Most experts agree that the very 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 recognizable by name and remains a favorite to this day. The phrase “cocktail” also originated in New Orleans, where the creator of a well-known bitters by the name of Peychaud was known to serve a mixed brandy drink in a French egg cup called a 'coquetier. ' Over time, fans of the beverage would westernize the pronunciation, eventually landing on 'cocktail.' Cocktails are either a single spirit or a combination of spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, shrubs, and bitters.
Margarita
A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice, without ice, or blended with ice. The Margarita was invented in 1942 by a Mexican, now Mexican-American, named Francisco Morales. It was named after a flower, not a girl—though people joke about it being named after Francisco's wife, whom he married in 1956.
Martini
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A popular variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka instead of gin for the cocktail's base spirit. One of the most frequently cited theories is that “Professor” Jerry Thomas, a famous and influential 19th century bartender, invented the drink at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, sometime in the late 1850s or early 1860s.
Mimosa
A mimosa cocktail consists of Champagne or Prosecco and chilled citrus juice, usually orange juice. It is often served in a tall champagne flute at festive occasions such as brunch, weddings, or as part of business or first class service on some passenger railways and airlines. The mixing ratio varies. The first Mimosa was actually served at The Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1925. Frank Meier is said to be the inventor of the drink. Not All Mimosas Have the Same Recipe- Sure the standard Mimosa mixes together Champagne and orange juice, but there is a twist on this recipe.
Bloody Mary
A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, pickled vegetables, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. The story goes that a young bartender named Fernand “Pete” Petiot invented the Bloody Mary at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1921.
Aperol Spritz
A spritz is an Italian wine-based cocktail, commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy. It consists of prosecco, digestive bitters and soda water. The original Spritz Veneziano uses Select as bitters and was created in Venice in 1920. Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created Padua's famous Aperol in 1919 and as this bitter apéritif rose to fame, so did experimentation. During the 1950s, Veneto was at the peak of chic fashion and gastronomic delicacies, allowing the optimum moment for the Aperol Spritz to enter Paduan society.
Cosmopolitan
A cosmopolitan, or, informally, a cosmo, is a cocktail made with vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened lime juice. A bartender named Neal Murray claims he invented the popular cocktail in the summer of 1975 while working at a steakhouse in Minneapolis. After experimenting with different versions of the Kamikaze cocktail he added a dash of cranberry juice to the drink.
Espresso Martini
The espresso martini, also known as a vodka espresso, is a cold caffeinated alcoholic drink made with espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka. It is not a true martini as it contains neither gin nor vermouth, but is one of many drinks that incorporate the term martini into their names. First invented by the legendary bartender Dick Bradsell in 1983, the Espresso Martini, initially christened the 'vodka espresso', is made up of 4 main ingredients: a fresh espresso shot, sugar, coffee liqueur and vodka.
Mojito
Mojito is a traditional Cuban punch. The cocktail often consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water, and mint. Its combination of sweetness, citrus, and herbaceous mint flavors is intended to complement the rum, and has made the mojito a popular summer drink. The Mojito originated in Havana, Cuba, although the exact birthplace is up for debate. One theory is that South American Indians went ashore in Cuba and came back with the ingredients.
Whiskey Sour
The whiskey sour is a mixed drink containing whiskey, lemon juice, sugar, and optionally, a dash of egg white. It is a type of sour, a mixed drink with a base spirit, citrus juice, and a sweetener. The first mention of the whiskey sour was in 1862 from The Bartenders Guide by Jerry Thomas. However, it's likely that people were drinking whiskey sours long before this. Like so many spirits and cocktails, we can thank sailors for this delicious cocktail.
Daiquiri
The daiquiri is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice, and sugar or other sweetener. The daiquiri is one of the six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, which also lists some variations. It has been around for over a century and has had many evolutions through its years. The cocktail is named after the location it was created in – the town of Daiquiri on the southeastern tip of Cuba, and was supposedly invented in 1898 by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox.
Negroni
A Negroni is an Italian cocktail, made of one part gin, one part vermouth rosso and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel. It is considered an apéritif. A traditionally made Negroni is stirred, not shaken; it is built over ice in an old-fashioned or rocks glass and garnished with a slice of orange. The story of the Negroni begins in 1919 at the Caffè Casoni in Florence. There's no documented historical account, but it is believed by cocktailians that Count Camillo Negroni invented the drink when he ordered an Americano made with gin in place of the usual soda water.
Old Fashioned
The old fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey, and garnishing with an orange slice or zest and a cocktail cherry. It is traditionally served with ice in an old fashioned glass. Some say that the drink actually originated in Louisville, Kentucky in 1880 at a private social club called The Pendennis Club. The recipe is linked to bartender and bourbon distillery, James E. Pepper.
Mai Tai
The Mai Tai is a cocktail made of rum, Curaçao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice. It is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture. The tale of the Mai Tai started in 1944, according to Trader Vic. Victor Jules Bergeron, better known as Trader Vic, was the owner of a tiki restaurant of the same name. Together with Donn Beach, from Donn the Beachcomber, they were the first one to start the tiki culture.
Moscow Mule
A Moscow mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice, garnished with a slice or wedge of lime and a sprig of mint. The drink is a type of buck and is sometimes called a vodka buck. The Moscow mule is popularly served in a copper mug, which takes on the cold temperature of the liquid. The Moscow Mule was invented somewhere around 1941, and more than one person is suspected to be the inventor. John G. Martin claims that he and Jack Morgan, the owner of the Los Angeles British pub Cock 'n' Bull were the first ones to create the drink.
Long Island Iced Tea
The Long Island iced tea, or Long Island ice tea, is an International Bartenders Association - IBA official cocktail, typically made with vodka, tequila, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola. Despite its name, the cocktail does not typically contain iced tea, but is named for having the same amber hue as iced tea.
