Can Ты imagine Churchill without a мартини in hand или a book by Hemmingway that didn’t describe copious коктейль variations? But, have Ты ever wondered where and when your Избранное 5 o’clock drink came from? Was a Manhattan truly invented in Manhattan? Where do Mojitos really come from? Who was Tom Collins anyway? Is a Mai Tai really Hawaiian? From the classic мартини to the lesser known Singapore Sling, here is a Список of 10 classic cocktails and the often-controversial stories behind them.
Read away and the Далее time Ты are downing your drink at your Избранное watering hole или politely sipping your drink at a fancy коктейль party, Ты can impress your Друзья with your knowledge of where that delightful (or not so delightful) mixture of alcohols really originated.
1. The Mojito
The drink of sailors? Traditionally made using white rum, sugar или sugar cane juice, lime, carbonated water and mint muddled together, many believe the Mojito is quite possibly world’s first cocktail. Although the image of hardened sailors drinking ром mixed with mint, лайм, известь and sugar may not match your vision of straight-from-the-bottle gulping pirates, the Mojito has been enjoyed as early as the 16th century.
One story traces the origins of the Mojito back to 16th century Cuba, where the drink was called the “El Draque” in honor of explorer and sailor Sir Francis Drake. Legend has it the drink was first created as a means of covering up the often harsh taste of tafia/aguardiente, a primitive form of rum. The drink improved greatly during the 19th century with the introduction of copper stills that led to the modern (and much better tasting) form of rum. The contemporary name for the drink probably comes from a Cuban sauce called mojo, which is made from garlic, оливковый, оливковое oil and citrus juice. Perhaps in reference to лайм, известь as a main ingredient, the drink became known as a коктейль with “a little mojo” or, in Spanish, a “Mojito.” While the Mojito may be one of the world’s first cocktails, it certainly has not waned in popularity over the years. In fact, the drink first invented to make bad ром tolerable is now a widely Популярное коктейль around the world and is an especially Популярное and refreshing summer drink.
2. The Singapore Sling
A classic коктейль often appearing in various forms on drink menus around the world, the Singapore строп, слинг was appropriately first concocted in Singapore. While the exact год this коктейль was created is open to some debate, most agree that the коктейль was first created by a Hainanese-Chinese bartender named Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar in Singapore. It is believed the bartender first mixed up the коктейль sometime between 1910 and 1915.
The cocktail, which is made from a mixture of gin, вишня бренди and Benedictine in equal parts with a dash of горькое лекарство, настойка, биттеры and Cointreau and finished off with pineapple and лайм, известь сок and grenadine, was modified in the middle of the 20th century by the original creator’s nephew. The newer recipe has been used since and is the base for the modern Singapore Sling. In the Raffles Hotel Museum, visitors can view the безопасно, сейф where Mr. Ngiam locked away all of his secret коктейль recipe books.
Included is also a hastily written recipe for the Singapore Sling, which was jotted down in 1936 by a visitor who asked the bartender for the recipe. Today, the drink is served on all Singapore Airlines flights and is mentioned in many Популярное culture Фильмы and books, including Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, in which lead character Raoul Duke talks about drinking “Singapore Slings with mescal on the side.” Ты can also still order an original Singapore строп, слинг at the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar, where Иконки like Rudyard Kipling and others would once sip this famous, fruity cocktail.
3. The Sidecar
A classic коктейль dating back about 100 years, the коляска мотоцикла, коляска, коляской mixes equal parts бренди или Cognac, Cointreau and лимон juice. The origin of the коляска мотоцикла, коляска, коляской is largely debated, but Популярное wisdom is that the drink was probably first created in Paris sometime during или just following WWI. In the 1948 book by David A. Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, the Автор credits the invention of the drink to an American Army captain in Paris during WWI.
