How Popular Cocktails Got Their Names

Written by Dayle Pereira11th Aug 2016
How popular cocktails got their names
When the clock strikes 7 and the weekend is close at hand, the most sensible plan of action is to head to the watering hole. After all, what else does happy hour beg for? This weekend, as you take a sip of your cosmopolitan, it’s time to wonder where some of the most popular cocktail names originated from. So while you are getting your drink on, we’re giving you some food for thought with these cocktail names which might leave you surprised.
 

The Martini

The Long Island Iced Tea

When it comes to the origins of the Martini, there are two. Some argue that the usage of Martini & Rossi vermouth in the cocktail led to the creation of its name. Others believe that Martinez in California is its birthplace, which lent its name to the drink. All we know is that if James Bond likes his shaken, not stirred, we’re always up for one!

 

The Mojito

The Long Island Iced Tea

The origins of the invigorating Mojito date back to the Elizabethan era, when Sir Francis Drake’s crew was on the search for a cure for dysentery and reached out the local Indians. The group had just returned from Cuba with a few refreshing ingredients and the modern day Mojito is believed to have developed from that recipe.

 

The Bellini

The Long Island Iced Tea

The story of the punchy wine cocktail begins with Giuseppe Cipriani who founded Harry's Bar in Venice. Once he began mixing drinks, he found that the pink shade of the Bellini reminded him of saint's toga in a painting by Italian Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini. Hence, Giuseppe went on to name the cocktail after him.

 

The Mai Tai

The Long Island Iced Tea

The tropical cocktail is supposed to have been invented by the founder of Trader Vic’s restaurant chain. When he served the Polynesian cocktail to his guests from Tahiti, one of them exclaimed that the drink tasted ‘MaiTa’i’, which translates to ‘very good’ in Tahitian. That’s when the name stuck and the modern Mai Tai came to be known as it is.

 

The Cuba Libre

The Long Island Iced Tea

The creation of the Cuba Libre came about in Havana, sometime after the Spanish-American war. The concoction of rum, coke and lime is believed to have been invented by either an American soldier or a Cuban bartender. The creator named it ‘Cuba Libre’ which translates to ‘Free Cuba’ in memory of the country’s independence from Spain.

 

The Long Island Iced Tea

The Long Island Iced Tea

Although the drink contains no tea in it whatsoever, the L.I.I.T, as it is popularly called, is believed to have a flavour profile similar to tea. The origins of the cocktail are a few but the most popular one is where the Long Island Iced Tea was supposed to be invented in the midst of the drinking contest which took place in a bar in Long Island, New York.

Dayle Pereira

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Dayle Pereira has a penchant for personal style and pop culture while the interests of her heart belong solely to all things beauty and lifestyle.
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