The Fascinating Origins of 7 Beverages Named After Real Individuals

While many cocktails derive their names from straightforward sources—such as ingredients like the gin and tonic or locations like the Manhattan—others are named after real people, famous or obscure. Some have clear origins tied to a specific individual, while others boast mysterious or even fictional histories, adding to their intrigue. Dive into the captivating stories behind seven such drinks.

1. Bellini

Giovanni Bellini, the celebrated Renaissance artist known for masterpieces such as The Agony in the Garden and Blood of the Redeemer, lent his name to the Bellini. However, the cocktail itself was crafted by Giuseppe Cipriani, who lived centuries after Bellini.

Cipriani, the founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy, created the Bellini in the 1930s or 1940s by blending white peach purée with prosecco. The drink’s pinkish hue reminded him of the colors in Bellini’s iconic paintings, prompting him to name the cocktail in the artist’s honor.

2. Dom Pérignon

While Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk, is often credited with inventing the champagne method, this is just one of many myths surrounding his legacy. In reality, he played a crucial role in refining wine production, particularly by blending grapes to enhance quality. The exaggerated tales about his contributions are largely attributed to Dom Grossard, the last treasurer of Pérignon’s abbey, who promoted these stories after the French Revolution.

3. Dubonnet

Mixology is often considered a science, and the creation of Dubonnet, a French aperitif, exemplifies this. Chemist Joseph Dubonnet aimed to develop a pleasant way to administer quinine, derived from the cinchona tree, to French Foreign Legionnaires in North Africa to combat malaria. However, authors Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt suggest in their book Just the Tonic that Dubonnet’s goal was more likely to create a general medicinal tonic rather than specifically targeting malaria. In 1846, he perfected his recipe, blending fortified wine, herbs, spices, and a precise amount of quinine.

Dubonnet remains popular today and is reportedly a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II. To enjoy it like royalty, mix 2 ounces of Dubonnet with 1 ounce of gin, add ice and a lemon slice, and stir until well-chilled.

4. The Charlie Chaplin

Despite the unlikely association of New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel naming a drink after someone known as “The Tramp,” they made an exception for Charlie Chaplin, the legendary comic actor and filmmaker. This pre-Prohibition cocktail combines equal parts Sloe gin, lime juice, and apricot liqueur, with lemon juice occasionally substituted.

The Charlie Chaplin’s captivating ruby red hue comes from Sloe gin, crafted by infusing ripe sloe berries—similar to plums—with sugar and traditional gin. The blend of Sloe gin and apricot brandy results in a smooth, albeit slightly sweet, drink. There’s no evidence to confirm whether Chaplin himself ever enjoyed the cocktail named in his honor.

5. The Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer, the iconic American golfer with over six decades of career achievements and 62 PGA Tour wins, once shared with ESPN how his signature drink came to be. His wife frequently prepared iced tea, and he requested a large pitcher to mix it with lemonade. After perfecting the ratio, he found it so refreshing that he began taking it to the golf course. During a hot summer day in Palm Springs while constructing a golf course, he ordered iced tea with a splash of lemonade at lunch. A nearby customer overheard and requested “an Arnold Palmer,” referring to the golfer’s unique drink.

Today, the Arizona Beverage Company produces an officially licensed line of Arnold Palmers, available in various flavors, including green tea and diet options. Recently, Hornell Brewing, Arizona’s parent company, collaborated with Molson Coors to create an alcoholic version of the beloved warm-weather drink, named Arnold Palmer Spiked.

6. Margarita

While it’s widely known that margaritas are made with tequila, triple sec, and lime, the story behind its name remains a mystery. One account suggests a Mexican restaurant owner crafted the drink in 1947 or 1948 for Marjorie King, a former Ziegfeld showgirl allergic to all spirits except tequila. Another version credits Texan socialite Margaret Sames as the creator. Some even claim the drink was named after actress Rita Hayworth, whose first name was Margarita, after she reportedly enjoyed it in Tijuana during the 1930s. Similarly, singer Peggy Lee is said to have inspired the name after trying it in Galveston.

Despite the connection between the women’s names and the drink, one of the most widely accepted theories ties the margarita to the Daisy, a popular cocktail in the early 20th century. Daisies typically combined citrus, grenadine, and alcohol like gin, whiskey, or brandy. Over time, the tequila-based Daisy evolved into the margarita, with the Spanish word for “daisy” serving as its namesake. This suggests the drink wasn’t named after a specific person, despite the many legends.

7. Bloody Mary

The Bloody Mary, a mix of vodka, tomato juice, and other ingredients, is believed to have been created by Fernand Petiot, a French bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris during the early 1920s. When Petiot moved to New York in 1933 at the request of Vincent Astor, owner of the St. Regis hotel, the name was considered too vulgar for American tastes and was changed to Red Snapper. At the time, vodka was reportedly unavailable in the U.S., so gin was used as a substitute.

The exact timeline of when vodka was reintroduced to the Bloody Mary remains unclear, though mentions of the vodka-based version began surfacing in the late 1930s. The origin of its name in the U.S. is also debated. Some link it to Queen Mary I of England, but a 1966 interview with Petiot credits American entertainer Roy Barton, who reportedly named it after the Bucket of Blood club in Chicago and a girl named Mary. Combining these elements gave birth to the iconic name.

The story doesn’t end there. In 1964, Petiot claimed, “I developed the modern Bloody Mary ... George Jessel said he invented it, but it was just vodka and tomato juice when I took it over.” Jessel, a famous entertainer, recounted in his autobiography that in 1927, after a night of heavy drinking, he mixed tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon to sober up. When Mary Brown Warburton, granddaughter of John Wanamaker, tried it and spilled some on her white dress, she joked, “Now, you can call me Bloody Mary, George!”

The true creator of the Bloody Mary remains a topic of debate among drink historians.