The International Bartenders Association recognizes 102 cocktails. These cocktails are divided into three categories, named Contemporary Classics, Unforgettables, and New Era. Besides these select few, thousands more recipes, variations, and creations are now commonly considered cocktails by both mixologists and customers, whether recognized by the IBA or not.
Why not take a step back in time, and then behind the bar, to discover what bartenders of the finest establishments so skillfully create each evening? Let us unmix an abundance of ingredients, with the intention of revealing more about ten classic iconic cocktails. They all have one thing in common: they are all named after genuine, historical figures.
1. Gioachino Rossini (The Rossini)
How better to begin a list of cocktails than with a classic Italian favorite, the Rossini?
In comparison with some of the upcoming cocktails on this list, the Rossini is very popular with restaurant customers all over the world and is also exceptionally easy to drink. This delightful blend of alcoholic fizz mixed with summer fruits makes for a sweet and refreshing beverage. The taste is generally likable to most, and although it is around twelve percent alcohol, it goes down just as easily as a soft drink.
Another advantage of the Rossini is how easy it is to prepare. A sparkling wine, (Prosecco or Champagne interchangeably), should simply be mixed with strawberry puree or strawberry syrup. There are no other instructions or pieces of advice concerning the actual cocktail. However, the finished product should be delivered to the drinker in a traditional Champagne flute, and perhaps garnished with half a strawberry.
The Rossini is named after a 19th century Italian composer, Gioachino Rossini. He lived between the years 1792 and 1868, and during that time became a renowned composer of songs, chamber pieces, piano works, and even some sacred music. However, Rossini is now best remembered for his 39 operas, the most famous of which being William Tell and The Barber of Seville.
2. Giovanni Bellini (The Bellini)
The Bellini is the better-known sibling of the Rossini. The recipes are remarkably similar, the only difference being that a Bellini is made with peach puree or syrup rather than strawberry. Just like Rossini, a Bellini can be made with either Prosecco or Champagne, and should be served in a traditional Champagne flute.
The first ever Bellini was mixed by Giuseppe Cipriani, who lived between 1900 and 1980. He was the founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice. He is also credited with being the first person to serve the dish we now know as Beef Carpaccio.
The Bellini became popular between around 1934 and 1948, and evolved into a specialty not only of Harry’s Bar, but also its counterpart in New York. It soon became a favorite in both Italy and the United States.
This loveable concoction of peach and Champagne was named after an Italian painter called Giovanni Bellini, who lived between 1430 and 1516. But, why did Cipriani consider the name of this Renaissance artist a suitable title of his invention? It is said that Cipriani thought the light, pink and peachy colors of the Bellini cocktail reminiscent of the colors so often used in Bellini’s masterpieces.
Some of Bellini’s best known works, all of which have religious themes, include Saint Jerome Reading in the Desert (1455), Christ Blessing (1500), Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist (1480), The Feast of the Gods (1514), Saint Francis in Ecstasy (1480), Holy Allegory (1490), and Madonna and Child (1450).
3. Beau Brummell (Beau’s…)
When applied to a beverage, the name Beau Brummell does not refer to one particular cocktail. Instead, it can be added to the name of any item on a drinks menu as a mark of sophistication, luxury, or expense. For example, a simple Negroni may become a Beau’s Negroni, if it possesses something a little more special. The inclusion of the name Beau Brummell can signify the best or most coveted drink available in the establishment, in the same way that a Chef’s Recommendation notice can showcase one of the highest standard of dish on an a la carte menu.
The real Beau Brummell lived between the years of 1779 and 1840, and was quite the fashion icon during his era. The Encyclopaedia Britannica describes him as “an English dandy, famous for his friendship with George, Prince of Wales,” and also claims that he was “a leader of fashion at the beginning of the nineteenth century.”
According to urban myth, Beau Brummell took five hours per day to get dressed, and also demanded that his shoes be polished with Champagne. If this is true, there is little wonder that his name has become synonymous with high quality and glittering extravagance. Fortnum and Mason, the distinguished London department store, describe Beau Brummell as “a true icon of Regency dandyism.”
