William Grimes, former restaurant critic for the New York Times, discusses the history of New York’s dining culture. His book Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York, takes us from the days of simple chophouses to the Automat to the city’s huge array of multicultural offerings of today. ...

William Grimes of The New York Times sent along these recipes for Prohibition-era cocktails — drinker beware, as these were originally concocted during an era of tommy guns and bathtub gin. ...(more)

Glamorized in the movies, the 1920s were a gala time of flappers, jazz, and the eighteenth amendment. The so-called Noble Experiment of Prohibition created a culture of subterranean speakeasies where people could illicitly imbibe. But according to New York Times writer William Grimes, the atmosphere may have been lively, but the drinks were lousy. That hasn't stopped a new interest in underground cocktail lounges from popping up across the country. From Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco to Milk & Honey in New York, there's a speakeasy renaissance going on. And this time, the drinks are good. William Grimes joins The Takeaway with a look at the past, present, and future of speakeasies.

Read William Grimes' article in today's New York Times on the new speakeasy: Bar? What Bar?

And to learn what goes into these Prohibition drinks check out the Grimes' list of Prohibition-era cocktails.