The History Of Cocktails

Now that it is summer, or so they say but all the cloudy rainy days we had makes me wonder, but needless to say it is cocktail time!!! Now that you have all the amazing recipes to use with your Lemotion..... get started and enjoy.

But where did it all start? Today we are looking at the history of cocktails.

Cocktails exude the word ‘exotic’ - the very name Pina Colada conjures up images of relaxing on the beach in a tropical paradise. This and the fact they are fun and versatile is probably the reason that they’ve become so popular. They’re great for parties or smaller, more manageable get-togethers and the combinations of spirits and juices are endless, so have fun experimenting!
The origin of the name 'cocktail' is not certain, though many explanations have been suggested - some romantic, some gruesome, most no doubt unfounded...

One story goes that Betsy Flanagan, owner of a New York guest house, served her speciality drink Betsy's Bracers. The bar was visited by American soldiers during the War of Independence, and one night they were celebrating as Betsy prepared them a meal made from chickens. They decorated their glasses with feathers and toasted Betsy's drink: "Here's to the divine liquor which is as delicious to the palate as the cocks' tails are beautiful to the eye." To which one officer replied: "Vive le cocktail!"

Some say the name originated in England - horses of mixed origin would have their tails docked to distinguish them from thoroughbreds, and were known as 'cocktailed' horses. Familiar with the term, Dr Johnson (inventor of the dictionary) mixed his friend Boswell a drink of wine laced with gin. He told him: "...to mix spirits to wine smacks of our alcoholic hyperbole. It would be a veritable cocktail of a drink."

A more likely suggestion is that cocktails were developed during prohibition to hide the taste of the low-grade illegal spirits which were being produced in the hills and basements of the US. As time went by and laws changed, cocktails became fashionable in Europe where eventually fine spirits were incorporated to give a whole new dimension in taste and purpose.