Fancy names for fancy drinks

More than just cool names: learn the meaning of these 10 cocktails’ names

Image: Timothé Durand

Nobody thinks twice about the contents of a drink if the name is Gin & Tonic. But what if you never had a Bloody Mary before, and are offered one? According to history, many popular cocktails were created during the Prohibition era when illegal alcohol was not the most palatable drink, and masking its flavor with other ingredients became a necessity. And, since these concoctions needed an appealing name, creative barmen and barwomen came up with many of the denominations we know today. Featured here are 10 of the most popular ones. Have you tried any of these?

Image: Johann Trasch

While the real origin of this cocktail consisting of rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters is probably lost to time, the most popular legend is that the Manhattan was specially invented for a banquet hosted by Lady Randolf (mother of Winston) Churchill at the famous Manhattan Club in New York in the late 1800s.

But, when this supposed party took place, Lady Randolph was pregnant with Winston and living in England. So, even if it is a cool story, it is probably not true.

Image: Alex Block

These days, it refers almost exclusively to a cocktail of bourbon whiskey flavored with sugar and mint but, the word julep was originally borrowed from French to refer to a sweet-tasting or sweetened drink. Before then, it had Persian roots, and its original pronunciation, "gulab" essentially means sweetened rosewater.

The term was translated to "julab" in classical Arabic and then into Latin as "julapium." Eventually, the word would morph into "julep."

Image: Gabriel Gurrola

To explain the origin of the Tom Collins cocktail, we must first introduce his brother, John: A John Collins is a mixture of London dry gin, lemon, sugar, and soda. If you replace the London gin with Old Tom gin, you have prepared a Tom Collins.

The Collins surname of this drink is said to come from a 19th-century headwaiter known as John Collins, who worked at Limmer's Hotel and Coffee House and is thought to be the inventor of the drink. As for the Tom part, its origin is lost to the ages.

Image: Mauro Lima

There are two leading theories as to where the name of the Mojito comes from. The first one holds that the name relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime and used to flavor dishes.

Another theory is that the name Mojito is simply a derivative of mojadito, which is a Spanish word for "lightly wet", which would be the diminutive of "mojado" (wet).

Image: Allan Francis

As the legend goes, a certain Count Negroni of Florence, Italy, once requested a drink that would stand apart from all the Americanos ordered at his usual neighborhood cafe.

The bartender answered his request with a cocktail composed of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and he garnished the result with a telltale orange slice. Unfortunately for the count, the drink became as popular as the Americano, losing the desired exclusivity.

Image: Deeliver

This classic cocktail is named after the Cuban village of Daiquirí and, as the story goes, it was invented by local American mining engineers around the time of the Spanish-American War when they ran out of gin and had to use the local rum instead. The cocktail usually consists of sugar, rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.

The daiquiri is identified with revered author Ernest Hemingway, who drank this beverage during his stay in Cuba.

Image: Thomas Hetzler

James Bond's drink of choice is typically made with gin or vodka and vermouth. There are many stories about the origin of the cocktail and its name. The bartender professor Jerry Thomas of San Francisco, has claimed that it was invented by a stranger on his way to Martinez, California. Another story says it's named after Martini & Rossi Vermouth, because that brand was first used in the drink Gin and It, with one half gin and one half Martini & Rossi Vermouth.

Another story claims that it was named after a British army rifle, the Martini and Henry, which is known for its kick, like the drink. And the last one, says that it was created at the Knickerbocker Hotel in the early 1900s, by a bartender named Martini di Arma Tiggia that mixed a martini using only a dry gin and dry vermouth.

Image: Luke Bender

The most widely accepted theory about the origin of the Margarita name says that bartender Carlos "Danny" Herrera supposedly thought up this drink around 1938 in Tijuana, Mexico. He created it for Marjorie King, an aspiring actress who he said was allergic to "everything except tequila."

After crafting something for King to drink, Herrera reportedly dubbed the drink margarita, which is a Spanish twist on Marjorie's name.

