Cheers to Knowledge: Discover the Top 10 Fun Facts About Cocktails You Never Knew!

1. Cocktail's First Appearance

Before mixology came galloping on a wild stallion's glittery mane through our newspapers: The word "cocktail" first cantered into publications with an April 1803 issue of Farmer's Cabinet, though no physical copies have been located yet. So, we time-travel to May 1806 issues of the Balance & Columbian Repository, where the term hides among the inked pages, overshadowed by talk of Lewis and Clarke expeditions and political divisions of the era.
Source => imbibemagazine.com

2. Bond's Imaginary Vesper Martini

Shaken, not stirred, but entirely imagined: The Vesper Martini, immortalized by James Bond, was in fact conceived by author Ian Fleming for his 1953 novel "Casino Royale" – merging gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc, crafting a deviously delicious and potent concoction that stirs up intrigue but lacks a true historical origin.
Source => thespruceeats.com

Did you know the frozen margarita was invented in 1971 using a repurposed soft-serve ice cream machine? Discover how this ingenious creation made its way to the Smithsonian! 🍹🍦

=> Fun Facts about Margaritas

3. Prohibition's Fancy Cocktails

During Prohibition, the struggle to make a decent cocktail was very real – all the booze tasted like something only a raccoon would swig on a dare! But fear not, for speakeasy mixologists knew the secret to turning these dumpster-tier drinks into the Kardashian of cocktails: When life gives you foul booze, you make fancy cocktails like Bee's Knees and Mary Pickford!
Source => smithsonianmag.com

4. Grasshopper's Fresh Breath

For those in search of a beverage that puts a hop in their step, yet leaves breath fresher than a polar bear's mint garden: The Grasshopper cocktail has been delighting our taste buds since 1918, mixed with equal parts crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. This official IBA concoction owes its vibrant green hue to sweet mint-flavored crème de menthe, first invented in 1885 and entirely cream-free!
Source => acouplecooks.com

5. Angostura Bitters' Medicinal Past

Before the Old Fashioned put Angostura bitters on the mixologist's map, these mysterious drops were busy playing doctor to disgruntled bowels in the Venezuelan military: As it turns out, Angostura Aromatic Bitters were originally concocted in 1824 as a medicinal tonic by Dr. Johann Siegert to ease the digestive woes of soldiers. The top-secret recipe, still guarded by the Siegert family, boasts a blend of over 40 herbs, spices, and botanicals, transforming from military miracle elixir to a beloved cocktail companion.
Source => curiada.com

6. Debunking Shaken vs Stirred

Sorry James Bond, for shaking things up: The idea that a shaken martini is colder than a stirred one is merely a myth! The real factors influencing a cocktail's temperature are the amount and type of ice used, as well as the stirring or shaking duration.
Source => thekitchn.com

7. Pimm's Cup: From Digestive Aid to Summer Staple

Before Tom Cruise was shaking things up in Cocktail, a humble London oyster bar owner was busy concocting a gin-based delight to ward off malaria and settle the tummy: Enter the Pimm's Cup, created by James Pimm in the early 1800s, its secret spiced recipe was served as a digestive aid until folks started adding carbonated lemonade or ginger ale and turning it into a delightful summer drink. Now commonly found at Wimbledon, flower shows, regattas, and polo matches, the Pimm's Cup has secured its spot as the ultimate British summer libation.
Source => dmagazine.com

8. Celeb Hotspot: The New York Bar in Paris

When Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dalí, and Joe DiMaggio walked into a bar, it was no joke: they were simply regular patrons of The New York Bar in Paris where Fernand Petiot, the bartender who claimed to have created the Bloody Mary, served their intoxicating concoctions to American expatriates, movie stars, and other celebs of the era, including Ava Gardner, Rex Harrison, and Douglas Fairbanks Junior.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. The Secret to Brunch Heaven: Orange Liqueur

Hold on to your mimosas, OJ enthusiasts: The true key to unlocking the gates of brunch heaven isn't just a bubbly fusion of champagne and orange juice – it's the secret agent known as orange liqueur! A splash of triple sec or Grand Marnier joins the party to dance on your taste buds, harmonizing the sweetness and transforming an ordinary mimosa into a symphony of citrusy delight.
Source => nospoonnecessary.com

10. Zombies: From Tiki Bar to TV Screen

Before Zombies took over our TV screens, they were already invading our glasses, and we have Don the Beachcomber to thank for that: This legendary mixologist crafted the treacherously boozy Zombie cocktail, along with countless other tropical delights such as the Cobra's Fang, Tahitian Rum Punch, Three Dots and a Dash, and Navy Grog, catapulting tiki drinks into mainstream tipple-larity after opening his namesake bar in Hollywood post-Prohibition and later expanding the empire all the way to Hawaii.
Source => en.wikipedia.org