From his research, he discovered that dry ginger ale was actually formulated during the US Prohibition - brewers made it 'dry' because it mixed better with raw, bootleg alcohol than the sweet ginger ale of the past. It is believed that dry ginger ale was as popular during this time as illegal alcohol, inspiring breweries to switch to making dry ginger ale since they were not allowed to make beer. Advertisements of this era vaguely hinted that dry ginger ale “mixed well with other drinkables”: it was the accessory to the crime.

Continuing to experiment and refine his recipes, James developed his first range of premium mixers - Lime & Soda, Lemonade, and of course his very own Dry Ginger Ale. Like the bootleggers before him, James began to 'smuggle' his creations into local bars and parties, where they were embraced as mixers and as standalone drinks alike. From here, Bootleggers was born.