Classic Cocktails: the Origin story.
Cocktails aren’t just pretty drinks or a sin against carefully-crafted spirits, they’re a welcome hug after a long day’s work, an essential way to kick off a meal, and a means to expressing one’s boozy creativity. Whether you love them or hate them, cocktails are basically one of life’s most pleasurable essentials.
While bars and restaurants today are looking to creating (or deconstructing) the next unique tipple, there are some trends and recipes that never die, and classic cocktails that will continue to stand the test of time. So why not play history buff for the day and get to know the origin stories behind some of your favourite old-school cocktails?
Negroni
Credit for this popular aperitivo goes to Count Camillo Negroni, who created this cocktail in Florence, Italy in 1919. He requested his bartender, Forsco Scarselli, to make a stronger version of his usual cocktail by replacing soda water with gin, and swapping out the lemon garnish for orange. After the drink became a hit, the Negroni family then proceeded to found Negroni Distillerie in Treviso to produce a ready-made version of the drink. Today, it’s beloved for its bittersweet, herbal, and fruity flavours that help whet the appetite.
Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned cocktail is probably one that even whiskey purists can learn to appreciate. Like the name suggests, this bold and fragrant cocktail has more to do with tradition rather than the recipe itself. The first cocktails were made with liquor, bitters, water, and sugar, before having oranges, cherries, or other liqueurs muddled into the mix. As the recipe evolved and rebranded itself, the older generation yearned for the simpler cocktails that were akin to the pre-1850s drinks, or for the “Old Fashioned” that they used to enjoy.
Screwdriver
Simple to make, while packing a punch, the Screwdriver is the perfect gateway cocktail that can be (sort) of enjoyed at any time of the day. Its creation goes back to the 1940s, when American oil workers in the Persian Gulf would secretly add a few generous dashes of vodka to their orange juice. Without the necessary tools to mix the concoction, they settled on using a screwdriver instead. Since they weren’t exactly supposed to be drinking on the job, it seems plausible that they would discreetly use the nickname “Screwdriver”.
Black Russian
A favourite amongst coffee lovers, the only Russian element in a Black Russian cocktail is the use of vodka. As for its recipe, the combination was first introduced in 1949 by a Belgian barman called Gustave Tops who worked at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. He created this cocktail for the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg at the time, Perle Mesta. The ‘Black’ part of the cocktail simply refers to the dark blackness of the coffee liqueur.
Tom Collins
It’s said that the Tom Collins is the evolved version of the John Collins cocktail, which was created by the head waiter of Limmer’s Old House in London during the 1860s. Legend has it that the original recipe called specifically for Old Tom gin, which eventually led to its name change. Another funnier (and stranger) version of the Tom Collin’s origin story is the Tom Collins Hoax in 1874, when people ran rampant trying to find a certain Tom Collins who was rumoured to have been besmirching their names, and that he could be found at the local bar. While the person ultimately didn’t exist, bartenders began whipping up the refreshing cocktail in response to the demand of seeing Tom Collins.
Martini
To this day, the exact origin of the martini remains unclear and contentious. Some stories claim that the drink takes its name from the vermouth brand from Martini & Rossi. Others claim that the cocktail is a drier version of another cocktail called the Martinez that was served in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco. The hotel was frequented by those who took an evening ferry to the town of Martinez in California. While the Martini’s lineage continues to be a mystery, alcohol lovers and cocktail enthusiasts can surely agree that its existence is a blessed one.
Margarita
Another cocktail with an unknown history is the fun and punchy Margarita. One of its more well-known origin stories comes from a Mexican-American cocktail called the ‘Daisy’, which blends brandy, triple sec, and orange juice. The story tells of a bartender in Tijuana, Mexico, who accidentally used tequila instead of brandy in making a Daisy, but the resulting cocktail became a hit, and was given the name ‘Margarita’, which is the Spanish word for Daisy.
Mojito
This zesty highball was born in Havana, Cuba, dating back to the 16th century when its primary ingredients were used to help treat tropical illnesses such as scurvy and dysentery. It was first introduced in a concoction that featured a very harsh liquor called aguardiente (a crude form of rum made from sugar cane). The mint, lime juice, and sugar were used to cut through the unpleasant taste. As for the name itself, there’s theory that it relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime.
Gin and Tonic
The good ol’ G&T was first introduced by the army of the British East India Company in the early 19th century, when malaria was a persistent problem, and the traditional cure for it was quinine. British officers in India decided to add water, sugar, lime, and gin to the quinine to make the bitter quinine more palatable – resulting in the popular cocktail we now know and love.
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