One January morning in 1926 a young woman showed up in court in Washington, DC, dressed in nothing more than a bathing suit, silk pajamas, and silver slippers. She had reportedly drove her car into a lamp post after a night of partying at one of the embassies located in the city. During the height of Prohibition the embassies, considered to be on foreign soil, were not subject to the harsh restrictions of the 18th amendment. Alcohol flowed freely at the Capitol’s headquarters of international diplomacy providing a haven for our silver-slipper gal and her like-minded flapper companions. Luckily, our heroine sustained little damage and likely went off to find another watering hole.
This is just one of the anecdotes found in Kathryn Smith’s new book, Methodists and Moonshiners, Evening Post Books. 2023.
Methodists and Moonshiners takes us on a deep-dive journey through America’s South examining the elements of religion and government that contribute to our country’s culture of alcohol production and consumption. “To drink, or not to drink,” might be the motto for exploring the constructs leading up to temperance, Prohibition, repeal, taxation, and moonshining. Kathryn travels through the South combining real-life anecdotes and facts that punctuate the trail through a tour of historical sites, museum visits, cemetery jaunts, distillery tours, and speakeasy stops-including cocktail recipes! This is a well-documented book achieving the rare balance of historical information presented in an entertaining format that does not disappoint.
As fate would have it, I fortuitously became acquainted with Kathryn through our shared interest in history, cocktails, and vintage ephemera. I was thrilled that she entrusted me to create a cocktail recipe for her book honoring our decadent tipsy flapper shod with silver slippers!
Recipe for the Silver Slipper:
1 ¾ oz. of gin, ¾ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, ¼ oz. Parfait Amour Liqueur, 1 oz. fresh lemon juice, 1 egg white, dash of orange bitters.
Method: Dry shake egg white in cocktail shaker until frothy, add all other ingredients with ice and shake again. Strain into a cocktail glass over specially prepared ice cube. Garnish with maraschino cherry.
Specialty ice cube: Add ¼ oz Parfait Amour Liqueur, 1 dash of orange bitters, and filtered water to a square or spherical ice mold (approximately 2 oz. size), freeze overnight.
Note: The ice cube adds a subtle floral note to the drink as it begins to melt, but it is not necessary. Additionally, Creme de Violette can be substituted for the Parfait Amour, if it can't be found.
For more fun and fact-filled stories punctuated with cocktail recipes consider securing a copy of Kathryn Smith’s book. Methodists and Moonshiners is available for purchase on Amazon.com
Thank you for the shout-out, and thanks for the great recipe and picture you contributed to the book!
What a great story and a delicious cocktail to pair with it. Cheers!