Post #696860 by finky099 on Sun, Oct 20, 2013 10:12 PM

One of the reasons whisky enjoy elevated popularity in the 20's and onward was due to the War(s) in Europe. I believe rum and agricole had been very popular in the Americas in the 18th and 19th century (heavily due to the cross-Atlantic/Carribean trade routes). But, when war broke out in Europe in the early 20th century, the European-based liquors became more expensive and generally less attainable to Americans. So, they turned to what was already being made in America: whisky & bourbon. The onset of the Great Depression (and home gin distilleries during Prohibition) further solidified the use of whisky and "gin" in early American cocktails. I believe this also was the time when tequila made a more pronounced presence in America, due to the same reasons (cheaper and easier to obtain).