History of Cocktails

A traditional cocktail is a type of mixed drink that contains only sugar, water, bitters, and distilled spirits. However, over the years, a cocktail has evolved to mean any mixed drink that contains alcohol. Today's cocktails consist of liquor and some form of mixers such as soda, fruit juices, bitters, and/or milk to name a few. The difference between a traditional cocktail and an exotic cocktail is that the latter is simply one that is striking unusual and uniquely new.

The history of the cocktail can be traced back to as early as the 19th century--May 1806 to be exact. The very first cocktail was concocted in California and was named the martini. By 1900 the martini had become a household name and spread across the Atlantic. This was the dawn of the golden age of cocktails.

In January of 1920, Prohibition swept across America making it illegal to sell, transport, manufacture, or consume alcoholic beverages. The love of cocktails ballooned during this time as people were looking for clever ways to conceal the bad taste of crudely made, smuggled alcohol.

It wasn't until 1948 that one of the most popular cocktails was born--the margarita. This particular cocktail was named after a Dallas socialite who reportedly had a party at which she randomly mixed drinks for her guests to taste and subsequently rate. This particular drink was very popular among her guests and eventually spread from Texas to Hollywood to the rest of the country.

Thanks to movies and television equating drinking cocktails to social status of online games, cocktails are as popular as ever. With the fun, unique names, vibrant array of colors, and a variety of tastes available, what's not to love about exotic cocktails?