Tag Archives: classic cocktails

In honor of the recently-realease “The Great Gatsby”, Tanqueray is featuring these five prohibition-style cocktails.  Even if you can’t enjoy them in West Egg, they’re still some of the classic cocktails every drink enthusiast should know how to make.

Cheers, sport!

Gin Rickey
Said to be the preferred pour of F. Scott Fitzgerald, this simple serve is best imbibed on a hot summer day. Don’t forget the chunky ice cubes.

  • 1.25 oz Tanqueray London Dry gin
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 5 parts soda water

Build in a highball glass, stir, top with soda water. Drag to mix and garnish with a lime wedge.


French 75
This snappy little champagne cocktail’s claim to fame is that it’s the only drink in the classic canon created during Prohibition.

  • 1.25 oz Tanqueray Ten
  • 0.5 oz simple
  • 0.5 oz lemon juice
  • Top with champagne

Shake and strain into a rocks glass and top with champagne. 


White Lady
Introduced in the late 20’s, The White Lady was born from the drink the “Delilah,” which included crème de menthe. The Savoy’s Harry Craddock replaced it with orange liqueur and it became an instant classic.

  • 1.5oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
  • .75oz orange liqueur
  • .75oz lemon juice

Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker, fill with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.


The Southside
The Southside is the signature cocktail at the legendary former speakeasy the 21 Club. It’s also said to be the favorite drink of notorious Prohibition-era bootlegger Al Capone and his gang.

  • 1.25 oz Tanqueray Ten
  • 0.5 oz lime juice
  • 0.5 oz simple
  • 2 sprigs of mint
  • Soda

Muddle one mint sprig with lime & simple. Add Tanqueray and shake well. Pour into glass over crushed ice and stir until the outside of the glass frosts. Top with soda and garnish with sprig of mint.


The Franklin
Let’s not forget Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously celebrated the end of Prohibition with a dirty gin martini. Whether it was with Tanqueray – one of the few gins today that was in production in the 30s – or not is lost to history, but this classic cocktail ushered in a new era of American drinking.

  • 1.5oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
  • 1tbsp dry vermouth
  • 2tbsp olive juice
  • 2 olives

Fill a mixer with all ingredients including the olives. Cover and shake hard 3 – 4 times. Strain contents of the mixer into the cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive.