Try our delicious cocktail recipes for every occasion. If you're looking to impress without the faff, try our easy cocktail recipes. Or, if you don't drink alcohol, we have you covered with our thirst-quenching non-alcoholic drink recipes.
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, 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. Cocktails vary widely across regions of the world, and many websites publish both original recipes and their own interpretations of older and more famous cocktails.[1][2][3]
The origins of the word "cocktail" have been debated (see section Etymology). The first written mention of "cocktail" as a beverage appeared in The Farmers Cabinet, 1803, in the United States. The first definition of a cocktail as an alcoholic beverage appeared three years later in The Balance and Columbian Repository (Hudson, New York) May 13, 1806.[4] Traditionally, cocktail ingredients included spirits, sugar, water and bitters;[5] however, this definition evolved throughout the 1800s to include the addition of a liqueur.[6][5]
In 1862, Jerry Thomas published a bartender's guide called How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion which included 10 cocktail recipes using bitters, to differentiate from other drinks such as punches and cobblers.
In the modern world and the Information Age, cocktail recipes are widely shared online on websites. Cocktails and restaurants that serve them are frequently covered and reviewed in tourism magazines and guides.[9][10] Some cocktails, such as the Mojito, Manhattan, and Martini, have become staples in restaurants[11] and pop culture.
The Oxford English Dictionary cites the word as originating in the U.S. The first recorded use of cocktail as a beverage (possibly non-alcoholic) in the United States appears in The Farmer's Cabinet, April 28, 1803:[15]
The first definition of cocktail known to be an alcoholic beverage appeared in The Balance and Columbian Repository (Hudson, New York) May 13, 1806; editor Harry Croswell answered the question, "What is a cocktail?":
It was customary to dock the tails of horses that were not thoroughbred [...] They were called cocktailed horses, later simply cocktails. By extension, the word cocktail was applied to a vulgar, ill-bred person raised above his station, assuming the position of a gentleman but deficient in gentlemanly breeding. [...] Of importance [in the 1806 citation above] is [...] the mention of water as an ingredient. [...] Låftman concluded that cocktail was an acceptable alcoholic drink, but diluted, not a "purebred", a thing "raised above its station". Hence the highly appropriate slang word used earlier about inferior horses and sham gentlemen.
Cocktail historian David Wondrich also speculates that "cocktail" is a reference to gingering, a practice for perking up an old horse by means of a ginger suppository so that the animal would "cock its tail up and be frisky."[19]
There is a lack of clarity on the origins of cocktails.[23] Traditionally cocktails were a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters.[5] By the 1860s, however, a cocktail frequently included a liqueur.[6][5]
The ingredients listed (spirits, sugar, water, and bitters) match the ingredients of an Old Fashioned,[25] which originated as a term used by late 19th-century bar patrons to distinguish cocktails made the "old-fashioned" way from newer, more complex cocktails.[15]
The first "cocktail party" ever thrown was allegedly by Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1917. Walsh invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a Sunday. The party lasted an hour until lunch was served at 1 p.m. The site of this first cocktail party still stands. In 1924, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis bought the Walsh mansion at 4510 Lindell Boulevard, and it has served as the local archbishop's residence ever since.[29]
Cocktails became less popular in the late 1960s and through the 1970s, until resurging in the 1980s with vodka often substituting for the original gin in drinks such as the martini. Traditional cocktails began to make a comeback in the 2000s,[33] and by the mid-2000s there was a renaissance of cocktail culture in a style typically referred to as mixology that draws on traditional cocktails for inspiration but uses novel ingredients and often complex flavors.[7]
The Cocktail Guru builds awareness for beverage brands of all sizes. From bartender education, cocktail development, consumer and trade events, marketing and concept development, brand ambassadorship, to press relations.
Cocktail Bitters are a flavorful infusion of Spices, Fruit Peel, and Bitter Roots. Traditionally used by the dash-full in classic cocktails, bitters share their origin with herbal remedies and cure-alls found today in alternative medicine. Behind the bar, they are a bartender's spice cabinet and used creatively to counterbalance notes of tart and sweet. And, now, for the first time, Hella Bitters & Soda is the sparkling non-alcoholic aperitif made with craft cocktail bitters.
Enjoy world-class drinks at one of the best cocktail bars in Minneapolis. Located in the Historic Thorpe King building in the heart of Northeast, sip original craft cocktails and classics with your friends and family at our iconic bar under a picture-perfect antique chandelier.
Step up your hosting game with cocktail classes in Northeast Minneapolis. Learn how to make craft cocktails with a Tattersall expert who will take you through building four drinks, the history behind them, what they pair well with, and more in a two-hour cocktail class.
Now you can make a premium cocktail anywhere, anytime. This portable cocktail kit allows you to create the perfect cocktail without the need for a bartender. The Cocktail Box Co is a unique cocktail kit for anyone who enjoys a handcrafted drink at home or on the go.
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Strong beverage programs are built on a foundation of great care. Our team will work with your bar or restaurant to comprise a beverage program and cocktail lists that can be easily facilitated by any employee. We demonstrate how quality cocktails with fresh ingredients will actually cut costs and we understand how to make great cocktails without sacrificing efficiency. Snake Oil cocktails are designed to stick!
Opened on New Year's Eve 2006 in Manhattan's East Village, Death & Co quickly became a cocktail institution, owed greatly to our staff of creative bartenders and incredible servers. Since then, we have evolved and changed from an intimate bar in NYC to an ever-growing family of bars in NYC, Denver, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Throughout this growth, we've maintained our commitment to fine products and exceptional experiences, a focus on hospitality, and a deep desire to be a center for our communities.
Each kit comes with all the ingredients you need for your chosen drink, as well as the bar tools needed to make it like a bar spoon, muddler or jigger. All you need to do is supply the alcohol, and then sit back and enjoy your very own expertly crafted cocktail. And since each of our cocktail kits contains enough ingredients for two beverages, you can share a drink with someone special.
The Annex is, hands down, Northern Arizona's Premier Cocktail Lounge. Our expert cocktail leadership collaborates with our top-notch Bartenders every season to create cocktails unlike any you've experienced before. It's art in a glass.
There has never been an interactive way to look at the 900+ bars recognized by the Spirited Awards. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has created an interactive map where cocktail professionals and enthusiasts can see each bar and the award they have been acknowledged for over the past 15+ years.
This whiskey sour has become a family favorite: so much so that it now appears at all our extended family gatherings. This cocktail recipe is so classic and tasty, our family has been making it for years. We hope it becomes a family favorite in yours! Also try: Boston Sour.
Ready for one of the easiest cocktails with the best flavor? It's a classic daiquiri. Yes, a classic daiquiri isn't frozen at all: it's made of lime, rum and simple syrup. And let us tell you: it is so, so delicious! One of our best easy alcoholic drinks to make at home, here's the simple formula for a classic daiquiri that you can memorize.
One of the most stunning and complex cocktail recipes is the New York Sour! First you have the whiskey sour layer: sweet tart and perfectly balanced, sweetened with maple for some nuance. Then float a layer of red wine over the top and it adds intrigue, complexity and a fruity acidity. Not to mention it looks simply stunning with the bright two-toned layer. A favorite!
The Celtic Cocktail Trail highlights the best of Dublin dining and craft cocktails with an Irish twist. Enjoy a delicious beverage at each of these uniquely Dublin Celtic Cocktail destinations to redeem great prizes! Earn 300 points (3 stops) and redeem for a commemorative koozie. Earn 1,000 points (10 stops) and score an exclusive Celtic Cocktail Trail t-shirt!
Whether you're sending corporate gifts, hosting a virtual happy hour, or looking for a fun and unique gift for friends and family - American Cocktail Club's got you covered. It's easy to place a group order and ship cocktails to multiple addresses nationwide.
Being part of the Club is like having the coveted seat at a high level mixology bar.Do you ever watch the passion and craftsmanship that goes into these bartenders' work? They are like Michelin chefs, but with alcohol! These boxesare your opportunity to experience the same wonder and awe, but in the comfortof your own home. The passion and craftsmanship has been prepped for you in thebox's ingredients. Every box comes with all of the ingredients and recipes tomake 8 servings of a world class cocktail.
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