A Salute to Vibrant Women

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Written by Laura D.C. Kolnoski

COLTS NECK – “Here’s to the gracious hostess whose warm welcome is truly delightful and whose delightful cordial is a perfect treat.”

Introducing a captivating new book that explores the role of women in shaping the history of cocktails and cocktail culture: “The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home” by Nicola Nice, Ph.D. (2024 Countryman Press). This delightful read makes for an ideal gift during a festive season brimming with celebrations. 

Spanning from the 1800s to contemporary times, this 216-page historical recipe book showcases over 100 adaptations of traditional cocktails, featuring drinks like Martha Washington’s Happy Hour Punch and the Green Skirt, which draws inspiration from the Harlem Renaissance. The chapters highlight beverages that gained popularity in various periods, and also include recipes for syrups and unique flavor inspirations. 

On a recent Sunday, Nice discussed her book with invited guests at the circa 1700s headquarters of Laird & Company, America’s oldest distiller and holder of U.S. Distillery License No. 1, issued after the repeal of Prohibition. Family-owned and run for nine generations, the company’s vice president and world ambassador is Lisa Laird-Dunn, whose grown children have now joined the business. 

Laird-Dunn and her son Gerard organized the afternoon event with the help of Night Owl Hospitality from Asbury Park, presenting dishes inspired by "The Cocktail Parlor" that featured Laird's products. 

Nice met Laird-Dunn, whom she regards as a mentor, through the Women’s Cocktail Collective, an organization established in 2015 to support female professionals in the liquor sector by facilitating networking opportunities and raising funds for charitable initiatives. Originally from Britain, Nice relocated to the U.S. in 2007, just as the cocktail revival was gaining momentum, and made New York her home.  

“Few women were running liquor companies then,” said Nice, founder and CEO of Pomp & Whimsy Gin. “Lisa is so humble, kind and generous. She’s the hostess with the mostest, as Pearl Mesta was called.” Mesta, profiled in Chapter 5, “The Grand Hostess,” was renowned for her cocktail parties in the 1920s through 1940s, populated by famous guests. She was America’s first ambassador to Luxembourg and the nation’s first female ambassador. The Black Russian was created in Mesta’s honor and she was immortalized in Irving Berlin’s 1950 musical “Call Me Madam.” 

“As a commercial sociologist focused on cocktail trends during the day and an avid cocktail enthusiast by night, I have always been captivated by the rituals of hospitality and the social evolution of food and beverages,” stated Nice, who consults for major companies such as beverage giant Diageo. “With ‘The Cocktail Parlor,’ we finally shine a well-deserved light on women's contributions to cocktail history.” 

Driven by a sense of purpose, Nice set out to gather female-authored literature spanning the last two centuries, encompassing everything from domestic management and etiquette manuals to culinary and hosting guides. Her initial intrigue soon turned into exasperation when she realized the scarcity of resources on women's contributions to cocktail culture. This led her to reac