What's the history of cocktails?
But also a lot of history. Cocktails are traditionally thought of as an American innovation, but they were actually at least partly inspired by British punches—big bowls of spirits mixed with fruit juice, spices, and other flavors, consumed in punch houses in the 18 th century.
Why are cocktails so popular in the 1920s?
Cocktails & Recipes In 1920, Prohibition was enacted in the United States. This meant that alcohol sales were prohibited, and only a few people could purchase liquor. However, cocktails from this era became a hit among bar-goers because of the drink’s unique flavors and appearance.
What was the first vodka cocktail?
In America, however, we liked cocktails. And the first vodka cocktail on record comes from New Hampshire, when in 1905 a bartender mixed a few up for some visiting Russian dignitaries. Alas, we have no recipe.
Are mixed drinks America's first culinary tradition?
The drinks writer David Wondrich has described the cocktail as America's first culinary tradition, and mixed drinks thrived in the democratic world of its 18th century taverns.
When did cocktails become popular in America?
Between the 1860s and 1920, when Prohibition went into effect, American bartending came into its own. Summertime is the perfect time to indulge in a refreshing cocktail on a balmy night.
What was the first cocktail in America?
SazeracThe famed Sazerac Coffee House was founded in New Orleans in 1850 and soon became known as the home of “America's First Cocktail,” the Sazerac. Using rye whiskey (in place of French brandy), a dash of Peychaud's Bitters, and Herbsaint, what eventually became the official cocktail of New Orleans was created.
Did America invent cocktails?
Cocktails are traditionally thought of as an American innovation, but they were actually at least partly inspired by British punches—big bowls of spirits mixed with fruit juice, spices, and other flavors, consumed in punch houses in the 18th century.
When did people start drinking mixed drinks?
Though the origin of mixed drinks can be traced back to the 17th century, it wasn't clear where, who, and how the “original” cocktail was created. The first-ever reference to cocktails appeared in a spoof editorial in the Farmer's Cabinet (Amherst, New Hampshire, April 28, 1803).
What's America's oldest drink?
SazeracFew cocktails feature a history as varied and intriguing as the Sazerac, widely regarded as the world's oldest cocktail. According to legend, the Sazerac was invented in 1838 by a Creole apothecary named Antoine Peychaud in his shop on Royal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
What was the earliest cocktail?
the SazeracWhat was the first ever cocktail? Accounts differ, but most experts agree that the first cocktail was the Sazerac, a blend of whisky, absinthe, bitters and sugar. Created in New Orleans in the mid-1800s, this is one of the first cocktails recognisable by name and remains a favourite to this day.
Who introduced cocktails?
The evolution of the cocktail However, the principles behind the cocktail originate far earlier, with some considering London punch-house proprietor James Ashley, who mastered his craft between 1731-1776, as the first to pioneer the mixology which led to the creation of the first ever cocktail.
Who started cocktails?
The drink catechism has long held that cocktails as we know them were created by “Professor” Jerry Thomas, a pioneering and flamboyant American bartender who published the first bar manual in 1862.
Who made the first cocktail?
Cocktails have been a favourite for quite a while, more specifically since the 1800s. According to legend, the world's first cocktail was invented by apothecary owner Antoine Peychaud in New Orleans.
What is the golden age of cocktails?
Cocktail History in America: The Golden Age (1806-1910s)
What's the difference between a cocktail and a mixed drink?
"A mixed drink has a minimum of two ingredients, but once you get to a third ingredient, it's a cocktail," says Keith Meicher, head bartender at Sepia in Chicago, who was behind the stick pouring vodka sodas (a mixed drink) and shaking gin with rhubarb and lime (a cocktail) when I asked him this question.
Why are drinks called cocktails?
In a Mexican tavern, English sailors noticed that mixed drinks were stirred with the root of a plant known as cola de gallo, or in English 'cock's tail': the sailors brought the name to England, and thence to the US. Coquetel was a term for a mixed drink in Bordeaux, which rapidly became 'cocktail' in America.
Who created the first cocktail?
The drink catechism has long held that cocktails as we know them were created by “Professor” Jerry Thomas, a pioneering and flamboyant American bartender who published the first bar manual in 1862.
What are the most popular cocktails in America?
The Most Popular Cocktails List NationwideRankCocktail1Margarita2Martini3Old Fashioned4Mimosa1 more row
Who made the first mixed drink?
Antoine PeychaudCocktails have been a favourite for quite a while, more specifically since the 1800s. According to legend, the world's first cocktail was invented by apothecary owner Antoine Peychaud in New Orleans. He decided to name the cocktail after the drink's main ingredient: Sazerac French brandy.
What is the origin of the term cocktail?
Where did the word actually come from? According to the online Etymology Dictionary, the origin of the cocktail is down to a mispronunciation of the French word for eggcup coquetier (pronounced in English as cocktay).
What was the first cocktail made of?
But the arrival of sugar opened up a new era in producing mixed drinks. By medieval times, the rich were flavouring their ales, their meads and metheglin with the new luxury goods – spices and sugars, brought all the way from the East by land and sea. And it is this combination of spice, sugar and booze that we find in the first cocktails.