4. Queen Mary I (The Bloody Mary)
It would not be unreasonable to suggest that the Bloody Mary possesses a challenging taste, particularly for those with sweeter preferences. With primary ingredients such as vodka, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, horseradish, celery, lemon juice, and tomato juice, it is safe to say that this pungent beverage is not for everyone. Due to its strength and its spicy, savory flavor, it is consumed primarily in the afternoon as a hangover cure.
The origins of the Bloody Mary are generally unknown. It was probably invented sometime in the 1920s, and had become more prominent by the 1930s and 40s. It was named after Queen Mary I, the Tudor queen who ruled between 1553 and 1558, and who now possesses the epithet of Bloody Mary. She gained this nickname due to her persecution of Protestants, as around 300 were executed for heresy in just five years. It seems strange that the word bloody has fallen on Mary rather than her father, King Henry VIII, who willingly signed away many tens of thousands of lives throughout his near-40-year reign.
Although we will never know for certain, it is assumed that this name was chosen due to the fact that the thick, dark red concoction is usually reminiscent of blood.
5. Charlie Chaplin (The Charlie Chaplin)
Most people are familiar with Charlie Chaplin, the comic actor and filmmaker who lived between 1889 and 1977. But are you familiar with Charlie Chaplin the cocktail? The former was the iconic star of silent movies, and the latter is his namesake, a popular and enduring concoction of fruity ingredients.
The Charlie Chaplin cocktail was first mixed in 1934, and the recipe was published later that same year in a book named The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, having been written and compiled by Albert Stevens Crockett. The drink is simple to make, for it includes only three different liquids in equal parts. The first is sloe gin, the second is apricot brandy, and the final is fresh lime juice. The end result produces a palatable but slightly sharp flavor.
The Charlie Chaplin is believed to have been created specifically for Charlie Chaplin. The vibrant and unusual flavor of the cocktail is supposedly reflective of Charlie Chaplin and the memorable factors that are so characteristic of his work.
6. Mary Pickford (The Mary Pickford)
Who better to follow Charlie Chaplin than his friend, the woman with whom he co-founded United Artists?
This next cocktail comprises a mixture of white rum, fresh pineapple juice, grenadine, and maraschino. The mixture should be shaken thoroughly and strained into a traditional cocktail glass with no ice.
It is said to have been created especially for its namesake, Mary Pickford. Legend has it that it was mixed to suit her tastes sometime during the 1920s. Mary Pickford’s exclusive drink was first served up to her by one bartender or another, either Eddie Woelke or Fred Kaufmann. They worked at the Hotel Sevilla-Biltmore, where Mary Pickford stayed while vacationing in Havana with Charlie Chaplin and her filmmaker husband, Douglas Fairbanks. Whether or not she enjoyed her personalized beverage is unknown.
Due to the time at which it was popularized, the Mary Pickford can be described as a Prohibition Era cocktail. This means that it was produced at a time when the production, importation and sale of alcohol was prohibited in the United States.
7. Ginger Rogers (The Ginger Rogers)
There is a cocktail that calls for two ounces of gin, three-quarters of an ounce of fresh lemon juice, ten fresh mint leaves, and a lemon or lime wedge. If you don’t know which beverage these ingredients form, the next two will surely give it away immediately. Next, your bartender should add three-quarters of an ounce of ginger syrup and stir thoroughly, and finally, the glass should then be filled to the top with ginger ale. Who else could this cocktail be named after, other than the American Hollywood icon, Ginger Rogers?
The Ginger Rogers, renowned for its refreshing but spicy taste and aroma, was first created by a bartender named Marcovaldo Dionysos. It was first mixed in 1995, the year of Ginger’s death at the age of 83. Now, it is often referred to as either a gin mojito or simply a ginger lemonade.
