Stolichnaya Cristall vodka over the ice. 
Cap and shake vigorously. 
Let the mixture stand approximately 20 seconds. 
Place a set of large vermouth marinated Spanish olives on the edge of ice-cold martini glass. 
Strain the mixture into the glass over the olives. 

Vieux Carre � Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans 
1/2 teaspoon Benedictine 
Dash Peychaud 
Dash Angostura 
1/3 shot each rye whiskey, cognac and dry vermouth 
Shake and serve on the rocks with a twist of lemon. 

Goody Cocktail � Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans 
1 ounce dark rum 
1 ounce light rum 
1 ounce Orgeat 
1 ounce pineapple juice 
2 ounces orange juice 
Mix well and serve in a tall glass over ice. 

The Peacock � The Peacock Alley, The Waldorf=Astoria, New York 
1 ½ ounces XO vodka 
1 ½ ounces Pama liqueur (a new pomegranate-based liqueur) 
¼ ounces (dash) Patron Citronge 
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, shake vigorously. Strain into champagne glass. 

The Greenbrier Mint Julep � The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. 
2 ounces Maker�s Mark with lightly muddled mint leaves and sugar water. 
Served in a frosted highball glass over crushed ice; garnish with a sprig of mint dusted with powdered sugar. 

Muddled Mint Leaves & Sugar Water Recipe: 
Mint juice-Take a bunch of fresh mint leaves pulled from the stems add ½ oz. water and crushed ice then blend until pulverized. Strain the mint water from this pulverization. 
Sugar Water � add 2 ½ cups sugar to 32 ounces of hot water; stir until dissolved then chill 

Add one part mint juice to two parts chilled sugar water; store to make the prep muddled mint leaves sugar water. 

Muddled Brandy Old Fashioned � The Horse & Plow, The American Club Resort Hotel, Kohler, Wis. 
One sugar cube muddled with the bitters. 
Add ice, then the brandy, whiskey or Southern Comfort. 
Add soda of choice. 
Garnish with oranges and cherries. 

Tar Heel Tea � The Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, N.C. 
3 parts Maker�s Mark 
Fresh lemon juice 
1 part mint-infused simple syrup. 
Mix and serve in a chilled martini glass, garnished with a sprig of mint and lemon zest. 

The Sam I Am � Town and Country Lounge, The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C. 
2 ounces Absolut Citron 
¼ ounces Amaretto 
3 ounces cranberry juice 
Twist of lemon 

Bathtub Gin Martini � The Terrace, Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle 
Smirnoff vodka (609 ounces=twenty-four 25.4 ounce bottles) 
Juniper berries 
Lemon peel 
Orange peel 
Orris root (iris root) 
Almonds 
Cocoa nibs 
Cassia bark 
Cubeb berries 
Grains of paradise 

In an industrial 12-gallon pot add vodka, 5-6 juniper berries and one small pinch of the remaining botanicals. Bring to a light simmer; then remove from the heat source and test. After cooling, strain through cheesecloth, and then pour into serving containers.