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A cocktail is a style of mixed drink. Originally a mixture of distilled spirits, sugar, water, and bitters,[1]
the word has gradually come to mean almost any mixed drink containing alcohol.[2] A cocktail today usually contains one or more
types of liquor and flavourings and one or more liqueurs, fruit juices, sugar, honey, water, ice, soda, milk, cream, herbs,
bitters, etc.[3]
Cocktails are made with gin, whiskey, rum, and especially vodka. Many cocktails traditionally made with gin, such as the gimlet,
or the martini, or Collins are now made with vodka.
History of cocktails
There is great controversy over the actual derivation of the term cocktail. I don't think any one will ever agree on the actual
origin, but there sure are some interesting stories.
Betsy, a barmaid in a tavern in Hall's Corners, NY, served Betsy's Bracers. During the Revolutionary War, American &
French
Soldiers frequented it. American soldiers stole some male pheasants from the British & a wild party was had. While drinking they
toasted to Betsy's drink "Here's to the divine liquor which is as delicious to the palate, as the cock's tails are beautiful to
the eye." To which a French officer replied, "Vive le cocktail!". There is reference to a Betsy Flanagan. Who knows which Betsy,
was Betsy Flanagan. One story goes something along the lines of decorating the out side of a glass with a tail feather from a
rooster. Some say that this is where Washington and his officers frequented. Washington wore feathers in his hat, and one of his
officers toasted to "the cock's tail". (Well, you wouldn't really want to drink "macaronis" today, would you?)
Secrets to a Successful Cocktail Party
A cocktail party is easy and fun to throw. All you need to do is find an occasion to celebrate, get a few people together and
provide some drinks. Of course, you can make your party more than "just another cocktail party." Develop your own style of layered
drinks, invent a new recipe, or add a little panache with a unique garnish. It's all up to you.
Mixers
People sometimes forget that the mixer is as important as the spirits that go into the cocktail. Fresh juices, refreshing tonics,
silky creams, and exotic flavours will make a cocktail infinitely more pleasurable. A Bloody Mary would never have caught on without
the Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce complementing the Vodka and tomato juice so well.
Shaken or Stirred?
Can you really "bruise" a spirit? James Bond asks for his vodka martini "shaken, not stirred." Was he onto something, or merely
taking a poke at gullible moviegoers?
Let's start with the facts. You cannot "bruise" a spirit by shaking it. This myth is most commonly applied to gin, but it's really
a meaningless phrase. Shaking and stirring can, at best, affect the liquor's exposure to the ice.
Shaking increases exposure to the ice, thus chilling the drink more quickly. Stirring, on the other hand, is not as vigorous and is
therefore unlikely to achieve the same cold temperature. In addition, the melted ice tends to dilute the drink, depending on how long
it has been shaken or stirred with ice. What Bond was asking for, then, is a cold martini undiluted with melting ice.
On the other hand, shaking can compromise the crystalline clarity that makes a martini look so clean, crisp and sophisticated. The
shaking motion inundates the cocktail with many tiny bubbles, often producing undesirable cloudiness. Would the stylish and sophisticated
007 risk getting a cloudy vodka martini? The debate rages on.
1934 to 1959 – The Margarita is Born
This period was one of great innovation. One of the most popular cocktails—the margarita—is said to have originated in 1948. A Dallas
socialite named Margarita Sames purportedly hosted a poolside Christmas party at her vacation home in Acapulco, Mexico. The party game
for Margarita was to mix drinks behind the bar and let her guests rate the results. When she mixed three parts tequila with one part
triple sec and one part lime, it was such a success among her guests that it quickly
travelled from Texas to Hollywood and the rest of
the country, bearing her name.
Legend also says the drink originated in the early 1930s at the Caliente Racetrack Bar in Tijuana, Mexico. There is little evidence,
though, for the story of showgirl Marjorie King who had an allergy to most alcoholic drinks and could only drink tequila. In 1938, she
asked for a tequila cocktail rather than a shot at the Rancho Del Gloria Bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico. The bartender, Danny Herrera,
poured tequila over shaved ice then added lemon and triple sec. The drink was then named after Marjorie (or at least, the Spanish
translation of her name).
1960 to Present – Commercialization and Innovation
In the second half of the twentieth century, the cocktail has taken on many guises as its popularity has flourished. Both literature
and film have contributed to the images of wealth and class associated with the cocktail hour.
With the constant creation of new drinks (with some strange and interesting names), cocktails have become increasingly popular. With
drink names such as the Freddy Kruger, pan galactic gargle blaster, Afternoon Delight and Sex on the Beach, it's no wonder cocktails
are all the rage.
Sourced from Wikepedia
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