A party in the 21st century looks, smells and tastes much different from the celebrations of yesteryear. How much different? Check out our timeline of trends, foods and drinks popular in the past 100 years.

1910s
It’s a gilded age before World War I with elegant Victorian-era parties. Formalities abound – think chaperones, formal dress and dinner parties (waited on by household servants in a fine mansion, of course).

Try a drink from the 1910s: the Sidecar. This drink was allegedly created in Paris during World War I by an American Army captain who liked to ride in a motorcycle sidecar to his favorite watering hole. The sugar rim was added in the 1930s.
1 oz. cognac
1 oz. cointreau
1 oz. lemon juice (fresh)
Chill a cocktail glass and rim it with sugar. Shake all ingredients over ice. Strain into the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

1920s
Forget about a good (legal) drink: Prohibition lasted from 1922 until 1933. As a result, people move their parties “underground” or into the woods. Urban dwellers partied at speakeasy clubs while rural residents cavorted with moonshine or bathtub gin. Mixed drinks were born because the homemade liquor tasted so bad, drinkers start adding juice and sugar to make it more palatable.

Try a drink recipe from the 1920s: the Bloody Mary
1½ oz. vodka
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch ground pepper
¼ oz. fresh lemon juice
5 oz. tomato juice
Pickle spear and/or lemon wedge (optional garnishes)
Combine liquid ingredients (except garnishes) in an ice-filled mixing glass and roll between tin and mixing glass until well blended. Strain into tall glass filled with ice. Garnish.

1930s
The Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted into World War II. Most people had little or no money with which to celebrate, saving nice meals for holidays like Thanksgiving. The potluck dinner and the “progressive dinner party” (traveling from house to house to eat different courses) were conceived as ways to spend time with loved ones without spending much money.

1934: The Ritz cracker is born, making way for the popular party staple cheese trays. Other party mainstays born in the 1930s include Betty Crocker (1936) and Lays Potato Chips (1939).

Try a drink from the 1930s: Chicago Fizz. After Prohibition ended, people may have needed this concoction, considered a hangover cure.
1 oz. aged rum
1 oz. port
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ tsp. bar sugar (super fine)
½ an egg white
4 oz. club soda
Chill a Collins glass. Shake all the ingredients except club soda vigorously over ice. Fill glass half full of ice. Strain into glass and top with club soda.

1940s
World War II (1939 to 1945) signaled rationing: without staples such as meat, newly-conceived “casseroles” were a bit more creative (macaroni and cheese with peanuts, for example). Party goers danced South American-influenced dances like the rumba, the cha-cha and the mambo, as well as to swing music from musicians such as Benny Goodman.

1948: America is introduced to more munchies as Cheetos brand snack foods hit the scene. It’s also the beginning of the in-home product party – 1948 marks the first year American housewives hosted Tupperware parties.

Try a drink from the 1940s: Picon Punch. This beverage was originally created by Basque immigrants from Spain in the early 1900s.
2 oz. Torani Amer
¼ oz. grenadine
4 oz. club soda
½ oz. cognac
Build Torani Amer, grenadine and soda over ice. Stir. Float cognac on top and garnish with a lemon twist.

1950s
The suburbs are born. Families move outside the city limits to start their own “American dream.” Backyard barbecues filled social calendars, with hotdogs, corn on the cob, steak and salad. Budweiser was considered a premium beer. Cocktail parties hit their peak in popularity. Women hosted more elaborate birthday and dinner parties behind the popular concept of “homemade.”

1954: Holiday parties became easier with the introduction of Butterball Turkeys.
1956: If you have ever suffered from “party breath” (i.e. adult beverages and junk food) thank Certs for unveiling its iconic mint this year.

Try a drink from the 1950s: the Screwdriver.
2 oz. vodka
3 oz. orange juice (fresh)
Build over ice in a highball glass. Stir briefly.

1960s
Though part of the American public is going counter-culture, others stick to the idea of the elegant party, thanks to culinary icon Julia Child and classy First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Exotic or European foods are now a hot ticket: think French dishes, Japanese steakhouses, and imported fruits such as kiwi.

1962: Maybe you don’t even recall them now, but tab aluminum cans were a big deal when they came out the early ‘60s, changing the college party landscape forever.

Try a drink from the 1960s: the Vesper. This is James Bond’s drink of choice in Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel. Bond names the drink after a love interest in the book, Vesper Lynd.
3 oz. Gordon’s London Dry Gin
1 oz. vodka
½ oz. Lillet Blanc
1 lemon
Chill a cocktail glass. Using a vegetable peeler on the lemon, peel a lemon twist all the way around until you’ve peeled half the lemon. The twist should resemble a corkscrew. Twist part of this on the glass, rub the rim with the skin side and toss into the glass. Shake the gin, vodka and Lillet over ice. Strain into the glass.

1970s
Americans suddenly have busier lives than before, with more women entering the workforce. There’s more money to spend on parties and less time to plan them. Exotic foods are still a big favorite: the Swiss tradition of fondue becomes the must-have party theme of the decade. Progressive dinner parties also experience a renaissance.

1970: Ubiquitous party favorite Orville Redenbacher brought his patented popcorn into American homes for the first time.

1977: Birthday party destination Chuck E. Cheese’s opens its first location in San Jose, Calif. (much to kids’ delight and parents’ chagrin).

Try a drink from the 1970s: Harvey Wallbanger. Stories vary on how this drink came about, either from a frustrated party guest or a California surfer.
1½ oz. vodka
3 oz. orange juice
½ oz. Galliano
Shake vodka and orange juice briefly over ice. Pour into a Collins glass. Top with ice if necessary. Float Galliano on top.

1980s
With even less free time, people are taking their celebrations out of the home: dining out becomes the trend of the decade for many, yuppies included. At home, wine coolers and frozen blended drinks are the beverages of choice.

1987: Tailgating and cookouts were never the same after Oscar Mayer brought out the big guns with bun-length hotdogs.

Try a drink from the 1980s: Sex on the Beach
1 ½ oz. vodka
¾ oz. peach schnapps
½ oz. crème de cassis
2 oz. orange juice
2 oz. cranberry juice
Orange slice and/or maraschino cherry
Combine all ingredients and shake in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish.

1990s and 2000s
“Organic” and “locally-grown” are two buzzwords surrounding restaurant and party food. People start having TV parties centered on favorite sitcoms such as Friends and Sex and the City.

Try a drink from the 1990s: The Cosmopolitan. Sex and the City premiered on HBO in 1998, re-popularizing this sweet cocktail.
1 ½ oz. citrus vodka
¾ oz. cointreau
Juice of ½ lime, hand extracted
½ oz. cranberry juice
Lemon spiral
Combine liquid ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and shake until well blended. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon spiral.

Kate Lohnes is assistant editor of CityScene.

Sources: David Stebenne, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University, food historian and author Francine Segan, www.liquoranddrink.com, www.cocktailtimes.com and The Food Timeline at www.foodtimeline.org.