The Rhyme and Reason behind Cocktails

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary officially defines cocktail as “an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients.” The first published definition of the Cocktail was found in the editorial response in The Balance and Columbian Repository of 1806. It read, “Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind: sugar, water, and bitters.” This is the definition which is used to date when referring to the ‘ideal’ cocktail.


When was cocktail created?


The trend of mixing drink has been carrying on for centuries, but it was in the 17th and 18th centuries that the concept of cocktail became famous enough to be recorded in the history books. The where, who, and what of cocktail still remains a mystery, but it is believed that cocktail was a specific drink rather than a category of mixed drinks.

Where did the Name Cocktail Originate?

There are many theories behind the origin of the name cocktail just like in the case of the first Margarita or Martini. Some of the stories are really amusing, some believable, and one of them can be even the truth. Till we figure that out, why don’t we just read some of the interesting stories:

One of the theories suggests that the name cocktail originated when rooster’s tail (cock tail) was used as a colonial drink garnish. However, there are no formal references in written recipes that support this theory.

The rooster theory is said to be influenced by the colors of the mixed ingredients, which resembles to the colours of a cock’s tail. This could be believable today given the colorful array of ingredients, but at that time spirits were usually bland.

A British publication, Bartender, released a story in 1936 related to English sailors who were served mixed drinks in Mexico. It is said that the drinks were stirred with a Cola de Gallo (cock’s tail), a long root resembling the shape of the bird’s tail.

Another story tells of cock ale, a mash of ale which was mixed with whatever was available to be fed to cocks that were used for fighting.