Life, 1915-04-01 · page 7 of 72
Life — April 1, 1915 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon or satire page**—it is a straightforward **advertisement** for El-Bart Dry Gin. The ad promotes a cocktail-making kit that includes four bottles of gin, French and Italian vermouth, a cocktail shaker with etched recipe guides, and four lead-blown cocktail glasses. The headline's phrase "Everything Except the Ice" is a literal description: the kit provides all cocktail ingredients and equipment except ice, which customers would add themselves. The ad emphasizes the gin's pedigree (triple-distilled using a 100-year-old formula from Camberwell Distillery in London) and promises quality cocktails if made fresh with the provided shaker. The price is $5.00, available east of Omaha, Nebraska, via prepaid express mail. This reflects early 20th-century **advertising in Life magazine** before Prohibition—no satire intended.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: Everything Except the Ice to Make Lugust mM no njust, con- me ~ > an . Four bottles of EL-BART Dry Gin (Tiele distilled after the same formala as that in use for over 100 years at the Camberwell Distillery, Addington Square, London, England. Extra dry, fragrant, crystal clear—there CAN be no better Gin than EL-BART. One bottle of Standard brand of French Vermouth One bottle of Standard brand of Italian Vermouth And to make you better acquainted with EL-BART c The Famous EL-BART Dry Gin Cocktail Shaker And four first-class lead=blown cocktail glasses. \ Cocktail to be right must be freshly made, and this unique glass shaker has recipes clearly etched on the glass for Bronx, Martini, and Dry Martini Cocktails. Simply pour in quantities indicated, add ice, shake well and you have the best cocktail you ever tasted. f-ac- eto 303 fits Ave eo York This exceptional shaker and the above material (note the illus- tration) will be sent, for a limited time, by prepaid express to any address in the United States east of Omaha, Nebraska, for only $5.00. (Address) (County and State) Use the coupon. Tear off and sign, and send with the money. The goods will reach you promptly. comichooks.