A sip of history

A good cocktail offers delightful combination of liquors, mixers and herbs, but it also has a great story. The origins of cocktails may be lost today, but cocktail mixology dates back to the 1860s when alcohol was originally being mixed with water, sugar, and bitters.

The first cocktail book titled Bar-Tender’s Guide was written in 1862, by  (Jerry) P. Thomas, known affectionately to professional bartenders as “The Professor”. He created an assortment of unique cocktails to open up the bouquet of the spirit, warm up the cocktail and deliver unique flavours.

Back then, the focus was hinged on customer preference such as Classics, Oldies, and time-proven flavours. The scope of doing something innovative was very limited and it was only a handful bartenders who chose to take things in their own hand, taking full responsibility for the feedback that came along. Naturally, they stood out and many of them are extremely successful today.

For instance, the bartender at a gentlemen’s club, the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, supposedly created the Old Fashioned. This cocktail, with 45 ml Bourbon or rye whiskey, with two dashes of Angostura bitters, a sugar cube, a few dashes of plain water and garnished with orange peel, is a personal favourite. Then the Cosmo, which was made popular by the lead girls of Sex and the City, owes its credit to a bartender Cheryl Cook, who gave the martini a twist by making it visually appealing.  

There is a little bit of history attached to these drinks. The French 75, which is made from gin, champagne, lemon juice and homemade ginger-bread syrup, dates back to the World War I.  Supposedly named for the light artillery gun that became a symbol of victory in World War I, the French 75 cocktail has a convoluted history. The cocktail is so potent that it feels like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.

Between the Sheets, a cocktail that originated in Paris in 1930, has equal parts of Cuban rum, fine cognac and orange liqueur. Some claim that the cocktail derived its name when it was first made in French brothels as an aperitif for prostitutes.

By the 19th century, cocktails included additions like liqueurs, fortified wines and various bits of garnish. By the mid-2000s, the drinks were all about innovation. There was a renaissance in the art of mixing drinks.

Here in India, cocktails get an Indian twist, desi ingredients added to classic recipes, to cater to our palate. For instance, I have experimented with margarita by adding a raw mango reduction (aam panna) and lime juice, topped with an ice popsicle to it at Farzi Cafe. So the next time you sip on one of these classics, raise a toast to these bartenders!

Aman Dua is the head mixologist at Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd.