When it comes to cocktails, there seems to be no end to the variety of flavours and styles available. Cocktails are exciting, popular drinks that have a long and interesting history. It’s World Cocktail Day this Friday, 13th May, and it’s set to be celebrated by many across the globe.
History of cocktails
The first definition of a cocktail was published in New York tabloid The Balance and Columbian Repository in 1806. Henry Croswell wrote that a cocktail was:
“A stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.”
Reportedly beginning as a British invention in the 1800s, the cocktail became more popular in America after the release of Jerry Thomas’ book, The Bartenders Guide, in 1862. It was during the prohibition era in America in the 1920s that many of the cocktails that are popular today were first concocted. Cocktails such as the Tom Collins, Mojito and the Sidecar were created with flavours that could help mask the less-than-high-quality alcohol that was available during the time.
How to celebrate
Enjoying one or two of your favourite cocktails surely must be the best way to celebrate the day. Serving your drinks in engraved glassware makes the occasion even more special. Cocktails can be served in all types of glasses – why not try a Manhattan in a coupe glass, or a Cosmopolitan in a martini glass? For a classic Pina Colada, try serving it in a hurricane glass.
Whether you enjoy being a cocktail connoisseur at home or prefer to go out and have someone else do the work for you, get sipping, whether that’s on an alcoholic beverage or a mocktail, to celebrate World Cocktail Day.
