The cocktail may feel like a modern invention, but cocktails been available in the UK in some form since the Victorian era – their origins possibly going back even further.
Many popular drinks have their roots in medicine. A form of gin and tonic was first given as a medicinal treatment in areas affected by Malaria as a way of upping people’s daily dose of quinine in order to combat the deadly disease.
In the 17th century most British people drank ale or cider, but increasingly high taxes on these popular drinks saw the UK switch to grain based distilled drinks almost overnight. At the time there was a grain surplus, so these new types of drink were produced in abundance.
Gin was cheap and plentiful, and consumption quickly became so high that large numbers of people, particularly in London, became dependent on it. Widespread health and social issues were experienced, mothers neglected their children, accrued debts and turned to prostitution. People would sell everything they owned to get hold of some gin. The government tried to fix the problem with higher taxes, but this just pushed production underground.
In 1712 Stoughton’s Elixir was patented and given Royal Assent. The elixir was an alcohol-based liquid known for its restorative powers and cure for gout. As well as being used for its medicinal qualities the Elixir, along with other recipes for “bitters” were mixed with gin to take away the bad taste. These early types of “cocktails” further fuelled the thirst for gin in London.
A new Gin Act was finally passed in 1751 which raised taxes and limited production to larger distilleries, meaning smaller gin shops on the high street were forced to close and gin was no longer easily accessible, finally bringing about an end to the problems it had caused. Taxes were lowered on beer and it became the drink of choice again until the mid 19th century.
In 1851 Frenchman Alexis Soyer opened a pop-up style bar in London opposite the entrance to the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. He served visitors a choice of over 40 “mixed drinks”. In their early form these “mixed drinks” did not contain alcohol.
At around the same time in the USA bartenders were beginning to experiment with mixing what we know today as cocktails. They added showmanship to the experience by tossing drinks from container to container.
Popularisation in the UK quickly followed with the visit of legendary American bartender Jerry Thomas to London in 1859. He put on quite a show offering Gin Slings, Brandy Smashes and Ladies’ Blushes. He would go on the publish The Bartenders Guide in 1862 to show people how to make his most popular tipples.
The American bartenders added ice, which was not used in the UK until much later, due to the risks of catching fatal diseases such as Cholera or Typhoid from water. Ice was eventually imported to the UK and drinks started to be served in clear glasses rather than opaque containers, starting to resemble the more attractive looking beverages we enjoy today.
The early part of the 20th Century saw the beginning of prohibition in the USA – a complete ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in an attempt to stop alcohol related health issues, violence and corruption. The alcohol trade was pushed underground and run by organised crime gangs. Drinks were produced by bootleggers and served in illegal establishments called “Speakeasies”. Bartenders now had only limited ingredients but it was during this time that some of the cocktails we still love today were created including the Tom Collins and the White Lady. By the early 1930s prohibition was deemed to have failed and the ban was lifted.
At the same time in the UK business began to boom as the out of work American bartenders came to London to ply their trade. Harry Craddock rose to prominence in his job at the Savoy, serving high society and visiting Hollywood royalty. He published the best-selling cocktail book of all time, the Savoy Cocktail Book. He was also among the first to start experimenting with “anti-fogmatics” or hangover cures although these “cures’ also contained alcohol! One, named Corpse Reviver No.2 contained Gin, Absinthe, Cointreau, and Kina Lillet and came with the advisory to drink before 11am when needing extra energy!
Scottish bartender Harry MacElhone also found fame in London after initially establishing himself in Paris. He is sometimes credited with the invention of well-known classics such as the French 75 and the Bloody Mary, the latter still one of the most popular cocktails with Londoners.
The golden era in the 1920s and 30s saw cocktails associated with glitz, glamour and wealth and were made all the more attractive by the fact that they had at one time been illegal.
Later the invention of new “Tiki” cocktails such as the Pina Colada and Mai Tai pioneered by Victor Bergeron at Trader Vic’s Bar in the 1940s. Tiki drinks were rum based rather than gin or vodka based and mixed with brightly coloured tropical fruit juices. Although never as popular as the classics the Tiki style is often preferred by those with a sweet tooth.
Recently cocktails have seen a resurgence in popularity with new recipes being invented alongside twists on the classics. Two of the most popular drinks of the 21st Century are the Mojito and the Porn Star Martini. The refreshing white rum-based Mojito originated from Cuba and is thought to be over 500 years old. At the opposite end of the scale the Pornstar Martini is an entirely new creation. Invented by Douglas Ankrah during a stay in South Africa the drink contains vanilla vodka, passionfruit liqueur, passion fruit juice and lime juice. It is sometimes known as the Maverick Martini, after the Maverick Gentleman’s Club in Cape Town. It is served with a piece of passion fruit in the glass, a spoon, and a shot of champagne (or Prosecco) on the side. It has been the best-selling UK cocktail of the last five years and is the subject of much debate as to which order the components should be consumed in. Ankrah settles the argument by saying that the spoon should be used to scrape out and eat the passion fruit seeds and the drink should then be sipped alternating with sips of the champagne.
Why not try making your own cocktails at home, you might invent a new favourite!
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