A short history of cocktails
Already in ancient times, alcoholic beverages were mixed with other ingredients: the Romans and Greeks knew how to enhance wine with honey, spices and herbs...
In the 17th century, punch appeared in the Caribbean and in the 18th century, the Royal Navy invented grog.
But the first mention of the word cocktail only appeared in 1806 in a newspaper published in the city of Hudson (New York – USA). At the time, a cocktail was composed of brandy, water, sugar, and the famous bitters (like the one created by Dr. Johann Siegert, founder of the Angostura brand). Since then, the definition has changed several times. At the end of the 19th century, Americans differentiated between cocktails (mixture prepared in a shaker or with a spoon, and drunk without ice) and mixed drinks. Today, a cocktail describes any mixture with brandy as its basic ingredient.
The cocktail: a primarily American story
The rise of the cocktail in bars began in the United States. In the 1860s, bartenders formed associations, and the first celebrities appeared. By the end of the century, cocktails such as the Manhattan and the Dry Martini were already classics.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the rise of cocktails went beyond American borders thanks to international events and the appearance of American drinks in large establishments.
Americans in Cuba: The Rise of Rum
During the prohibition that raged in the United States between 1919 and 1933, the cocktail allowed Americans to mask the very bad taste of contraband alcohol. The wealthiest preferred to travel to Cuba to enjoy the quality of local rum in the form of cocktails prepared by famous American bartenders. At that time, Havana became the Paris of the Caribbean. The most famous rum-based cocktails were born in Cuba: Mojito , Daïquiri and Cuba Libre . The craze for cocktails would only fade with the Second World War.
A film that restores the cocktail's nobility
Until the 80s, the cocktail lost popularity, but a film by Roger Donaldson starring Tom Cruise revived the public's interest. The creations were more daring and the making became a real spectacle. The freshness of Cuban cocktails conquered the world: the mojito and the cuba libre were among the most popular compositions.
After this little history of cocktails, we will regularly present you the recipes for the most famous rum-based compositions and surprising anecdotes about them!
Olivier, from the Rhum Attitude team