The best 1920s party food is the cocktail-party food of the era: deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, canapés, Waldorf salad and oysters, followed by chicken à la king for a dinner and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. For drinks, the Prohibition classics: the Bee's Knees, Sidecar, French 75 and Gin Rickey. Below are the dishes, a menu that fits a party, six cocktail recipes, a batch punch and the alcohol-free options.
1920s finger food
The cocktail party was a 1920s fashion, and its food was built for standing up. All of these can be made ahead.
| Dish | What it is | Make-ahead tip |
|---|---|---|
| Deviled eggs | Halved eggs, yolks mashed with mayonnaise and mustard, paprika on top | Fill an hour before; keep cold |
| Shrimp cocktail | Cold shrimp with a horseradish and ketchup sauce | Serve in small glasses so it can be carried |
| Canapés | Small toasts with toppings: smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber | Toast the bread the day before |
| Waldorf salad | Apple, celery and walnuts in mayonnaise, from New York's Waldorf hotel | Serve in lettuce cups as finger food |
| Oysters | Raw on ice, or baked | Buy shucked, or skip if the budget says no |
| Stuffed celery | Celery sticks filled with cream cheese and olives | Ten minutes, very 1920s |
| Cheese straws | Thin twists of pastry and sharp cheese | Bake the day before |
A 1920s dinner party menu
For a seated dinner, use the dishes that were on restaurant and dinner-party menus of the time:
- To start: shrimp cocktail or a wedge of lettuce with a creamy dressing.
- Main: chicken à la king (chicken in a cream sauce with mushrooms and peppers) on toast or in pastry shells, or a roast with potatoes.
- Dessert: pineapple upside-down cake, a gelatin mold, or vanilla ice cream with a cherry.
If you are running a murder mystery at the same time, fit one course to each round: starter in Round 1, main in Round 2, dessert after the reveal. Our murder mystery party food ideas guide has the timing.
Six Prohibition cocktails
Strong flavours were common in Prohibition-era cocktails, partly to hide the taste of bootleg spirits. One ounce is about 30 ml. Shake with ice and strain unless the recipe says otherwise.
| Cocktail | Recipe | Glass |
|---|---|---|
| Bee's Knees | 2 oz gin, ¾ oz lemon juice, ¾ oz honey syrup (honey and hot water, half and half) | Coupe |
| Sidecar | 1½ oz cognac, ¾ oz orange liqueur, ¾ oz lemon juice; sugar rim optional | Coupe |
| French 75 | 1 oz gin, ½ oz lemon juice, ½ oz sugar syrup; shake, then top with 3 oz champagne | Flute |
| Gin Rickey | 2 oz gin, ½ oz lime juice; build over ice and top with soda water | Highball |
| Southside | 2 oz gin, ¾ oz lime juice, ¾ oz sugar syrup, a few mint leaves | Coupe |
| Mary Pickford | 1½ oz white rum, 1½ oz pineapple juice, 1 tsp grenadine, ¼ oz maraschino liqueur | Coupe |
Coupes are the glass of the era. Teacups make a fun joke about hiding drinks from the police.
A batch punch for a crowd
For more than eight guests, make one big batch so you are not mixing drinks all night. Bee's Knees punch for 12: one 750 ml bottle of gin, 9 oz (about 270 ml) lemon juice, 9 oz honey syrup, and 1 liter of chilled soda water added at the last minute. Serve over a large block of ice.
Without alcohol
- The Bee's Knees, dry: lemon juice and honey syrup topped with soda water.
- Ginger ale with lime, which looks like a highball.
- Iced tea in a teacup, which looks exactly like a speakeasy drink.
Use the same glasses for everyone, so nobody is holding the "not drinking" glass.
Put it together
A speakeasy party needs three things beyond the menu: a password at the door, low light and jazz. See roaring 20s party decorations for the room and 1920s slang for how to talk once you are in.
With Sleuth Night
Death at the Speakeasy is our 1920s murder mystery, and the drinks are part of the plot: Vinnie Marlowe, owner of The Velvet Hour in Chicago, 1927, is poisoned through his private bottle during a fake police raid. Label one bottle "PRIVATE" on your bar and it becomes a prop. The game plays 6 to 16 guests, about two hours: three rounds of 20 to 30 minutes, then the vote and the reveal. Each guest gets a private link with their character on their phone, the clues show on your TV, and the host plays too. Setting up is free and you pay $29 when you press Start Round 1. It also suits a dinner party or a group of 12 players.