When was distillation first used?
Distillation added a new layer of possibilities. Although probably known to the Chinese as early as 1000 BC, the technique reached Europe via the Arabs and then, most probably, the monks, more than two millennia later.
Why is ice important in cocktails?
As anyone who has consumed a room temperature cocktail can confirm, ice is absolutely critical to a contemporary drink. It doesn't just chill the blend, but dilutes it, melds flavours and smoothes rough edges in a way that water alone cannot.
Why did the monks make their own liqueurs?
In medieval times, both the monks and the aristocracy began to produce their own liqueurs in house (for medicinal reasons, naturally), steeping herbs and spices in home-distilled alcohol, and sweetening to help the medicine go down. By Shakespeare's time, with palates sweeter, mixing drinks was big news.
What was Shakespeare's drink called?
By Shakespeare's time, with palates sweeter, mixing drinks was big news. Sherry, then called 'sack', was the drink du jour, and folk would settle down to watch the bear-baiting with tankards of 'sugar sack' (sweetened sherry) or sack-possets (a blend of ale, sherry, eggs, cream, sugar, mace and nutmeg, served warm).
Why were spirits important to the West?
Spirits were lighter, easier to transport and less perishable than beer, so it was these, rather than softer alcohols, that fuelled the development of the American West. Like the British, working Americans drank all day, every day (booze was a useful antibacterial agent in days of bad water). And the quality of the early American spirits must have amply repaid disguising with whatever came to hand.
When did punch come to Europe?
As Europeans began to discover, then colonise India during the 17th century, punch made its way to Europe, where it was adopted and localised rather more rapidly than curries, which had to wait another three centuries or so. Rum, a new exotic spirit, became the chosen spirit of high society.
Where did vodka cocktails flourish during prohibition?
During Prohibition, vodka cocktails flourished in Europe, where exiled American bartenders learned to use local ingredients. After repeal, the concoctions were the hipster’s secret handshake.
Where did vodka originate?
And the first vodka cocktail on record comes from New Hampshire, when in 1905 a bartender mixed a few up for some visiting Russian dignitaries. Alas, we have no recipe. The first one of those dates back to 1911, from the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans (the Big Easy always was a broad-minded town when it came to pleasure).
What is a Russian cocktail?
A straightforward mix of vodka and an imported rowanberry cordial, this “Russian Cocktail” was tasty, but perhaps a trifle obscure to become popular. The same could be said of San Francisco bar pioneer Bill Boothby’s 1914 Peace Cocktail and one made at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, whose complex formula has been lost.
Did Mallon drink vodka?
Mallon got the pneumatic-tube mail system right, but when it came to booze, his research skills failed him. Americans simply did not drink vodka, not in 1928. Sure, we had heard of it. Every time newspapers mentioned Russia, it seemed, they threw in a line about the fiery liquid.
What was the first cocktail?
Pirates and sailors may have avoided scurvy by adding a little lime to their rum, but medical purposes aside, they certainly did not stop there. The first global cocktail is decidedly Planters Punch, and it was often mixed with citrus fruits, sugar, nutmeg, and then doled out on ships or in taverns.
Where did rum originate?
Like most alcohols on this list, rum’s origins are disputed. A French distiller, Portuguese settlers in Brazil, and even a chemist in India all claim to have invented “Kill Devil” as it came to be known. But the island of Barbados is where it exploded, and in 1655, a sailor arrived that who would shape the way we look at rum.
What was Ernest Hemingway's favorite drink?
That will teach you to keep your mouth shut,” said Ernest Hemingway. One of his favorite drinks was the Daiquiri, which is another cocktail that rose to prominence during Prohibition, even though it was born outside the United States on the island of Cuba.
Why was the whiskey rebellion so important?
The Whiskey Rebellion was a very American sort of thing to do, as distillers were angry for the government profiting from taxing their work. Whiskey’s hold on the country was indisputable as American drinking habits continued to rise well into the 1800s.
Why was Captain Hall's rum so strong?
Captain Hall’s rum was known to be so strong that it could make “a rabbit bite a bulldog,” but it was also in very high demand because Medford rum was known to be the best. That’s why historians believe that Revere stopped to imbibe, and of course later he was captured, but that certainly wasn’t the first time taking a drink led to a bad night, nor would it be the last.
Where was absinthe popular?
Absinthe was especially popular in France in the early 1800s, and that may explain why it was prevalent in a city in North America where the French were still very much present. And that’s why a bartender named Antoine Peychaud is said to have created the drink in the French quarter.
Where was the Mojito invented?
It’s interesting because the Mojito is effectively a Tom Collins but made with rum instead of whiskey, yet the Collins was definitely invented in the United States. It’s not disputed that the Mojito was created in Havana, and was popularized by some iconic figures in the 1950s.
When did Americans drink alcohol?
