Here’s to the 75th Anniversary of Repeal!

The tasting staff and critics of Wine & Spirits invite you to raise a glass with us on December 5, to mark the date when the 21st Amendment ended Prohibition in the United States.

Check out our favorite libations for Repeal Day. How will you celebrate?

Joshua Greene —A Margarita, on the rocks, with El Tesoro Platino, fresh lime and Cointreau. An intemperate drink and a bit of thanks to our southern neighbors who kept distilling through the Roaring Twenties.

Tara Q. Thomas —As much as I love Negronis, to celebrate Repeal I’d go for something more American, such as a real Manhattan, made with Rye, hold the maraschino cherries, and be generous with the bitters. A little sweet, a little bitter, with a spicy richness that matches its mahogany hue, that’s a drink that lives up to its namesake.

Patrick Comiskey —I’m going to be toasting Repeal with a Blue gin Martini (the Martini isn’t blue, the brand is) and two olives at Cole’s in downtown LA, which was around 75 years ago for the original Repeal.

Patricio Tapia —Repeal? We never had Prohibition in Chile. But here’s to the end of it in the US!

Wolfgang Weber —Vesuvio, one of the original North Beach hangouts for beats like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, is dripping with atmosphere. I like to sit upstairs at the table under the James Joyce portrait, sipping on a martini made with Hendricks gin and served with a lemon twist.

Nicole Drummer —A Caipirinha! Okay, it’s the national drink of Brazil, but it’s also the ultimate thirst quencher. Made by muddling lime quarters and sugar, then adding in raw sugarcane spirit and ice, it’s tart, limey and refreshing.

Chris Hallowell —I’ll dig into a Manhattan made with Canadian whiskey and a twist, no cherry. When I think prohibition, I think about Kevin Costner and Sean Connery dueling with Canadian whiskey smugglers in the Untouchables.

This story was featured in W&S December 2008.