The Couple Who Taught America to Drink.

After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, The Thin Man played a significant cultural role in shaping America's post-Prohibition drinking culture. Nick and Nora Charles, the film's charming and witty protagonists, became icons of sophisticated cocktail consumption, teaching Americans how to drink again with style, humor, and elegance. 

Prohibition had forced much of America's drinking underground, often associating it with speakeasies and bootleggers. Nick and Nora brought drinking back into the open, portraying it as a central part of an urbane and enjoyable lifestyle.  They drank Martinis, highballs, and other classic cocktails with flair, making them seem glamorous and accessible to a public rediscovering legal alcohol.  The Martini became synonymous with Nick and Nora, who showcased it as the ultimate sophisticated drink. 

Their use of small glasses and an emphasis on quality over quantity encouraged Americans to move away from Prohibition-era home brews and embrace well-made, smaller, and more refined cocktails.  The couple's iconic use of elegant glassware, such as coupes and the now-famous Nick and Nora glass, inspired Americans to up their drinking game at home.