Cocktail set by Bernard Rice's Sons; used by Mr. and Mrs. Foster M. Reader, West Hatton, Maryland, from the 1920s through the 1940s Gift of Martha M. Patrick

In the not-yet-regimented workplaces of the early 1800s, drinking alcohol was a normal part of the workday. As drinking became separated from work, saloons flourished—always crowded, mostly with men, who often were violently drunk. In the 1920s, Prohibition shut down the saloons. It also spawned a new leisure-time cocktail culture-respectable, often home-centered, influenced by women, and highly ritualized, with specialty drinks and refined cocktail sets. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the cocktail hour grew in popularity. The evening drink marked the transition to personal time.

	Detail from front cover of Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide, 1948 Lent by Sharon Forrer

Cocktail culture flourished in American suburbs in the 1950s. Home bars, often Dad-built in the basement recreation room, were popular. They were well stocked with liquor, often in labeled decanters. Even more important than the alcohol itself were the accessories required for the rituals of preparing the drinks—an ice bucket, tongs, cocktail shaker, martini pitcher and stirring rod, glassware of various shapes and sizes, and swizzle sticks, as well as bartenders' guides.

Cocktail shaker, 1950s Lent by the family of Beatrice M. Schwartz		Ice bucket, 1950s Lent by Elaine Paulick		Martini pitcher and stirring rod, 1950s Lent by Elaine Paulick