Women Make It Happen

You know, just another Wednesday night.

In lieu of cocktail hour, I was at the Virginia Historical Society for Daniel Okrent's talk on "Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition." You know what Okrent wanted to call the book? "How the Hell Did That Happen?"

Truly. How the hell did this country ever think that 14 years without legal booze was going to be a good idea?

Most interesting fact gleaned from the talk? Women made Prohibition happen and women made it go away.

Okrent did a nice job tying up the factors that led to a dry (as if) country: The women's suffrage movement, the institution of the income tax and WW I starting. If we were going to hate the Germans because of the war, we couldn't very well be drinking beer, now could we?

And you know who fought Prohibition? The Catholics and the Jews. The Irish and the Italians. As an Irish Catholic (at least by birth), I'll take credit for my people keeping their heads when all around were losing them.

Winston Churchill called Prohibition, "An insult to the entire history of mankind." That insult led to speakeasies, which made for a cultural revolution. Instead of male-dominated saloons, women helped populate speakeasies so the rules had to change a bit.

Women being present is why table service began. Why food in bars improved. Why powder rooms were added. Feel free to thank the next woman you see.

Okrent said that the curb put on American drinking during Prohibition lasted for generations. In fact, it wasn't until 1972 that we finally got back to pre-Prohibition drinking levels. I only wish I'd been old enough to help the cause.

During the Q & A, the first question was about drug use. Okrent laughed, saying he had bet someone earlier that one of the first three  questions would be about drug use. Drink, drugs, I guess that's just what was on peoples minds at the VHS tonight.

With the repeal of the Prohibition amendment in 1933, we moved forward in time  to the forties at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. The On the Air Radio Players were doing two radio plays from the golden age of radio, Fiber McGee and Molly and a Jack Benny program.

First the announcer taught us to clap when the applause sign came on (extra fast clapping sounds like more people, so we clapped furiously) so we could fulfill our audience duties.

The program was called "Frugal Confessions" and was a tribute to a time "when people were proud to be cheap." You know, cheap is chic and tight is right.

The 1941 "Fibber Gets his Hand Caught in a Bottle" was about hapless Fibber trying to steal 35 cents left in a milk bottle and his travails getting it off. "Jack Benny Loses $4.75 at the Race Track" had the long-suffering Benny unable to stop obsessing about his monetary loss, especially when his friends had won.

Both plays were read by people with terrific voices, countless dialects and two sound effects people who slammed doors, knocked and walked shoes to make the appropriate sounds.

It was an old-school production that will naturally be made into a podcast for modern audiences. Let's just say I prefer seeing it done live.

As we got closer to midnight and the advent of the third Thursday in November, we knew it was time to get to Amour Wine Bistro. Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrive!

And while no one is going to get excited about drinking beaujolais nouveau for long (except maybe Holmes and he's in Las Vegas), the third Thursday opening of the new harvest is a delightful excuse to start drinking at midnight.

We got good seats at the bar and before long the place was filling up with other revelers. Because it was a night devoted to the gamay grape, we began with a sparkling gamay (G?) which set the tone with its beautiful pink bubbles and dry taste.

Dessert followed, dark chocolate caramel sea salt creme brulee and hazelnut apricot clafoutis with a decadent hazelnut cream. Julia Child herself would have been impressed.

As the room got fuller, we moved on to Cote de Brouilly Domaine du Pavillon de Chanannes, smelling of exotic spices and with a silky mouth feel that made it my companion's favorite of the evening. When we finally reached the bewitching hour, the real fun began.

With French music playing, we did a flight of Beaujolais Nouveau 2012. And surprisingly, it was a good year for the fruity little grape. The ubiquitous Georges Duboeuf was not entirely KoolAid-like and the Manoir du Carra was even better.

Yes, they tasted young and fruity, but isn't that the point?

Domaine Descroix came in as the crowd favorite, although I wouldn't have turned down more of  the Manoir du Carra Beaujoais Villages Nouveau, either. We noshed on a savory tart tatin of potatoes, Brie and honey, a fine complement to our young grapes.

The later it got, the livelier things were, both musically (lots of great '60s French pop) and conversationally (how couples met stories). I know there are French restaurants in Washington who have lines out the door on the third Thursday of November and no doubt those people are cycled in and out like cattle to drink Beaujolais Nouveau.

Our leisurely evening of meeting strangers, chatting with familiar faces and trying wine after wine was about as civilized as a wine drinker could hope for. Cultural history, live radio and a 15th century wine tradition.

We call that an honest night.