A cocktail is an alcoholic drink which is either a combination of spirits or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. This is a simple definition of cocktail. The origin of cocktails are still debated but we are using and drinking alcoholic beverages from ages. Similarly peoples have been mixing drinks from early time. However cocktails may not be the same as today in early time but it was existed and make its development along the time.
ORIGIN OF WORD COCKTAIL
The origin of word cocktail is disputed. the first recorded use of word cocktail referring to a horse is found in The Morning Post and Gazetteer in London, England on march 20 1798.Whereas The Oxford English Dictionary cites the word as originated in the U.S. The recorded use of cocktail as beverage in the United States appears in The Farmer's Cabinet on April 28, 1803.The first definition of cocktail known to be an alcoholic beverage appeared in The Balance and Columbian Repository in May 13, 1806 by editor Harry Croswell where he answered the question "what is cocktail?".
DEVELOPMENT OF COCKTAIL
There is a lack of clarity on how did cocktail originated. As we go deep the various history book have different stories and fact. Traditionally cocktails were a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. As we know blue blazer the signature cocktail of Jerry Thomas has same recipe. However by 1860s cocktail frequently included a liqueur.The first publication of a bartenders guide which include the written cocktail recipe was in 1862. The name of that guide was How To Mix Drinks and it was published by Professor Jerry Thomas.
In the 1869 recipe book Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks, by William Terrington, cocktails are described as " cocktails are compounds very much used by "early birds" to fortify the inner man, and by those who like their consolations hot and strong."
The first cocktail party ever thrown was allegedly by mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, in may 1917. Walsh invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a sunday. The party lasted a hour, until lunch was served at 1 pm. The site of this first cocktail site still stands.
COCKTAILS DURING PROHIBITION
As we know prohibition (1920 - 1933) was national wise ban on producing, importing, manufacture and consumption of alcohol on USA and other countries. Even during these hard time cocktail were illegally consumed in establishments known as speakeasies. The quality of liquor available during prohibition was much worse than previously. There was shift from whiskey to gin as they do not require aging and easier to produce. Honey, fruit juice and other flavouring served to mask the foul taste of inferior liquors.
Author:- Roshan Chauhan