When it comes to libations, few are as intriguing or as entrenched in popular culture as the cocktail. The drink has certainly come a long way from its earliest forms.
First referenced in writing in the 1800s, cocktails were defined by editor Harry Croswell in US newspaper The Balance, and the Columbian Repository as “a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.
One of the earliest cocktail recipes, the Sazerac, is a relatively simple concoction that traces its roots back to 1830s New Orleans. Rye whiskey, Peychaud’s Bitters, and sugar are stirred together, poured into a glass rinsed with absinthe, then garnished with a slice of lemon for panache.
By the 1860s, bartenders were experimenting with various liqueurs, adding a layer of complexity and depth to cocktail flavours. This golden age of cocktails lasted until the Prohibition era of the 1920s, with many beloved classics enduring until this day.
While its popularity dipped from the 70’s to 90’s, cocktails have enjoyed a resurgence in the last two decades, marked by
