Atlanta has long known how to raise a glass. In her latest book, A Boozy History of Atlanta: People, Places & Drinks that Made a City, Modern South contributor and travel writer Caroline Eubanks uncovers the rich (and rowdy) drinking history of the ATL.
From saloon-owner mayors and moonshiners to today’s craft cocktail renaissance, she explores how the city’s bars have gone beyond local watering holes into something truly worth experiencing.
We caught up with Caroline to chat about what inspired the book, the characters she discovered, and what’s on her bar cart.
What inspired you to write this book?
Caroline Eubanks: This book really came out of my own curiosity. We hear a lot about the famous cocktails of places like New Orleans but I didn’t know much about my own backyard. It combines history and recipes, really telling the story of Atlanta through the bars and drinking spaces. It starts with colonial Georgia and the early settlement of Atlanta, spanning to the present.
I write about the drink culture of other places, especially around the South, so this was something I was very interested in. I’ve written about drinks for Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, Vinepair, InsideHook, and several others.
What was one surprising thing you learned about Atlanta’s sip scene?
CE: What surprised me was just how much of a role alcohol played in the city. The first mayoral race was between pro and anti alcohol parties. There are also characters that reappear throughout history.
For example, Hannibal Kimball came to Atlanta after the Civil War to open a grand hotel, where visiting presidents stayed and travelers enjoyed their time during the International Cotton States Exposition. The Kimball House Hotel was the place to see and be seen, to drink champagne, even during Prohibition. It was demolished before I was born, but the name was later passed to one of the city’s top cocktail bars, which has revived many of these pre-Prohibition recipes.
What’s your drink of choice?
CE: It really depends on the place. If I’m at a dive bar, it’s always a beer. But at a cocktail bar, I like to let the bartenders steer me—I trust their creativity. Otherwise, I’d probably go for a Manhattan.
What does your personal bar cart look like?
CE: My bar cart is overflowing at the moment and has a little bit of everything. I like experimenting with cocktails, so there are plenty of bitters and liqueurs as well. I’m really enjoying companies like El Guapo and Atlanta’s 18.21 Bitters. I also recently wrote about a Georgia company called House of Applejay that makes fruit liqueurs. The cherry version goes into my Manhattan.
Read more from Caroline on Modern South.
