speakeasy cocktails: 50 must-try classics

A collection of ingenious prohibition-style cocktail recipes for the thirsty imbiber.

Grab your cocktail shaker, you are heading back to the Roaring Twenties. Cloistered behind secret doors, hidden from view except for those in the know, password protected, and only discussed in hushed tones, the idea of a speakeasy is thrilling.

Many Prohibition-era cocktails were inspired by those of pre-Prohibition, but the dubious moonshine whiskies and bathtub gins had to be masked with citrus and fruit juices, ginger ales, colas and other flavours. The result? Some of the most-loved and enduring classics that we enjoy today.

Speakeasy Cocktails is a curated collection of 50 recipes ranging from the iconic Dirty Martini to the zesty Southside and the decadent Manhattan, all organised by era of invention.

With a deco-inspired foiled cover and photography throughout, this is the perfect gift for every cocktail lover, be they a novice bartender or seasoned mixologist.

Founded by Paul Hamlyn in 1951 with the aim of creating ’fine books with a common touch’, today Hamlyn publishes highly commercial cookery and lifestyle titles for the widest possible audience, with a focus on household names, mass-market concepts and family-friendly brands.