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> The part that wasn't particularly surprising was that mixed drinks and cocktails, along with associated terms ("cocktail hour", "cocktail party") date to U.S.

by defen 12y ago

> The part that wasn't particularly surprising was that mixed drinks and cocktails, along with associated terms ("cocktail hour", "cocktail party") date to U.S. Prohibition, when bootleg (and low-quality) hard liquor had to be mixed with other ingredients to become drinkable. That's not totally true - Jerry Thomas published How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion in 1862. Punch (sort of the precursor to cocktails) has been around even longer.

jghn 12y ago
Not to mention cocktail the term dates to the early 1800s. "Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters—it is vulgarly called bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, in as much as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because a person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else" Also, the Old Fashioned cocktail was created in the later 1800s to bring back the cocktails from the earlier 1800s instead of the garish concoctions that the contemporary bars were mixing. Ironic that until the craft cocktail revolution that modern Old Fashioneds included the "garbage" that the original was eschewing
busterarm 12y ago
Indeed. Folks who are really interested ought to read this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399532870/ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399532870/ I'm very glad that Old Tom Gin is finally starting to become available again.
dredmorbius 12y ago
I've updated my post with the ngram for "cocktail, cocktail hour, cocktail party, cocktail lounge", from 1850-2008: http://goo.gl/EBXM87 http://goo.gl/EBXM87 You'll find that as with the others I've cited, it shows a rapid and dramatic growth during Prohibition, to levels not achieved previously, and which have been maintained since. Subsequent peaks in 1953, 1985, and 2002. I'm aware that "appearance in print" is only a proxy for cultural prevalence. But it's a good one.
- jghn 12y ago
  Part of the problem here is that cocktail meant a fairly specific band of mixed drinks in pre-prohibition days, but it grew into a generic catch all. Drinks which would have had a specific term back them (e.g. Flip) would show up on a cocktail list today
  - dredmorbius 12y ago
    Are you aware of another widely-used signifier for mixed drinks that could be used? I'm aware of some European uses (mostly liqueurs) that may date to earlier. Premium, or even non-premium, alcohol consumption habits really aren't a personal specialty.
    - jghn 12y ago
      Hi - in the 100-200 year ago range you'd probably need to search for all the subcategories which today would just get pushed under "cocktail". I don't know of a single term which would embody that concept from back then.

by defen 12y ago

jghn 12y ago

Not to mention cocktail the term dates to the early 1800s. "Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters—it is vulgarly called bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, in as much as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because a person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else" Also, the Old Fashioned cocktail was created in the later 1800s to bring back the cocktails from the earlier 1800s instead of the garish concoctions that the contemporary bars were mixing. Ironic that until the craft cocktail revolution that modern Old Fashioneds included the "garbage" that the original was eschewing

busterarm 12y ago

Indeed. Folks who are really interested ought to read this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399532870/ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399532870/ I'm very glad that Old Tom Gin is finally starting to become available again.

dredmorbius 12y ago

I've updated my post with the ngram for "cocktail, cocktail hour, cocktail party, cocktail lounge", from 1850-2008: http://goo.gl/EBXM87 http://goo.gl/EBXM87 You'll find that as with the others I've cited, it shows a rapid and dramatic growth during Prohibition, to levels not achieved previously, and which have been maintained since. Subsequent peaks in 1953, 1985, and 2002. I'm aware that "appearance in print" is only a proxy for cultural prevalence. But it's a good one.

jghn 12y ago
Part of the problem here is that cocktail meant a fairly specific band of mixed drinks in pre-prohibition days, but it grew into a generic catch all. Drinks which would have had a specific term back them (e.g. Flip) would show up on a cocktail list today
- dredmorbius 12y ago
  Are you aware of another widely-used signifier for mixed drinks that could be used? I'm aware of some European uses (mostly liqueurs) that may date to earlier. Premium, or even non-premium, alcohol consumption habits really aren't a personal specialty.
  - jghn 12y ago
    Hi - in the 100-200 year ago range you'd probably need to search for all the subcategories which today would just get pushed under "cocktail". I don't know of a single term which would embody that concept from back then.