PROHIBITION PUNCHES

Philadelphia: DORRANCE & COMPANY, INC., 1930. First Edition. Hardcover. Maroon cloth covered boards, title in gilt. Very good. 93 pages. 20 x 13 cm. Issued as national Prohibition neared its close, this spirited collection of nonalcoholic beverages drew contemporary media notice, including a 1930 New York Times review. The book is organized by themed chapters, each introduced with lively sketches of refined, alcohol-free entertainments - from White House teas to fireside gatherings. Recipes for punches, frappes, ciders, smashes, mock champagne, lemonades, children's drinks, and large-batch preparations suitable for receptions serving up to seventy-five guests. Doran extols the "elixirs" qualities of fruit-based drinks while offering a pointed critique of alcohol's social influence.

Roxana Doran was wife of James M. Doran, a federal Prohibition Bureau commissioner responsible for the denaturing industrial alcohol to prevent illegal consumption. She assembled her recipes from prominent temperance advocates, among them Assistant Attorney General Mabel Willebrandt and Women's Christian Temperance Union members. Her work sought to bring elegance and healthfulness to the mocktail, framing it as a wholesome alternative to the hazards of bootleg liquor. Interior crisp and clean. Boards lightly sunned.