Chicago Fizz
Sunday is National Repeal Day, the last night of Hanukkah and we’re officially in the middle of Christmas season. That means it’s all about fall and winter cocktails. There’s the classic egg nog, mulled cider, cranberry cocktails… anything that has to do with the holidays. When I think of this time of year, I think of warm cocktails that are full or spice, or spritzes that are brimming with bubbles.
While Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s are very important holidays, there’s one that’s even more important to us drinkers. It’s not on any calendar and the kids don’t get school off, but trust me, if it weren’t for December 5, 1933 and President Roosevelt, we might still be a sober country drinking in basements and dark alleys. Yes, December 5th, 1933 is when FDR was smart enough to see that the Noble Experiment that started 13 years earlier was a complete and utter failure. That and the fact that the president himself enjoyed the occasional glass of wine and pint of beer as much as the next person.
So, to celebrate National Repeal Day and the holiday season, I decided to introduce you to another cocktail from the days just after Prohibition ended: The Chicago Fizz. See, Chicago was a city full of bootleggers and gangsters. As a matter of fact, it was a city with one of the most infamous gangsters and bootleggers of all time: Al Capone. But Capone wasn’t the only gangster linked with Chicago. There was also Frank Nitti, Capone’s right hand man (the guy Kevin Costner threw off a roof in the great film, “The Untouchables”), Dean O’Banion, head of the North Side Gang and Capone’s biggest competitor, and “Baby Face” Nelson, a bootleg truck driver. And that’s just a handful of the bad guys that were roaming the Chicago streets back then.
Because Chicago was the center of so much illegal liquor during Prohibition, it seems appropriate that we celebrate National Repeal Day with the Chicago Fizz. Made with port and dark rum, it’s a simple cocktail that’s perfect for this time of year. A warming drink that’s full of fall flavor, it’s also a cocktail that’s ready to party thanks to its fizzy topper. So, here’s to National Repeal Day. Drink up and celebrate the fall of Prohibition!
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 1 ounce ruby port
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 egg white
- 3-5 ounces soda
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients except the soda into a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (no ice) for 5 - 10 seconds. Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into an empty chilled high ball glass (that's right, no ice). Add soda and serve.