Image: Bon Vivant

Apparently, in the late 1800s, it became popular to introduce liqueurs into cocktail recipes. And the older, more basic recipes that omitted them, and in particular this classic mix of whiskey and bitters, became known as "old fashioned" cocktails.

People ordering drinks in this fashion wanted to stick to the basics and eventually the modifier "old-fashioned" became the name for this classic cocktail with a lot of variations. The classic version uses a bit of sugar or simple syrup, a splash or two of aromatic bitters, perhaps an ice cube, and rye whiskey.

Image: SuckerPunch Gourmet

The most popular tale about this drink’s name links it to the English monarch Mary Tudor, whose nickname was, wait for it, "Bloody Mary", because of how many Protestant heretics she condemned to death.

Another theory suggests that the drink was concocted by a bartender at a Paris bar, where a patron who drank it dubbed it the Bucket of Blood, after a Chicago nightclub, with the name later developing into Bloody Mary.

EUREKA MOMENTS

10 Game-Changing Inventions That Shaped History

Image: History in HD

Throughout history, certain inventions have radically altered the trajectory of human civilization, sparking revolutions, improving lives, and reshaping entire crafts and industries.

From the humble wheel to the groundbreaking internet, many of these innovations are now a vital part of the world we live in today. Stay with us to explore 10 of the most game-changing inventions in history.

Image: Lennert Naessens

Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the 15th century forever changed the way information was shared, making books more accessible and accelerating the dissemination of knowledge. The mechanized printing press laid the foundation where the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution would flourish, even shaping the way we now think about science and education.

Image: Gary Doughty

The steam engine was by no means a recent discovery, and its principles were understood even in the times of the Ancient Greeks. But the improvements made to the existing designs during the 18th century ended up literally fueling the Industrial Revolution, as a practical means of powering factories, locomotives, and ships was developed. This invention ushered in an era of mechanization, shifting economies and paving the way for modern transportation and manufacturing methods.

Image: Matthew Henry

The discovery and harnessing of electricity by inventors like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison in the 18th and 19th centuries revolutionized daily life, enabling the widespread adoption of electric lighting, appliances, and communication systems. Although at first it was received by many with skepticism, electricity eventually became the backbone of our modern infrastructure and technology.

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

Alexander Graham Bell's revolutionary invention changed long-distance communication forever, bringing the world closer together and connecting people across vast distances. Every sphere of human activity was positively impacted by this groundbreaking invention, from interpersonal relations to politics and finance.

Image: Markus Spiske

Karl Benz's invention of the first practical automobile in the late 19th century transformed transportation, enabling faster travel and greater mobility. The automobile was such a game-changing invention that it completely reshaped the way cities were constructed, leading to the development of highways, suburbs, and a global automotive industry.

Image: John McArthur

A few years before the first successful flights by the Wright brothers, powered flight was thought to be almost impossible to crack. But after 1903, the skies literally opened up for humanity, marking the dawn of aviation. The airplane revolutionized travel, trade, and warfare, effectively shrinking the world and paving the way for our modern era of globalization.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Alexander Fleming's serendipitous discovery of penicillin in 1928 revolutionized medicine, as the first effective antibiotics could be developed, saving countless lives from bacterial infections. Nowadays accessible to anyone, antibiotics laid the foundation for modern healthcare, impacting the way we treat and prevent infectious diseases everywhere.

Image: United States Department of Energy

The development of the atomic bomb during World War II by scientists like J. Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi changed the course of warfare and geopolitics forever. Ushering in the so-called "nuclear age", these devastating weapons transformed the way countries approach global risk, war, and international relations.

Image: Matt Mech

The invention of the computer in the mid-20th century by pioneers like Alan Turing and John von Neumann revolutionized data processing, computing, and communication. Computers have become indispensable tools in nearly every aspect of modern life, from business to entertainment to scientific research, to the point we can barely live without them.

Image: LinkedIn Sales Solutions

One of the most important inventions of recent times, the creation of the internet in the late 20th century revolutionized almost everything, as communication, commerce, and culture were forever transformed by its possibilities. Connecting people around the globe in unprecedented ways, this invention transformed how information is accessed, shared, and consumed, shaping the digital age we live in today.