Supposedly the drink was named after the motorcycle коляска мотоцикла, коляска, коляской “in which the good captain was driven to and from the little бистро where the drink was born and christened.” Harry’s Bar in Paris is the “little bistro” in which the Автор is referring to and is often credited as the birthplace of this sweet yet tangy cocktail. Supposedly the mixture of ingredients was first blended when the American captain asked for pre-dinner коктейль that would help ease the chill he had caught outside. The French bartender was faced with a dilemma. He knew бренди would be the best liqueur to take off the chill, but he also refused to serve the traditional after ужин drink alone as a pre-dinner cocktail. The result was the bartender mixing бренди with the оранжевый flavored Cointreau and adding fresh лимон сок to make an appropriate pre-dinner cocktail, and Voila – the коляска мотоцикла, коляска, коляской was born.
This коктейль was especially Популярное in England and France, where ex-pats like Hemmingway would sip Sidecars at the bar. Although Ты may have an eyebrow raised if Ты are under 70 and ordering this drink today, the коляска мотоцикла, коляска, коляской is regaining popularity and making a resurgence on contemporary bar menus.
4. The Pisco Sour
Another коктейль on the Список with a controversial history is the Pisco Sour. A drink made from Pisco (a regional бренди from South America), лимон juice, горькое лекарство, настойка, биттеры and egg whites, many Дебаты whether the national origin of this drink is Peruvian или Chilean.
Pisco itself dates back to the 16th century. The liqueur distilled from grapes by Spanish colonialists in South America in an attempt to make an inexpensive version of Spanish brandy. In Peru, the creation of the Pisco кислый is attributed to American expatriate Victor “Gringo” Morris at the Morris Bar in Lima, who blended up the drink as a variation of a whiskey sour. The drink immediately became so Популярное that other major hotels began serving it in their bars also, quickly popularizing the коктейль with a international crowd.
In Chile, it is believed the birth of the Pisco кислый can be attributed to the English steward of a sailing ship, which was stopped at the then Peruvian and now Chilean port city of Iquique in 1872. It was the steward, who by mixing the regional liqueur with limes grown in the area, created the first Pisco Sour. Whatever the origins of the famous drink, the Pisco кислый is the iconic коктейль of both Peru and Chile. In fact, both countries celebrate the famous коктейль with National Pisco кислый Days (Peru’s in the first Saturday of February and Chile’s is celebrated May 15th) and there are many variations of the original коктейль found around the world today.
5. White Russian
Not named for the country of its origin, but rather for the водка used in the recipe, White Russians have recently made a booming resurgence in part due to the cult movie classic The Big Lebowiski. The movie’s main character, The Dude, drinks a steady stream of White Russians throughout the film. The use of the word Russian in the name of this drink was mostly due to the fact that when it was first invented sometime in the 1930s, prior to the huge водка marketing campaign of the 1950s, when водка was a little known liquor in the United States usually directly associated with its nation of origin, Russia.
The White Russian did not get its current recipe (the drink combines equal parts cream, водка and Kahula) или moniker until the 1960s. In 1961, the Diner’s Club Drink Book, gave a recipe for a “Black Russian” without cream, implying that the same коктейль with cream would therefore be named a White Russian. Today White Russians have inspired a drinking game among college students, who try to keep up with The Dude in their consumption of the коктейль while watching The Big Lebowski.
The drink is also the Избранное drink of lightweights and lushes, as White Russians effectively obfuscate the hefty dose of alcohol in them that they go down the hatch with ease. That’s great for those who rarely drink или for those who drink a little too much (i.e. The Dude, who gets most of his daily nutrition from these creamy little cocktails).
5. The Manhattan
Often called the “King of Cocktails” или the “Drinking Man’s Cocktail,” The Manhattan is a very potent drink and one of the legendary six classic cocktails included in David Embury’s famous book, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. The Manhattan is a коктейль made with a mixture of whiskey, sweet вермут and горькое лекарство, настойка, биттеры and garnished most often with a maraschino cherry.
