With the repeal of Prohibition the sound of clinking glasses once again filled Manhattan and the place to be was a former speakeasy. For over three decades the Stork Club, located at 3 East 53rd St, was both the playground of celebrities and millionaires and the center of Manhattan's cafe society. The Stork Club was opened in 1929 by Sherman Billingsley. A native of Oklahoma, Billingsley moved from bootlegger to bar owner. Known to "rule with a velvet fist," Billingsley was at his glamorous club nightly catering to his clientele which had the children of old world money mingling with movie stars, gossip columnists, politicians and former bootleggers among others. With his golden rope Billingsley created exclusivity and with his house photographer leaking photos to the tabloids he had the whole country begging to be a part of it.
And now a toast to the grand beauty known as the Stork Club, the impending arrival of Repeal Day and Mixology Monday!
The Stork Club Cocktail
1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Orange Juice
1/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Cheers!