By 1770 Americans consumed alcohol regularly with every meal. Many people began the day with an “eye-opener” and closed it with a nightcap. People of all ages drank, including toddlers who finished off the heavily sugared portion at the bottom of a parent’s mug of rum toddy.
How many gallons of alcohol did the average person drink in the 1830s?
Back in the United States, the rate of alcohol consumption was rising quickly. Historian W.J. Rorabaugh writes that by the 1830s, the average person drank around four gallons of alcoholic beverages per year:
How long did the prohibition era last?
The Prohibition era lasted little more than a decade — from 1920 to 1933 — but its effects stretched far beyond those years. Speakeasies and saloons are still lionized by historical fetishists, and slang from that era is still in American English today.
Did the Old World ever ban alcohol?
So clearly, cocktail culture had to be built up again from scratch. Luckily, the Old World had never even considered an alcohol ban and so the recipes were there, waiting to return to the United States, once Prohibition was repealed.
Did Americans invent the cocktail?
So Americans didn’t invent the cocktail, after all. But they did help popularize it — just not during Prohibition. Mixed drinks actually showed up long before the 1920s; they were already well known in colonial times, an era in which alcohol was consumed routinely and enthusiastically. A 1991 article in the Organization of American Historians Magazine of History has alcohol consumption in the late 1700s at about three and a half gallons per person a year, or double today’s rates:
Did alcohol grow during prohibition?
Alcohol use continued to grow until Prohibition cut it, but not by as much as temperance proponents thought it might. Speakeasies quickly sprang up like mushrooms after a rain; a thriving black market brought in beer, wine, and liquor; and everyone knew someone with a still somewhere.
Who invented the cocktail?
The cocktail was invented by Eddie Woelke or Fred Kaufmann in the 1920s at Hotel Nacional de Cuba during one of the actress’ trips to Havana, wherein she was accompanied by Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks.
When did the pink drink become popular?
But this drink experienced an upswing during what was known as "the Second Golden Age," which took place from 1980-1985.
What was the most popular drink in the 1920s?
Gin is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks used throughout the 1920s since it was quick and straightforward to make. The process would involve filling a bathtub with alcohol spirit then thinning it out using water or mixing sugar syrup and juniper oil.
What is a sidecar cocktail?
The Sidecar quickly became a classic cocktail, combining cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice, favored by bar patrons in London and Paris. The dry sour also presented an attractive challenge to bartenders for its difficulty in balancing the flavors.
Why was mint julep popular in the 1920s?
The Mint Julep became popular during the 1920s due to Prohibition because of its refreshing and thirst-quenching qualities.
When was Ada Coleman's cocktail?
In the 1920s , when prohibition was in effect across the United States and alcoholic beverages were not easy to come by, Ada Coleman made a clever cocktail for her customers.
Who invented the whiteball cocktail?
Harry McElhone was a bartender at the Ciro Club in London when he created his famous cocktail, The Whiteball Cocktail. It is believed that it originated there sometime during 1919 and used equal parts of white Crème de Menthe, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice to create this refreshing drink.
Overview
History
The origins of the word cocktail have been debated. The first written mention of cocktail as a beverage appeared in The Farmers Cabinet, 1803 in the United States. The first definition of a cocktail as an alcoholic beverage appeared three years later in The Balance and Columbian Repository (Hudson, New York) May 13, 1806. Traditionally, cocktail ingredients included spirits, sugar, water and bitters, however, this definition evolved throughout the 1800s, to include the ad…
Usage and related terms
The Oxford Dictionaries define cocktail as "An alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice or cream". A cocktail can contain alcohol, a sugar, and a bitter/citrus. When a mixed drink contains only a distilled spirit and a mixer, such as soda or fruit juice, it is a highball. Many of the International Bartenders Association Official Cocktails are highballs. When a mixed drink contains only a distilled spirit and a liqueur, it is a duo, and when it …
Etymology
The origin of the word cocktail is disputed. The first recorded use of cocktail not referring to a horse is found in The Morning Post and Gazetteer in London, England, March 20, 1798:
Mr. Pitt, two petit vers of "L'huile de Venus" Ditto, one of "perfeit amour" Ditto, "cock-tail" (vulgarly called ginger)
The Oxford English Dictionary cites the word as originating in the U.S. The first recorded use of c…
Development
There is a lack of clarity on the origins of cocktails. Traditionally cocktails were a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. By the 1860s, however, a cocktail frequently included a liqueur.
The first publication of a bartenders' guide which included cocktail recipes was in 1862 – How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion, by "Professor" Jerry Thomas. In addition to recipes for punches, sours, slings, cobblers, shrubs, toddies, flips, and a variety of other mixed drinks were 1…
See also
• The Museum of the American Cocktail
• William "Cocktail" Boothby, early San Francisco publisher of cocktail recipes
• Harry Craddock, bartender at the Savoy Hotel's American Bar, author of The Savoy Cocktail Book, and creator of the Corpse Reviver #2 and White Lady.
External links
• Media related to Cocktail (category) at Wikimedia Commons
• Wikibooks Cookbook