I “shake it”: Cocktail!

Harry Johnson, William Boothby, Jerry Thomas, Christian Schultz...some names of references in the art of mixed drinks; cocktails. The art of mixing alcohols in order to create a third was popularized in the United States in the 19th century. Cocktail means mixing water, with sugar and life water. Before it was an art, the English soldiers of India, for example, mixed gin with a quinine-based drink to protect themselves from malaria, which given name to one of the most famous cocktails today: the Gin Tonic.

Harry Johnson, William Boothby, Jerry Thomas, Christian Schultz...some names of references in the art of mixed drinks; cocktails. The art of mixing alcohols in order to create a third was popularized in the United States in the 19th century. Cocktail means mixing water, with sugar and life water. Before it was an art, the English soldiers of India, for example, mixed gin with a quinine-based drink to protect themselves from malaria, which given name to one of the most famous cocktails today: the Gin Tonic. In South America, the Brazilians mixed with cachaça – life water based on sugar cane – with garlic, green lemon and honey to treat the Spanish flu, later this mixture excluded garlic and was therefore named Caipirinha. As the basis for marrying the aromas of the water from life to fruit or other ingredients, it was in one goal: to treat.

Concept being born in the United States, the world of alcohol known from high and ba. The period of prohibition of imports of the waters of life in early 1900 was very important in the history of alcohol consumption. At that time it was the rums of Central America that gained value, since it replaced whisky and bourbons. It was also the period of wars that changed the consumption of alcohols in Europe, followed by the beautiful era that gave more « peps » to the cocktail mode but, which was quickly disappeared with the Second World War. It was also the second industrial revolution, an era of great changes on the global socio-economic side where the fashion of the cocktail had become very ephemeral.

Nowadays, the trend of cocktails takes on new airs. The Gin Tonic returned freshly with the classic Gin based on cereals and berries of juniper, but also made its new "coming out" with the trend of Pink Gin or Gin Rosé, served with a slice of grapefruit/orange instead of lemon. The new trend productions also take their place as the Japanese Whisky or the French Vodka. How globalization has strongly influenced the consumption of cocktails. Another product that has gained its place and has more visibility is the sake. From the other side of the world, the art of saké followed the current trend and eventually produced a rosé saké with delicate notes of rose. The most interesting in alcohol consumption is that it gives way to the appreciation of alcohol by itself, and new tasting techniques are increasingly requested and have taken place in the market. The cocktail, by itself, remains embedded in the evenings with friends and the research for “bar a cocktails” continues to increase. And tomorrow? What cocktail will we enjoy?