The amusing history of cocktails
Which author is known to have created vesper martini?
The Vesper or Vesper Martini is a cocktail that was originally made of gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. It was invented by Ian Fleming’s James Bond in the 1953 novel Casino Royale.
The history of cocktails is filled with amusing stories and legends that have been around for centuries now.
The word cocktail was first documented in publications between 1795 and 1803.
It was on 13th May 1806 that the first documented use of the word cocktail was published in a New York newspaper, the Balance, and Columbian repository, edited by Harry Crosswell.
The Origin
However, there are no clear indication of the origin of the word and thus, the origin of the term cocktail will remain shrouded in mystery forever.
Cocktail is the art of mixing drinks with non-alcoholic ingredients, and ginger has traditionally been the most important and, the most used ingredient of a cocktail, since the very early days of mixed drinks.
Ginger and pepper infusions had another reason beyond just adding taste to a drink, they were historically common ingredients used to pep up an alcoholic drink and at some point, adding these ingredients alone to a spirit, would qualify the drink as a cocktail.
Soon these ginger drinks were replaced by bitters
Drink mixers bartenders innkeepers started expanding and experimenting and being more creative. Bitters were usually high proof alcohol infused with fruits, spices, leaves, barks, roots and herbs, these were collectively referred to as botanicas.
The Prohibition Era in the America
In around 1919, USA was going through prohibition, and naturally, the practice and popularity of cocktails took a hit. Alcohol trade ran underground and into the hands of the mafia, we all remember that the rise of Al Capone was on casks of illegally brewed and sold alcohol.
The rise of speakeasies, the illicit alcohol trade changed the way Americans were drinking alcohol, and it mattered since the American consumption culture played a major role in the history of cocktails, Europeans and the Brits never really warmed up to cocktails.
This is the period when mixed drinks, or other alcohols became what it is today.
Poor Quality leads to more mixing
What happened next was interesting, despite the prohibitions, the organised crime kept producing spirits but, the quality of these illegally produced spirits were so bad and they tasted so awful that once again the necessity to mix the spirit with bitters and juices arose, and this new wave of cocktail reached every home.
Whatever the truth is behind the origin of cocktails, it is certain that these were the days when the modern cocktail became the tradition that it is today and became the art of mixing and creating heady concoctions that often cross the boundary of taste and indulge into the space of visuals and now it has already crossed the boundary of clubs, pubs and have reached homes of the rich where people were mixing exotic cocktails for guests at their parties.
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Any Glass
When there is no specific glass suggested for a cocktail, it's up to you to chose a glass.
Either you just go ahead and serve using any glass available to you following these simple rules
A. Go for Tall or Collins Glasses, Highball Glasses or even Hurricane Glasses for cocktails with loads of non-alcoholic mixes, and those that require crushed or cubed ices,
B. But if your cocktail is aromatic and liqueur based, and has a complex character that must reach the nose use a wide mouthed Cocktail Glass.
C. Red Wine Glasses for cocktails that have a Red Wine as the base spirit. Red Wine Glasses have a wider mouth and a long stem, so that the wine can be swirled an aerated to release the aroma while the long stem keeps the fingers away and avoid quick warming of the wine.
D. White Wine Glasses for cocktails with a White Wine base, since White Wines must not be aerated as much as a Red Wines, since they oxidise fast when in contact with air, White Wine glassware, in contrast to the wide mouthed bowl of a Red Wine Glassware, is narrow with a narrow mouth. A White Wine has much lighter and delicate notes and the narrow mouth and less surface area in contact with air helps retain the aroma.
E. If your cocktail is based on a Sparkling Wine like Champagne then a Flute Glass is more suitable since a Sparkling Wine is a White Wine with a secondary fermentation that produces the bubbles, and the narrow mouth flute prevents the bubbles from escaping.
F. If it's winter and you are in the mood for some hot cocktails like the Irish Coffee or Hot Toddy, go for the Irish Coffee Glass, it has a heat resistant glass and a handle.
