Bootleg gin was unpredictable. Sometimes it burned, sometimes it tasted faintly of chemicals, and often it arrived in batches too small to meet demand. Bartenders solved this with simple, elegant cocktails—like the Gin Rickey, combining citrus, soda, and a light pour of gin.

The recipe wasn’t just flavor-driven. It was logistics-driven: a cocktail that made small, uneven shipments look generous and kept patrons satisfied without exposing the speakeasy’s fragile supply line.