A fizzy drink with an explosive history, a ‘90s New York fave,
and a lavender cocktail so breezy you’ll want to take to the skies. One thing’s for sure:
these aren’t your parents’ weekend wine coolers.
The greyhound cocktail is the potent and passionate communion of grapefruit
and vodka. While its salmon pink presentation may scream trendy,
the cocktail got its recorded start back in the 1930s, when grapefruits were all the rage.
Though primarily a vodka cocktail nowadays, this drink was originally served with gin.
Nowadays, it really does boil down to taste when ordering a greyhound. While vodka may be the
fallback for this cocktail, with the reemergence of gin in pop culture, maybe the OG greyhound will
soon be rearing its head again. In the meantime, there are plenty of recipes to scratch any itch.
"Whip up a fun, Polynesian punch. One part maraschino cherries,
one part fresh orange juice. And a dash of gin!"
Looking to pour one out in celebration of the country's history? Look no further
than with Fish House Punch, a boozy beverage that claims
George Washington himself among its many connoisseurs, according to Atlas Obscura.
The exact recipe remained a tight-lipped secret for a very long time, and even nowadays,
there's a lot of variation on how to best make Fish House Punch. Really, the consensus is to
mix with grandeur and gusto: Fizzy wine, cognac, rum, orange pekoe tea, peach schnapps, sugar,
pineapple, bourbon, and Champagne are all elements that can be combined to make this fierce mixture.
If Fish House Punch should be one thing, it should be, above all else, strong. The punch
is traditionally accompanied by an extremely large block of ice, but one final note:
It should never be served with whiskey, as that was not the drink of a proper gentleman.
The corpse reviver no. 2 is anything but subtle. It was at one point considered a
mean hangover cure, according to the Phoenix New Times. When looking at the cocktail,
it's hard to believe it could be described so potently:
Its pale yet bright yellow color and delicate garnish come off as chic, not threatening.
Just one look at the historical recipe provided by Difford's Guide is enough
to confirm how this drink could shake life back into just about anything:
a glass mixed with one-part lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau, dry gin, and a
dash or rinse of absinthe — a perfect option for mixing up a spooky cocktail for Halloween.
Mint juleps are a southern staple synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, where a mind-boggling 120,000
mint juleps are served on average, according to Town and Country. The name "julep" actually
comes from a Middle Eastern drink, which eventually made its way to the Mediterranean,
where the rose petals were replaced with mint. This is where the American mint julep cocktail
takes inspiration and utilizes fresh mint leaves, simple syrup, bourbon, and lots of crushed ice.
It's not quite clear just when and why the mint julep made it to the U.S.,
but it was made the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938.
Another southern wonder, the Sazerac might be a bit more obscure than the mint julep,
but that doesn't make this drink any less appetizing. The Sazerac traces its roots
down to New Orleans, where the cocktail was first conceived in an apothecary.
While the recipe's brandy has long been substituted for the more down-home whiskey,
the Sazerac remains decidedly New Orleans in nature, partially due
to the dash of absinthe that was added late into the 19th century.
You can't ignore the cosmo: its iconic color, its unique sweet-yet-tart flavor,
and its presentation in a classy martini glass. The cocktail first got its start in San Francisco,
where it began as a sort of Kamikaze variant with a dash of cranberry juice to beautify
it. The drink soon made its way over to the East Coast and arguably found its home there.
The modern iteration of the cosmo is credited to mixologist Toby Cecchini,
who took the bare bones of the recipe and heightened it with Cointreau, Absolut Citron,
and fresh lime juice. While the drink's heydays in the late '80s and early '90s have long passed,
its revival on-screen has landed it in the annals of pop culture history.
The name "sidecar" has very little to do with the drink itself and more with its origins.
Well ... allegedly. An entry in Difford's Guide claims the name owes itself to the cocktail's
alleged creator, who would often ride in a motorcycle sidecar on his way to the bar.
It's said — although debated — that the cocktail was first conceived abroad during Prohibition,
albeit in an American-style cocktail bar.
"I don't want to strike you, barkeep, but I will break up this den of vice."
"Den of vice?"
Sidecars are a thrilling combination of cognac, triple sec, orange liqueur,
and a twist of lemon juice to nail the landing. Chilled Magazine romantically
describes the cocktail as a "rich honey-colored drink," which is sure
to add both some color and relief during those hot summer nights.
