The 12-Mile Limit

 Where do international waters begin? Historically, a country could claim as its own the waters from its shoreline out to a distance of three nautical miles—supposedly because it was the farthest that a cannon ball fired from land could reach.

During Prohibition, the three-mile limit was still recognized under international law. But as far as the United States Coast Guard was concerned, it did not apply to rum runners, who were subject to U.S. jurisdiction as soon as they came within 12 nautical miles. (Fun fact: In 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea made the 12-mile limit the norm.)

The Prohibition-era 12-mile limit accounts for the otherwise bewildering name of the Prohibition-era Twelve-Mile-Limit Cocktail, a seemingly bizarre but delicious blend of rum, brandy, and rye whiskey. Here’s how you make it.

First, chill a coupe glass, because your cocktail is going to land in it.

Then, in a mixing tin, add the following ingredients:

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice.

1/2 ounce grenadine.

1 ounce blended lightly aged rum (e.g., Appleton Estate).

1/2 ounce brandy.

1/2 ounce rye whiskey.

Next, add cracked or cubed ice and shake.

Use a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to pour the liquid into the chilled coupe glass. (The Hawthorne strainer catches most of the ice; the fine mesh strainer catches whatever small ice chips get past the Hawthorne strainer.)

Garnish with a lemon twist.

The result is a nice blend of sweet and sour that doesn’t overwhelm the booze. It’s not as if your palate can distinguish between the rum, brandy, and rye—at least mine could not—but it’s surprisingly good. Certainly a more pleasant surprise than a rum runner within the 12-mile limit spotting a Coast Guard patrol boat.