Regularly regarded as one of the best cocktails ever created, the Manhattan has a long and debated history. The коктейль was supposedly first invented at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the early 1870s. Legend has it that the drink was invented for a banquet hosted by Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston Churchill’s mother) in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The success of the banquet quickly made the коктейль fashionable in New York City’s powerful circles and prompted many people to request the drink by referring to the name of the club where it originated, calling it “the Manhattan cocktail.”
However, like with almost every коктейль on this list, there is great Дебаты as to the truth behind this account of the Manhattan. In fact, some claim that while the drink may have first been mixed at the Manhattan Club, Lady Churchill had nothing to do with the banquet honoring Samuel Tilden and, in fact, was in England at the time giving birth to her soon-to-be famous son. Another legend says that a bartender with the last name Black invented the Manhattan at a bar on Broadway in New York City sometime in the 1860s. Whatever the true story, this коктейль does indeed медведь the name of the island from which it came.
6. The Mai Tai
The fruity, tropical Mai Tai is another коктейль with conflicting stories of origin. The drink, which is made of a mixture of white and Золото rum, pineapple juice, оранжевый and/or лайм, известь juice, is of American origin despite its Polynesian name. The favored history, however, is that the drink was first created by Victor Buergon, better known as “Trader Vic” who invented the коктейль at the Polynesian-style restaurant in Oakland, California that bore his name.
Supposedly, Buergon created the first Mai Tai in honor of some Друзья who were visiting from Tahiti in 1944. After mixing ром with just the right combination of Фрукты juices and оранжевый flavored liqueur, he served the new коктейль to his Друзья who cried out, “Maitai roa!” (which literally means “very good”), and the коктейль was born. However, like most Популярное cocktails, the Mai Tai’s history is not without controversy.
Trader Vic’s amicable rival, founding father of tiki restaurants, bars and клубы Donn пляж, пляжный (of Don the Beachcomber restaurants), also claims to have created in the first Mai Tai in 1933 at his newly opened restaurant in Hollywood. Donn пляж, пляжный (the founder legally changed his name after the success of his tiki restaurant chain) is known as the originator of Polynesian style restaurants that became a Популярное culture craze following WWII. While both men claim to be the original creator of this drink, the Mai Tai’s huge popularity can be mostly owed to both men, who sold the drinks in their wildly Популярное restaurant chains and forever associated the fruity drink with Hawaii – despite its California origins.
7. Tom Collins
There are a few different legends surrounding the name of the famous and classic Tom Collins cocktail. While many assume the drink was named after a real person, there is much Дебаты whether there ever really was a Tom Collins and whether he lent to his name to this коктейль of gin, лимон and лайм, известь сок and soda water. One Популярное account says the коктейль was named after not a Tom, but a John Collins who was a headwaiter at a Лондон Hotel in the early 19th century. The cocktail’s name was changed to a Tom Collins when Old Tom brand джин (a sweetened джин rarely used today) was substituted for the drier джин in the original recipe.
Another story, which is the most probable of the various legends, involves a hoax that took over New York City in 1874. The prank went something like this: A friend would run into Ты on the улица, уличный and, with great concern, tell Ты he just overheard someone named Tom Collins at a bar down the улица, уличный saying hateful and libelous things about you. Ты race to that bar to confront the bounder, where Ты would be told that Tom Collins had just left for a bar several blocks away. When Ты get there, Collins would already have decamped for another joint across town. As Ты chase all over the city, your Друзья convulse with laughter. The prank gained such notoriety, that even local newspapers started reporting the hoax. In 1874, the Steubenville Daily Herald reported that the hoax caused “frantic young men to rush wildly through the streets of the city on Saturday hunting for the libelous Tom Collins.” These young men were often directed to find legendary Tom Collins at a local bar.
