The Great Gatsby
Food and Beverages
The Great Gatsby takes place during the time of Prohibition. The characters in The Great Gatsby have alcoholic beverages on several occasions. 
They especially like mint juleps. (Because this is a school site, alcohol cannot be described in too much depth). 
The food of the 1920s was not very different from today's food, but there is mention of it when Nick describes Gatsby's parties. Five crates of lemons and oranges for the party and buffet tables of spiced hams, turkeys, pastry pigs, and hors d'oeuvres are among the food that the guests savor and devour.
Coca-Cola also became popular in the 1920s. 
Soda fountains are created as places where people could relax and enjoy the day with a soda. Another popular drink created in 1927 was Kool-Aid (History of Kool-Aid). Since the main characters of the book drink mostly alcoholic beverages, Coca-Cola and Kool-Aid are not mentioned in the book, but they could have been alternatives to alcohol.
In the 1920s the United States first required milk to be pasteurized, thereby creating safer products for people. Several food reforms are made to protect consumers from bad food. Advertising was also in full swing to attract customers. Few advertisements are mentioned in The Great Gatsby and those that are mentioned are not related to food.
Page created on April 28, 1999.
Curator: Austin Eickman