Buzz
Who doesn’t enjoy a good drink? Picture the sound of ice cubes shaking in a cocktail shaker as premium liquors swirl inside. The droplets forming on the side of a nearly finished Old Fashioned. The array of colorful drinks, elegant glassware, and intricate garnishes. Sipping a cocktail, feeling relaxed and sociable, is a beloved ritual for many. But how many actually know the origins of their favorite drinks? Where did they come from and why are they named what they are? And let’s be real — everyone wants to impress their friends with some cocktail trivia. After all, cocktail history can be as mysterious, chaotic, and downright mischievous as the drinks themselves. Let’s dive into the rich backstories of 10 iconic cocktails.
10. Manhattan
There’s a popular story that Winston Churchill’s mother invented the Manhattan cocktail at the Manhattan Club in New York City, having ordered a ‘whiskey martini’ and won the crowd’s admiration. This, however, is a fabrication. Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston's mother, was pregnant with him at the time and not in New York. The real history of the Manhattan cocktail tells of a man named Black, who operated a tavern near Broadway in the 1860s. According to William F. Mulhall, who bartended for decades at New York’s famed Hoffman House, it was there the Manhattan drink was truly born. Despite this, the Manhattan Club still clings to the myth about Churchill’s mother.
9. Margarita
The Margarita has over seven different origin stories, ranging from 1936 to 1961. Some of these tales go beyond just a bar claiming credit. One version has a Dallas socialite who supposedly invented the drink at a party attended by Tommy Hilton of the Hilton Hotels, who later allegedly served it at his hotel bars. Another story features a bartender who invented the cocktail on the spot to impress a Ziegfeld dancer, who was allergic to most liquors except tequila. However, none of these claims are true. The real story hinges on the chronological sequence of events. The name 'Margarita' translates to 'Daisy' in Spanish, and the daisy cocktail existed for years but was made with brandy. When Americans crossed the border during Prohibition and sought a drink, tequila replaced the brandy, thus creating the Margarita.
8. Pina Colada
This tropical favorite traces its origins to Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresi, who is said to have made a drink with coconut, pineapple, and rum for his crew to lift their spirits. Unfortunately, many establishments on the island now claim to be the birthplace of this iconic drink. The most credible story attributes the creation of the modern recipe to Ramon 'Monchito' Marrero, who spent months perfecting it while working as a bartender at the Caribbean Hilton Hotel. Given that this aligns with the development of a key ingredient, Coco Lopez, during the same time period, the government of Puerto Rico officially supports this story and even honors Monchito and the bar as national treasures.
7. Aviation
The Aviation cocktail, often referred to as the 'Bartender’s Handshake', was first crafted by Hugo Ensslin at the Hotel Warwick in New York in 1916. However, there's a debate over the recipe among cocktail enthusiasts. Harry Craddock, known as the 'dean of cocktail shakers', omitted the floral crème de violet when he included the drink in his renowned Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. Today, the version without crème de violet is the one most commonly served, and the cocktail has enjoyed a resurgence among younger generations for its refreshing, unique, and delightful taste.
6. Mint Julep
Hold your horses! It's worth noting that cocktails originally started as medicinal potions. Virtually every alcoholic concoction from the 18th and 19th centuries was seen as a cure for some ailment. The mint julep is no exception. Southern farmers would drink it in place of coffee in the morning, thinking it gave them more energy. Its first literary mentions date back to the 1780s. The cocktail became globally renowned when it was designated the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. Today, you can get a mint julep served in a golden cup for $1000. However, in the past, the preferred serving vessels were pewter or silver cups, and they were carefully held at the top or bottom to prevent the heat from one's hand from melting the ice-cold frost on the metal. The word 'julep' comes from the ancient Persian term 'galub', meaning 'flavored rosewater'.
5. Sidecar
This timeless cocktail, which David Embury lists as one of the six essential drinks every bartender should master in his 1948 book *The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks*, has an intriguing origin story. Both London and Paris claim credit for its creation, but both are mistaken. New Orleans, the future star of several upcoming drinks, is the rightful 'cocktail capital of the past' and can lay claim to this one as well. The true story involves London’s famous bartender Pat MacGarry, who brought the sidecar from Paris, where it was credited to both the Ritz and Harry’s New York Bar. Legend has it that an American army captain, arriving at Harry’s after World War I in a motorcycle sidecar, requested a drink with specific ingredients. I’d wager that this unnamed army captain was actually from Louisiana, and what he ordered was a 'Brandy Crusta', a drink dating back to 1862.
4. Vieux Carre
Pronounced 'voo-ca-ray', this classic cocktail slipped out of favor with bartenders during the 70s and 80s when mixers took over the scene. A heady mix of whiskey and brandy, the Vieux Carre is quintessentially New Orleans. Its name, which translates to 'French Quarter' in French, reflects its deep roots in the city. Though it involves six steps to prepare, this cocktail has made a strong comeback, and bartenders who can craft it from memory are seen as true masters of the craft. Created in 1938 by Walter Bergeron while working at the iconic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, this drink and its birthplace are must-experiences. The hotel's bar features a one-of-a-kind custom-carved rotating carousel that adds to the atmosphere.
3. Old Fashioned
During prohibition, the quality of alcohol available was often questionable, leading to many classic cocktails being altered with excessive sweeteners. That's why when I talk about an Old Fashioned, I don't mean the version with a fruit salad tossed in. An Old Fashioned should be simple – just a big ice cube and a cherry as garnish. That’s all. The recipe was first documented in 1862, and James E. Pepper is credited with bringing it from Louisville, Kentucky to the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. So why is this cocktail number one? It's the combination of bitters, sugar, and booze—this is where it all began in its purest form. Absinthe didn't make its way into the Sazerac until the 1870s, so while the Sazerac was still evolving, the Old Fashioned has always been exactly what it is. It's the 'old-fashioned way' to enjoy whiskey. Cheers!
2. Sazerac
These next two cocktails might stir up some debate in terms of their ranking, but it's time to turn our attention back to New Orleans. Home to the Sazerac, French 75, Hurricane, Vieux Carre… need I say more? The Sazerac is named after a French cognac of the same name that was originally used in the recipe. Legend has it that Aaron Bird invented the Sazerac at the Sazerac Coffee House in the heart of New Orleans in the 1850s, with the assistance of the famous alchemist Antoine Amedie Peychaud (the inventor of Peychaud bitters). Often considered the first cocktail, the Sazerac underwent two major changes in the 1870s: absinthe was added to the recipe, and the base spirit switched from cognac to rye whiskey due to an insect infestation that devastated France's vineyards, halting cognac production. It's also worth noting that Peychaud is credited with coining the term 'cocktail'—he used a small, double-sided egg cup to measure his ingredients for his concoctions. This egg cup, which was the precursor to the modern 'jigger', was called a 'coquetier'.
1. Gin & Tonic
This iconic drink played a key role in the global expansion of the British Empire. Gin was originally developed as a medicinal remedy by Dr. Sylvius de Bouve in 16th-century Holland. In 1640, quinine syrup was extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree in South America, proving effective not only in curing but also in preventing malaria, which was wreaking havoc worldwide. When quinine syrup was mixed with soda water, tonic was born. Gin and tonic became popular across the globe when British soldiers and the British East India Company combined their gin rations with the medicinal tonic to combat malaria.