So how did the hoax turn into the name of a drink? According to Стена улица, уличный Journal columnist and коктейль historian Eric Felten, “It doesn’t take much to imagine how Tom Collins came to be a drink. How many times does someone have to barge into a saloon demanding a Tom Collins before the bartender takes the opportunity to offer him a коктейль so-named?” In any event, this Популярное коктейль has become a fixture in коктейль culture, inspiring the name of a glass (a Collins glass) as well as a pre-mixed and Популярное Collins Mix.
9. Bloody Mary
Like every other коктейль on this list, the history behind the Bloody Mary is also a bit cloudy. One Популярное legend says that the original Bloody Mary, which was then made using equal parts помидор сок and водка and used as a hangover cure, was invented by comedian, songwriter and movie producer George Jessel (aka the “Toastmaster General of the United States”). Jessel claimed he created the drink one morning in Palm пляж, пляжный during the 1950s, when he mixed помидор сок and водка as a way to recover from an entire night spent drinking. Jessel even appeared in Smirnoff водка ads in the 1950s declaring, “I, George Jessel invented the Bloody Mary.” However, as aptly put by Стена улица, уличный Journal columnist and коктейль historian Eric Felten, “Given Jessel’s knack for self-promotion, many doubted his claim,” which made skeptics to Поиск for the true origin of the drink and opened the door for a legend involving the head bartender at the St. Regis Hotel in New York named Fernand “Peter” Petriot.
Starting in the 1940s, Petriot was supposedly serving up Blood Marys under the alias of “Red Snappers” at the hotel’s King Cole Bar. After the Популярное помидор сок based коктейль became Популярное in the 1950s, Petriot would claim that he actually first invented the коктейль while working at Harry’s Bar in Paris during the 1920s (also supposed birthplace of the Sidecar). However, in reality, the Bloody Mary Популярное today is in fact a combination of the two men’s creations. Petriot himself admitted that “George Jessel сказал(-а) he created it, but it was really nothing but водка and помидор сок when I took it over.” While Petriot did inadvertently give credit for the original drink to Jessel, he also specified that it was he who added salt, pepper, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce to the concoction, creating the modern Bloody Mary.
10. The Martini
And, last, but certainly not least, on this Список of cocktails is the Martini. The most well-known of cocktails, Western culture has created quite the lore and mythology surrounding the drink. The three-martini lunch became a Популярное phrase coined for expensive, long lunches taken by business executives. In fact, the мартини has become еще of a class of drinks than one drink in particular – with variations like Appletinis, водка martinis and others becoming Популярное over the years.
The famous and powerful people who have favored the simple, yet potent, original – Winston Churchill, Truman Capote, Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald to name a few – have only added to the lore of this Популярное classic cocktail. The first мартини – или Martini-like drink – was poured sometime between 1862 and 1871 and was called a Martinez, a name to honor the humble town of Martinez, California, where it was purportedly first dreamed up by bartender Julio Richelieu, proprietor of the eponymous Julio Richelieu Saloon. That similar (but sweeter) version of the коктейль consisted of sweet vermouth, gin, горькое лекарство, настойка, биттеры and was garnished with a maraschino cherry. This version (which was essentially a джин Manhattan) eventually gave way to the еще contemporary drier version that includes gin, вермут and горькое лекарство, настойка, биттеры and was supposedly first made Популярное when John D. Rockefeller started downing them at the turn of the 20th century.
Although the origins of the first Martinez дата back to the 1860s, the modern мартини first rose in popularity starting in 1900s. During prohibition, the мартини became the drink of choice (or no choice in many cases) in speakeasies across the country due to the quick accessibility and production of gin. In fact, it was often a джин мартини или no drink at all for customers hiding out in their secret watering holes. The modern водка Martini, which James Bond stalwarts will surely order shaken not stirred, was not created until much later and many мартини purists still claim the idea of a мартини made with водка is preposterous. A steadfast and iconic cocktail, however, the classic мартини is here to stay, whether made with водка или gin, dirty или not, with varying amounts of vermouth, neat, или over ice.
