History of the Most Popular Cocktails in the World

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Whether you are a cocktail aficionado or a casual imbiber, learn about the history of the most popular cocktails in the world and how they came to be.

Photo: Confetti & Bli

Cocktails are as old as America, dating back to the late 1700s. Initially a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters, cocktails were introduced to liqueurs in the 1860s.

Between the 1910s to 1930s several prominent bars in Paris, London, New York City, created many of the popular cocktails we enjoy today. 

Amaretto Sour

While the first Amaretto Sour originated in the 1970s during the resurgence of Italian spirits and liqueurs, the modern and beloved Amaretto Sour cocktail comes courtesy of Jeffrey Morgenthaler, bar manager at Clyde Common and Pepe Le Moko in Portland, Oregon.

Photo: Edsel Little

Americano

The Americano has been making the rounds since the 1860s, first-served in Caffè Campari in Milan by the Italian drinks manufacturer Gaspare Campari. Yes, that Campari.

Photo: Wine Dharma 

Aperol Spritz

The Aperol Spritz came about in 1919, however the original Spritz was born in the 1800s during the reign of the Habsburg Empire in Veneto. Soldiers were not used to the higher alcohol content of local wine and asked for a spritz of water to be added to the wine.

Aviation

A classic New York cocktail, the drink first appeared at the Hotel Wallick in 1916 by Hugo Ensslin, the head bartender.

Photo: Chris Pople 

Bamboo

The Bamboo was later published in Thomas Stuart’s book, Stuart’s Fancy Drinks and How To Mix Them in 1904. It was largely forgotten until the 2000’s, when several New York bars brought the cocktail back into the public’s eye.

Photo: Daniel Krieger 

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Photo: Edsel Little