Cocktails are mixed drinks that have become popular since the first quarter of the 20th century and all bars offer a list of selected cocktails. However, people have been drinking mixed drinks since the inception; no one could really establish the origin of the term ‘Cocktail’. It is claimed that the first recipe for a cocktail was lemon juice and powdered mixers, appreciated by Emperor Commodus in the second century AD.
One of many popular notions on the birth of the word cocktail is that during the American War of Independence, in 1779, an innkeeper, Betsy Flanagan of Virginia prepared of chicken she stole from a neighbour who was pro British. She then served the French soldiers with mixed drinks decorated with the feathers from the birds. Her merry French guests toasted her with the words Vive le cocktail. Since then the word cocktail was used to mean the mixed drinks. This is, of course, one of the stories.
The word cocktail was first described in an American magazine Balance as ‘a mixture of spirits, sugar water and bitters’ in 1806
The cocktail gained ground and popularity in the USA, especially during the Prohibition period. The production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverage were banned in the USA from 1920 to 1933 due to the pressure from religious and political thinkers.
A cocktail is normally a short drink of 3 ½ -4 fluid ounces-anything larger being called a ‘mixed drink’ or a ‘long drink’.
Components of Cocktail:
Cocktails have the following components:
Base: The major alcoholic drink used in the preparation of a cocktail is called base, which is usually a spirit. Most cocktails are built around spirits. If a cocktail has two or more alcoholic drinks the quantity of the base generally will be more than the other. If two alcoholic drinks are used in same quantity, then the one with the higher that is the spirit is considered as the base. If a cocktail has equal quantities of different spirits then any one of the spirits can be taken as the base.
Modifier: These are complimentary ingredients added to modify or enhance the flavours. Spirits, aromatized, wines beer, fruit juices, soda, cream, liqueurs, water etc.
Flavouring, Colouring and Sweetening Ingredient: A drink might have very small quantities (few drops) of one or more flavouring and sweetening ingredients to make it different from other drinks. A cocktail can be made without these ingredients
Garnish: Many drinks have a garnish. They are part of the product. It should be remembered that some drinks do not have standard garnish and it is advisable to serve without any garnish, instead of trying out different garnishes and spoiling the real flavour and value of the drink.