The History of Your Favorite Cocktails

by Kevin Smith Author

Cocktails have a rich history in popular culture and in people’s everyday lives. Many cocktails are known by the same names throughout the world, and some have even risen to fame through movies, television, and celebrity endorsements. They pop in song lyrics, magazines, and movie scripts. But how did these famous drinks come to be, and how did they get their names?

The Start of It All

A cocktail is defined as "an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients." This broad definition now encompasses the myriad options open to bar patrons, but this wasn’t always so. Exactly when and where the concept of cocktails originated is unclear, but it appears that it referred to a specific drink, not an entire beverage category. The first reference to a cocktail appears a New Hampshire publication in 1803 and claims in a parody editorial that someone with a hangover “drank a glass of cocktail…excellent for the head.”

What’s in a Name?

Many people think that the Tom Collins, a drink made with gin, soda water, and lemon and lime juice, was named after a real person, but whether or not this is true is up for debate. Some people think it was named for its creator, John Collins, who was a waiter at an upscale hotel in England in the 1900s, and the name was changed to Tom Collins when Old Tom brand gin began to be used. Some liquor stores in Dawsonville, GA, still carry this brand today. Other people argue it got its name from a prank that was popular in New York City in the 1940s. As part of the legendary prank, a friend would tell you that a man named Tom Collins was in a bar down the street maligning your character. When you got to the bar, someone would tell you he’d moved to another bar. This would repeat and send the unfortunate mark on a wild goose chase until they caught on or were let in on the joke. Some theories contend that after all those customers came in asking for Tom Collins, an enterprising bartender decided to christen a drink with the name.

The Big Apple

The Manhattan, a classic cocktail made from whiskey, bitters, and sweet vermouth, was allegedly created at The Manhattan Club in New York City in 1870. Some say it was the main menu item at the club, while others say the drink was invented for a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill's mother. Regardless of where it came from or why it came to be, the drink quickly gained popularity among the city’s socialites.

While the cocktail’s true origins remain shrouded in mystery, there are several theories on how our favorites gained their names and how they have remained so popular throughout history. The next time you visit a liquor store in Dawsonville, GA, think back on the grand heritage of your drink of choice and make a toast to its creation.