In the 21st century, Ginger Rogers is remembered not only for her films but also for her five husbands, for her six-year dance partnership with Fred Astaire, for winning an Oscar for her role in Kitty Foyle (1940), and for being one of the biggest box-office draws and highest-paid actresses of the decade.
Some of the best-known films in which Ginger Rogers starred include 42nd Street (1933), Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), Stage Door (1937), Vivacious Lady (1938), and The Barkleys of Broadway (1949).
8. Shirley Temple (The Shirley Temple)
The Shirley Temple is unique on this list. It is the only cocktail included that does not contain any alcohol. Traditionally, the beverage consists only of ginger ale and sometimes lemonade, but mixed with grenadine and garnished with a maraschino cherry.
So, who invented the Shirley Temple, and why is it named after a child star of the 1930s? One popular version of the story tells us that the concoction was first mixed by the bartenders of Chasen’s Restaurant in West Hollywood. Their motivation for creating such a cocktail was their desire to provide something special and sophisticated, but non-alcoholic, for the young Shirley Temple whenever she visited the establishment.
Unfortunately for the creators, Shirley Temple herself was hardly a fan. When questioned about the drink in an interview in 1986, she publicly proclaimed her dislike of the creation. “All over the world I am served that,” she complained, “people think it’s funny.” She finished her answer by confessing that she hated the Shirley Temple cocktail, and found the taste far too sweet.
9. Rob Roy (The Rob Roy)
The concoction now known as a Rob Roy was first mixed in 1894. The creation is credited to the mixologists at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, an establishment responsible for countless other classic recipes.
A Rob Roy should include sweet vermouth (for sweetness), and Angostura bitters (for a depth of flavor). However, the primary alcoholic ingredient is Scotch whisky. Essentially, the Rob Roy is a variation of the Manhattan cocktail, but substituting American whiskey for Scottish. The inclusion of Scotch is likely to be the reason the cocktail is now associated with Scottish folklore and Scotland in general.
Naturally, this Caledonian cocktail was named after a Scottish folk hero. The chosen man was none other than the popular Jacobite outlaw named Rob Roy MacGregor, who lived between 1671 and 1734.
It is thought that the creator of the cocktail was inspired to choose the name after watching an operetta about his life. This operetta, named Rob Roy, was composed by Reginald De Koven and Harry B. Smith, and was loosely based on the story of his life.
To enjoy a Rob Roy at its best, it should be served in a chilled glass with a few cubes of ice.
10. Margarita …? (The Margarita)
The Margarita is one of the world’s best known and most commonly created cocktails. Despite this, the history of the drink is shrouded in mystery, and its origins are the cause of much debate amongst historians and mixologists alike. The only thing we know for certain is that the cocktail was in existence by the year of 1936, for this was when it was first mentioned in print, in a newspaper article written by journalist James Graham.
However, the date is commonly contested. It is argued that the Margarita predates this mention by many decades. Interestingly, it was the following year, in 1937, that the first Margarita recipe was printed in a book. It was included in a compilation of drink recipes named the Café Royal Cocktail Book, which was published in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, some say that the cocktail was created as late as the 1940s.
The other thing we don’t know about this cocktail is the origin of its name. It seems likely that it was named after a woman named Margarita. But we have yet to discover which Margarita it was named after, or whether it was named after a woman at all. Regardless of the lack of historical evidence, many potential candidates named Margarita have been suggested as its inspiration.
Some claim it was the beautiful, Mexican-German daughter of an ambassador, named Margarita Henkel. Some claim it was the Dallas-born socialite, Margarita Sames. Some claim it was the Mexican showgirl named Margarita, better known as Rita de la Rosa. Interestingly, throughout the 1940s, the company Jose Cuervo ran an ad campaign for their Margarita with the slogan, “Margarita: it’s more than a girl’s name.”
A classic Margarita should include tequila, lime juice, and triple sec. Whether or not to add ice is down to personal preference. Famously, the rim of a Margarita glass should be lined with salt.
