When I was writing my book, A Jazz Age Murder in Northwest Indiana (History Press), about Nettie Diamond, a wealthy widow and pharmacist who was murdered by her fifth husband, a much younger bootlegger named Harry in Indiana Harbor on Valentine’s Day 1923, described by the Chicago Tribune as a ‘juicy . . . page-turner’ of a true crime story about gold digging, adultery, and a slaying on Valentine’s Day, 1923, I was intrigued about how easy it was to get booze back then. And one way, was for drugstores to get a permit during Prohibition to buy medicinal alcohol and distribute it.
That may be why loved Lost Recipes of Prohibition: Notes from A Bootlegger’s Manual by Matthew Rowley (The Countryman Press 2015; $27.95). Nominated for a James Beard Award, it contains more than 100 secret and forgotten formulas for illicit booze
Rowley, who describes himself as specializing in folk distilling and the manufacture and distribution of illicit spirits, was given an old book titled The Candle and The Flame, The Work of George Sylvester Viereck. The interior didn’t contain any poems by Viereck, a popular poet up until his pro-German sensibilities during World War I made him a pariah in the U.S. Instead, the book’s once blank pages contained a plethora of handwritten distilled spirit recipes procured and preserved by a New York pharmacist named Victor Alfred Lyon.
As for Harry, he wasn’t supposed to sell alcohol for non-medicinal purposes like he did—by adding real spirit company labels to his own bottles…but that was Harry who also. According to Rowley, many pharmacists made alcoholic concoctions to help ailing (or just plain thirsty) customers and many distilleries were allowed to continue to operate to provide product. Rowley points out that during Prohibition, the sale of sacramental wine went sky high as people suddenly became much more religious.
Lyon’s recipes were collected from a variety of sources and at the time he was gathering them, some were a century or so old. Rowley organized the recipes in chapters such as Absinthe, Cordials, and Bitters and Gin; Compounding Spirits and Gin, Whiskey and Rum.
Less a cookbook than a history and how-to of spirit making, Rowley does include many of Lyon’s recipes from a simple cocktail that silent screen movie star Mary Pickford enjoyed to the complex (and supersized) such as one for Rumessenz which calls for gallons of ingredients and was used by wholesalers, barkeepers, importers and exporters to make an essence of rum they could use for adding the aroma and tastes of rum to a batch of plain alcohol creating a higher profit margin.
That’s similar to what Harry Diamond did as well and at his trial he told the court he made about $20,000 a month from bootlegging. And that was in 1923 dollars.
Harry went to the electric chair so he didn’t have much time to enjoy his earnings. But in celebration of the newly found recipes of Prohibition, mix up a drink or two and enjoy!
Lanizet: Sour Mash Cajun Anisette
- 3 quarts water
- 25 ounces sugar
- ½ teaspoon anise oil
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring
- 3 cups bourbon or Tennessee whiskey
- 5 to 7 pounds ice
Pour 1 ½ quarts of the water in a medium stockpot. Note the depth of the liquid. Later, you will boil the syrup to this height. For now, pour in the remaining water and all the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces to 1 ½ quarts, 50 or 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
While the syrup is simmering, sterilize five new or well-scrubbed 1-pint canning jars in a deep pot or canning pot. Leave the jars in the hot water until you’re ready to use them. Wash and boil the lids and rings according to the manufacturer’s directions.
When the syrup reaches that 1.5-lquart mark, turn off the heat and remove the pot from heat. Stir in the anise oil, vanilla and food coloring until thoroughly mixed, then stir in the whiskey. Remove the jars from their hot water bath with tongs. Place the jars (don’t touch with your bare hands) on a wooden surface or folded towels and immediately pour the crimson liquid into the jars up to 1⁄2 inch from the tops. Wipe any dribbles or spills from the rims with a clean, damp cloth and place hot lids on top with sealing compound down; screw on the metal rings firmly but not too tightly.
Line your sink with a damp dish towel; it will prevent the hot jars from breaking when they touch the cool surface. Immediately place the jars upright in the sink, then slowly fill it with cool tap water so it covers the jars. As the jars cool, you’ll hear a series of metallic pops and pings; that’s a vacuum forming in each jar. When the jars are cool to the touch, after 5 to 10 minutes, place them upright in a tub of ice, with ice to top off the jars, to cool the anisette as quickly as possible. Once contents of jars are well chilled, about 1 hour, remove the jars from the ice. Label and date the jars, then store upright in a cool, dark place.
Yield: 5 pints
From Lost Recipes of Prohibition.
Stage #1: Florence – Rimini (206 km, 3800 meters of altitude difference)
The first stage sets off from Florence, leading cyclists through a challenging route that crosses the Apennines. This 206 km stage with 3800 meters of altitude difference features
picturesque locations such as Premilcuore, Strada San Zeno, Pianetto, Santa Sofia, San Piero in Bagno, Quarto, Sarsina, Mercato Saraceno, Perticara, Novafeltria, the City of San Marino (RSM), and Cerasolo, culminating in an exhilarating sprint along the Rimini seafront.
Stage #2: Cesenatico – Bologna (200 km)
The second stage starts in the renowned cycling hub of Cesenatico in Emilia Romagna. The route includes several notable Emilia Romagna cities: Cervia, Milano Marittima, Savio, Classe, Ravenna, San Michele,Godo, Russi, Mezzeno, Faenza, Errano, Rontana, Riolo Terme, Ponticelli, Imola, Toscanella, Castel San Pietro Terme, Ozzano dell’Emilia, 
The Grand Départ in Emilia Romagna is not just a sporting event but an extraordinary spectacle that crosses 38 locations in the region. Known for its deep-rooted cycling traditions, Emilia Romagna will witness a significant media impact and a surge in related activities. Over 200
TV channels worldwide will broadcast the event, with an estimated 1.8 million spectators along the route between Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Piedmont. The influx of visitors is expected to generate over 300,000 hotel stays during the three stages, contributing to an economic impact exceeding 120 million euros.
Emilia Romagna, already recognized as a top cycling destination, will soon add the prestigious title of Tour de France destination to its list of accolades.
For travelers who are inspired by the Tour de France coverage during these first three stages, here are five cycling experiences to try during a future visit to Emilia Romagna:
1. 
