Types of Alcoholic Drinks

There are many different types of alcoholic drinks. Some are strictly American in origin, while others can be considered imports. It can be fun to learn where a certain drink originated and how it came to be served in American bars and clubs. Always remember to enjoy your drink, whether it's as American as apple pie or has an international flair, in moderation.

Martini

There are differing versions concerning the history of the martini cocktail; however, all of them agree that the martini got its name from the Hispanic name Martinez. Whether or not the martini was named after the Mexican city of Martinez or as a tribute to someone who bore the name Martinez is unclear.

One historical version has the martini being created around 1862. At that time, red sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters were added to a specific brand of gin, Old Tom, which had a strong flavor that resembled juniper. Changes were gradually made, with London Dry gin replacing Old Tom, and the aromatic bitters with orange bitters.

Vermouth was next, being replaced with a dry white version. Drink proportions were also adjusted, so that everything was added in equal parts. This concoction became known as the dry martini.

Daiquiri

Allegedly, the history of the daiquiri begins in 1905 with Jennings Cox, an American mining engineer working at an iron mine in the town of Daiquiri, which was on the southeast coast of Cuba. Supposedly, Mr. Cox ran out of gin while he was entertaining guests. So he used three things found in abundance in Cuba--rum, fresh lime juice and sugar--to mix a drink for his visitors.

It remained a strictly Cuban drink until Admiral Lucius Johnson became acquainted with the drink in 1909, and brought the recipe back to the United States with him.

Another story has it coming about as a result of James Welty's presence at a clandestine rum drinking occasion where someone came up with the idea of adding strawberries, filched from a nearby strawberry patch, then mashed and mixed with ice and the rum, in an effort to make the rum easier to drink. Mr. Welty remained sober enough to write down the recipe, later marketing it under his code name, Daiquiri, which was given to him when he worked as a Confederate spy.

Margarita

The margarita, too, has several different versions of how it came to be. One version credits Margarita Samas with inventing the drink when she began mixing triple sec with tequila and lime juice. It was not named the margarita, however, until her husband had Margarita's name etched on glassware, subsequently from which the drink was imbibed from, thus earning its name.

However, there are some who would credit Francisco Pancho Morales with serving the first margarita on July 4, 1942, at Tommy's Bar in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He is said to have invented this drink when a woman requested a Magnolia but could not remember what was in it. Pancho quickly mixed tequila, triple sec and lime juice and set it before the customer.

The customer loved it and asked Morales what the drink was called. He said it was a Daisy, which translates into Margarita in Spanish.

Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour is considered a member of one of the old families of original cocktails. The recipe was written up in an 1862 drinks book by Jerry Thomas. The whiskey sour was included with recipes for other cocktails such as juleps, slings, sangrias, cobblers and smashes. Most of these recipes have since been lost.

Brandy Alexander

The Brandy Alexander is considered to be the Alexander cocktail's stepchild. The original Alexander, which first appeared in the early 20th century, was made with gin. Supposedly, the brandy version made its debut at the celebration of Princess Mary and Lord Lascelles's wedding which took place in London sometime around 1922.

References

• History of the Martini Info
• History of the Daiquiri
• Margarita History Info