No, not the martini, the Martinez. As Difford's Guide points out,
when looking at lineage, it becomes clear that the Martinez itself evolved from the
Manhattan… in other words, the Manhattan led to the Martinez, which led to the martini.
If that wasn't confusing enough, there's two schools of thought when preparing
this classic cocktail: the dry or sweet Martinez.
A Martinez cocktail is at its best and brightest when balanced. The drink calls for gin, vermouth
— either sweet or dry — bitters, and orange Curaçao, which lends to a bold taste and color.
The French 75 might be on the cusp of a renaissance. This fizzy drink
first got its start after World War I. It was named after the
French cannon that was helping hold the country's offensive against Prussia,
so it comes as no surprise that this cocktail carries a special sort of hit to it.
The French 75 is an easy-to-make cocktail where gin is shaken together with lemon
and a little sweetener, then topped with a bit of the bubbly. As one recipe from
Tasting Table observes, the shaken gin does a lot to ease its potency.
It can also be made as a non-alcoholic cocktail,
meaning this will make everyone at the dinner table feel part of the party.
The Tom Collins cocktail started with a joke. Around the late 19th century, it became a prank,
especially in New York, to convince someone that "Tom Collins" was spreading rumors about
them and thus, the tongue-in-cheek Tom Collins cocktail found its name.
A Tom Collins cocktail was classically made with gin, a bit of lemon, gum arabic syrup,
and ice shaken together. A bit of sparkling water animated that entire affair, and these days,
the drink is generally served in a tall tumbler with a different
sweetener and a flair of lemon, orange, and cherry garnishes.
First coming to the bar around the end of the 19th century, according to Difford's Guide, the Bronx
belongs to the series of cocktails named after New York City's esteemed boroughs. The orange cocktail
uses both sweet and dry vermouth of equal quality and pairs it with gin, orange juice, and bitters.
Use fresh orange juice to make a more vibrant and refreshing refreshment and a gin with a
citrus base, like Hendrick's Gin, to bring out the best in this already great cocktail. At the
end of the day, the Bronx is a pretty cocktail with a pretty flavor under the right conditions.
The bee's knees is a mix of lemon, honey, orange juice, and, for the buzz, gin, as Difford's Guide
explains. Always shaken and sometimes given an orange zest garnish, this smooth yet zesty
cocktail is a classic that should not be left to the annals of time and a Prohibition-era start.
Opt for camomile or herb-infused gins to add a wonderful and fresh dimension to the drink,
and keep it from getting too sweet. Be sure to find high-quality honey,
and shake raw honey with the juices before shaking in gin. This will keep the bee's knees buzzing.
The gin rickey remains the capital of the nation's capital and a much-celebrated
cocktail unique to the District of Columbia. Legend has it the cocktail was created in
the late 19th century to combat the characteristically humid mid-Atlantic
summer. While originally made with rye, the gin rickey overtook the original whiskey-rye rickey.
According to Imbibe, the gin rickey is made with gin, of course, freshly squeezed lime,
and soda water. It's always served on ice. While
the rest of the country may not know this drink by name, the city holds it dearly.
The last word is a classic story of balance. It's made with gin, green Chartreuse, lime juice,
and maraschino liqueur in the perfect ratio, as Punch Drink notes. The flavors that define this
cocktail are big and need to be in perfect harmony for the last word to be palatable.
The last word isn't for the meek — it's for risk-takers who delight in
big payoffs. Some may even be surprised at just how refreshing this drink can be.
While not quite in the mainstream, the last word saw a revival in Seattle,
perhaps because of the challenge for both those behind and in front of the bar,
but what makes the last word so fascinating is the fact that it's so unique. Indeed,
for ardent admirers, the last word has the last laugh.
"Son, there is no wrong way to consume alcohol."
The aviation cocktail is one of those drinks that is as beautiful as it is delicious,
an enchanting lavender mix that makes a breezy companion to humid summer nights.
Crème de violette liqueur is responsible for the drink's iconic color and also
for its relative obscurity: It can be something of an acquired taste.
It's traditionally mixed with gin, maraschino, and freshly squeezed lemon. This makes for a
really well-balanced cocktail with floral and fruity notes and a refreshing twist of lemon.
Do heed this warning, though: Be careful when mixing in the crème de violette, as it has the
potential to overwhelm the recipe and make it too floral. Don't ruin an otherwise perfect drink!
"This is the wrong way to consume alcohol."