G. Martini Glasses for Martinis or "Tinis" in general, but since these glasses have fallen off of favour these days, a Cocktail Glass will be good too.
H. IF you are serving Margaritas, don't look for Margarita Glass if you don't have one at home, Double Old Fashioned Glass or other glasses are more common these days, for serving Margaritas.
I. If you are the adventurous one, and are serving shots or shooters, of course the Shot Glass is your choice of glass,
J. Finally, if you are going all out and serving depth charges and car bomb shots, all you need is a Double Old Fashioned Glass or a Beer Mug for the beer and a shot glass to drop the bomb in.Simple Guide to Cocktail Glassware
When there is no specific glass suggested for a cocktail, it's up to you to chose a glass.
Either you just go ahead and serve using any glass available to you following these simple rules
A. Go for Tall or Collins Glasses, Highball Glasses or even Hurricane Glasses for cocktails with loads of non-alcoholic mixes, and those that require crushed or cubed ices,
B. But if your cocktail is aromatic and liqueur based, and has a complex character that must reach the nose use a wide mouthed Cocktail Glass.
C. Red Wine Glasses for cocktails that have a Red Wine as the base spirit. Red Wine Glasses have a wider mouth and a long stem, so that the wine can be swirled an aerated to release the aroma while the long stem keeps the fingers away and avoid quick warming of the wine.
D. White Wine Glasses for cocktails with a White Wine base, since White Wines must not be aerated as much as a Red Wines, since they oxidise fast when in contact with air, White Wine glassware, in contrast to the wide mouthed bowl of a Red Wine Glassware, is narrow with a narrow mouth. A White Wine has much lighter and delicate notes and the narrow mouth and less surface area in contact with air helps retain the aroma.
E. If your cocktail is based on a Sparkling Wine like Champagne then a Flute Glass is more suitable since a Sparkling Wine is a White Wine with a secondary fermentation that produces the bubbles, and the narrow mouth flute prevents the bubbles from escaping.
F. If it's winter and you are in the mood for some hot cocktails like the Irish Coffee or Hot Toddy, go for the Irish Coffee Glass, it has a heat resistant glass and a handle.
G. Martini Glasses for Martinis or "Tinis" in general, but since these glasses have fallen off of favour these days, a Cocktail Glass will be good too.
H. IF you are serving Margaritas, don't look for Margarita Glass if you don't have one at home, Double Old Fashioned Glass or other glasses are more common these days, for serving Margaritas.
I. If you are the adventurous one, and are serving shots or shooters, of course the Shot Glass is your choice of glass,
J. Finally, if you are going all out and serving depth charges and car bomb shots, all you need is a Double Old Fashioned Glass or a Beer Mug for the beer and a shot glass to drop the bomb in.
Please Note All Recipes and Articles on this site are for entertainment and general information only. None of it is to be considered final or absolutely correct or medical in nature.
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About Us
Neel B and Mani, we are a team of two, originally from India and the United States. We are professional software engineers and passionate cocktail enthusiasts. We built this app because we saw a need for a more comprehensive and user-friendly way to find cocktails and bartending recipes. We hope you enjoy using our app as much as we enjoyed making it!We decided to use our technology skills to help others who were in the same position as us and wanted to experiment with making cocktails at home but didn\u2019t know where to start. We have been working together for more than two years and has managed to collect an extensive library of recipes as well as tips and tricks for making the perfect cocktail.
Neel B is an Electronics and Telecommunications Engineer and martial arts and fitness enthusiast. He is an avid reader, compulsive doodler, and painter. His love for cocktails arises from the art in it and the history that traces the ups and downs of modern civilisation over centuries.
Mani is an ERP and SaaS developer and architect by day and a cocktail enthusiast in her leisure. She holds a Masters in Computer Application and Programming. In addition to writing stories on the history of cocktails and alcohol, she has a special interest in cocktails in literature. She believes that the perfect cocktail can make any moment special.