<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  Flappers. Speakeasies. The Charleston. If these aren&amp;#039;t part of your everyday vocabulary, they might be soon if you watch the adaptation of The Great Gatsby, coming to the big (3-D) screen on May 10th. The Roaring 20s timeframe of the book (and movie) was a glamorous, decadent era, especially for those with the wealth-legitimately obtained or not-to keep the party going after Prohibition went into effect. Want to recreate the festive vibe of Gatsby&amp;#039;s infamous blowouts? Grab your homburg or your bejeweled headband, bedeck yourself in long strands of pearls, and follow these suggestions to evoke the food, the mood, and, of course, the booze. The scene:  Although Gatsby didn&amp;#039;t try to hide his shindigs, there&amp;#039;s something naughty and nice about a secret password. Provide your guests with a phrase on their invitation that they&amp;#039;ll need to whisper to gain entrance. (See how many of your guests can say &amp;quot;I think you&amp;#039;re the bees&amp;#039; knees!&amp;quot; with a straight face.)   They didn&amp;#039;t call it the Jazz Age for nothing, so be sure to play some of the great early jazz music. Look for music by Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong, and songs by George Gershwin.   Scour flea-markets for an assortment of vintage-y teacups. Speakeasies were sometimes called &amp;quot;cup joints&amp;quot; since the &amp;quot;juice&amp;quot; was hidden discreetly in teacups. It would horrify a proper bartender, but it won&amp;#039;t harm the liquor  The drinks: Try making a Southside, a true prohibition-era cocktail. This recipe is courtesy of The 21 Club, a NY speakeasy that&amp;#039;s still in business today:   Place 2 oz. gin (or vodka), 1 oz. mint simple syrup, 1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, juice of one lemon, and a splash of soda in a shaker, and shake vigorously to bruise mint leaves. Strain into a tall chilled glass filled with ice. Serves 1. (To make mint simple syrup: stir 1 c. sugar into 1 c. water; boil until sugar dissolves, stirring. Stir in 1 cup chopped mint. Cover; let cool. Strain.) The recipe can adapt easily for a crowd. Champagne (namely Moet &amp;amp;amp; Chandon) flows freely throughout the movie. Serve the best bubbly you can find, in old-fashioned coupe glasses (if you can&amp;#039;t resist making a fountain out of it, I suggest you use ginger ale instead!). The food: The first time Nick Carraway meets Gatsby, the buffet tables were set with &amp;quot;spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold.&amp;quot; I&amp;#039;m not exactly sure what pastry pigs are, but I&amp;#039;m sure pigs in a blanket would do just fine, and they&amp;#039;re perfect with cocktails.  Put out some olives, pickles, and celery sticks, and oven-fried chicken fingers with a dipping sauce (Daisy and Tom share cold fried chicken and bottles of ale in one scene). Pass mini sandwiches made with our ham with bee sting glaze and sesame biscuits, and a few varieties of stuffed (deviled) eggs. Finish off with lemon cakes, like these adorable little Meyer lemon pudding cakes, in honor of Gatsby&amp;#039;s tea with Daisy.   Can&amp;#039;t get enough of Gatsby? If you&amp;#039;re in New York City, check out the elaborate windows at Tiffany &amp;amp;amp; Co., created in collaboration with the movie&amp;#039;s costume designer, Catherine Martin. Or take tea, and then swoon over the costume display at the Plaza Hotel, where both Gatsby and author Fitzgerald were thought to have frequented. And, of course, come visit us at the Hearst Tower, whose landmarked limestone fa\u00E7ade was constructed in 1928! Have any great ideas for throwing a successful Gatsby-themed party? We&amp;#039;d love to hear about them! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a24697/great-gatsby-cocktail-party/>