Manhattan (Manhattan)
Ingredients: bourbon (60 ml), red vermouth (25 ml), Angostura bitter (3-5 drops), ice, red cocktail cherry
The history of this cocktail dates back to the Manhattan Club in New York in the early 1870s. According to legend, during a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill's mother Jenny in honor of presidential candidate Samuel Tilden, local bartender Iain Marshall randomly mixed American whiskey, Italian vermouth and Angostura bitter when guests were tired of their usual drinks. He decided to serve his creation to the fastidious crowd, who immediately became delighted with the cocktail created in front of their eyes. After the incredible success of the banquet, the guests present began vying to tell their friends about the delicious drink. So, people started ordering a new cocktail with whiskey and vermouth, referring to the Manhattan bar - and so the name came about.
However, historical records say that the pregnant Lady Randolph Churchill was at that moment in France and simply physically could not personally admire a cocktail in a Manhattan bar in New York. Hence another version, according to which the drink was invented a little earlier, in 1860 by a bartender named Black in one of the Broadway bars.
Irish Coffee (Irish Coffee)
Ingredients: Irish whiskey (45 ml), sugar syrup (15 ml), Americano coffee (120 ml), heavy cream (45 ml)
There is simply no better excuse for adding alcohol to coffee than “canceling the flight”. The fact is that "Irish coffee" was invented directly at the Irish airport by a bartender named Joe Sheridan (Joe Sheridan). One winter evening in 1940, the Americans had their flight canceled, and they had to spend a long time idle in the cold airport, hoping to fly home soon. The bartender took pity on the depressed passengers and added a little Irish whiskey to the usual coffee with milk to warm and entertain the poor fellows stuck at the airport. Undoubtedly, the passengers were delighted and immediately began to clarify whether they had just served Brazilian coffee. Sheridan laughed and jokingly replied that it was Irish coffee. The drink and the name made such a strong impression on the passengers that, upon arriving in America, they told all their friends about the drink. The new cocktail soon gained worldwide popularity.
Screwdriver
Ingredients: vodka (50 ml), orange juice (150 ml), orange, ice cubes
This drink hardly needs an introduction - we all know that mixing vodka with orange juice will not be difficult for any (even home) bartender. Although the drink is simple to prepare, it is rather unusual in the history of its creation itself. The most popular of the versions tells us about miners who, bored during their shifts, added a little vodka to orange juice from dry rations. But since there was nothing to stir the drink with, the workers used what was always at hand, namely a screwdriver.
Another legend says that Screwdriver was invented by John Martin - the man who made vodka, especially Smirnoff, a true American cult. According to rumors, he not only invented the cocktail itself, but also performed a number of rather unusual actions to popularize it. Once Martin filled a huge cistern with a new unpretentious cocktail and brought it to one of the Hollywood central squares, where he began to distribute small glasses of the drink to all interested passers-by.
Zombie
Ingredients: dark rum (45 ml), extra strong rum (30 ml), grapefruit juice (45 ml), lime juice (30 ml), cinnamon syrup (30 ml), grapefruit, mint, ice
In fact, this is the very cocktail that does not have a strict recipe, but this is because there are so many variations that it is simply impossible to choose a specific one and call it the “original”. The most popular legend says that the famous bartender Don Beachcomber invented this cocktail quite by accident when a very excited man in a business suit wandered into his bar early in the morning. At the request of "throw me something," Beachcomier mixed everything that came to hand in the glass. The man left for a business meeting, and a few days later came back to Beachcomber. This time, the business man was incredibly angry, because, according to him, he turned into a real zombie after that very cocktail and could not even sit for five minutes at a business meeting.
The thing is that, due to the high content of juice, the cocktail seems rather light, but in fact, "Zombie" is one of the most killer cocktails, because it contains at least three different rums, several bitters or liqueurs, and only one fruit juice of your choice. Beachcomber was delighted with the effect of his drink, so he, without hesitation, began serving it to his customers (sometimes deliberately not mentioning its strength). Soon, the cocktail gained great fame. However, Beachcomber was overly careful with his recipe - he did not want everyone to know it (even his employees, he only told a part). But since other bartenders also wanted to serve the cocktail in their establishments, they came up with and tried to reproduce the original "Zombie" in their own way - so the cocktail got hundreds of different variations.
Harvey Wallbanger (Harvey Wallbanger)
Ingredients: vodka (15 ml), Liver Galliano (15 ml), orange juice or spelsin sorbet (50 g), orange
It is believed that the cocktail was created in 1952 by the three-time world champion in mixology Donato Antone. "Wallbanger" in literal translation "wall breaker" is a rather unusual name for a cocktail that vaguely resembles "Screwdriver", since it also contains orange juice and vodka in the base. The only difference is that the yellow Galliano liqueur is also added to Anton's cocktail. According to legend, every night after work, a thug named Harvey dropped in for a drink at the famous bartender's place. He didn’t like the taste of the classic Screwdriver, so every time he asked for a drop of his favorite Galliano liqueur to be added to the cocktail. Drinking the improved magic drink, the guy usually went out of his way. And then one day he did not control himself at all and hit the wall with all his might,which is so right in the institution and fell in front of everyone present. After this incident, it was decided to name the guy's favorite cocktail.
Gin & Tonic (Gin and Tonic)
Ingredients: gin (50 ml), tonic (150 ml), lime, ice cubes
Gin and tonic, a cocktail perfect for a hot summer evening, was invented under extremely unusual circumstances. British soldiers who fought in India in the 19th century were unexpectedly faced with the most dangerous disease of malaria. In the 1700s, scientists discovered that the quinine contained in tonic can be used to prevent and treat just this disease. Knowing this fact, the officers distributed tonic to the soldiers and literally forced them to drink it. However, the taste of the tonic itself is not very pleasant, so the soldiers found an interesting solution - they began to add a drop of intoxicating gin to the drink so that the "malaria syrup" did not taste so disgusting. Undoubtedly, the soldiers got a taste and began to experiment, adding to the new drink either a slice of lime, then a few drops of lemon juice, or a pinch of sugar. After the war, many fighting men continued to drink the drink in their homeland in England - and this is how a new bittersweet cocktail appeared on the bartender's menus.
Mojito (Mojito)
Ingredients: white rum (50 ml), soda water (100 ml), sugar syrup (15 ml), lime, mint, crushed ice
In much the same way as Gin & Tonic, another popular Mojito cocktail was invented. Cuban sailors invented their own means of fighting scurvy long before science came up with the idea of fighting a terrible disease.
Citrus fruits are the main antidote in this matter, and on boats and ships, Cubans always had rum with them. Mixing limes, lemons and, undoubtedly, a drop of rum, the sailors were treated for their illness, and at the same time enjoyed the invented cocktail.
Bloody Mary
Ingredients: vodka (50 ml), tomato juice (120 ml), lemon juice (10 ml), celery (15 g), Tabasco sauce (3-5 drops), Worcester sauce (3-5 drops), black pepper, salt, ice
Often, the "morning" cocktail, which has acquired the status of intoxicating due to the high content of tomato juice and several spices, has a frightening history behind it. And although the creation of a cocktail is often credited to all kinds of restaurateurs and bartenders around the world, cocktail fans have come up with their own version, which follows from the very name of the Bloody Mary cocktail. It is believed that the red cocktail, often reminiscent of blood, was named after Queen Mary and is associated with her tough government. Her often ruthless methods of bringing Catholicism back to England are often cited as examples.
Photo: Getty Images
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