What if I told you that your favourite cocktail was named after a monkey testicle or born out of a way to escape strict social rules? Behind every iconic cocktail, is likely a story and an accurate mirroring of the time it was created. Capturing a liquid picture of the moment it existed in. Some are realised out of adapting to desperate times, some out of experimentation and some out of humour. So, strap in, as we explore the most unusual and bizarre stories behind the beloved cocktails sitting on every bar menu today.
Iconic Drink: The Singapore Sling
Origin: Raffles Bar, Singapore, 1915
Bartender: Ngiam Tong Boo
Why it’s Iconic: in early 20th century Singapore it was much of a social faux par to enjoy alcohol in public as a woman. Ngiam Tong Boo came to the rescue of the female socialite creating an elegant gin-based cocktail with such a beautiful pink hue that gave it the guise of a fruit punch, it was then viewed as acceptable for ladies to drink. The wives of British expats congregating at the infamous Long Bar at the iconic Raffles Hotel, Singapore, were then able to enjoy the alcoholic drink without social stigma.
Iconic Drink: The Corpse Reviver #2
Origin: The Savoy Cocktail Book, London, 1930s
Bartender: Harry Craddock
Why it’s Iconic: The “Corpse Reviver” was a generic name, dating back to the 19th century, as the term for a morning-after cocktail intending to “bring the dead back to life.” With this concept in mind, the Corpse Reviver, a rather alcohol forward cocktail made with gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice, and a dash of absinthe, was invented as a “hair of the dog” drink, designed to revive the dead (or nastily hungover). Printed in Craddock’s renowned Savoy Cocktail Book with ominous warnings: “Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”
Iconic Drink: The Monkey Gland
Origin: Harry’s New York Bar, Paris, 1920s
Bartender: Hary MacElhone
Why it’s Iconic: A strange medical fad came into light in the 1920s, pioneered by Dr. Serge Voronoff, which asserted grafting monkey testicle tissues onto human skin as a supposed rejuvenation therapy. Iconic bartender MacElhone, liable for establishing Harry’s New York Bar as the most notorious cocktail den in 1920s Paris, contributed the ‘Monkey Gland’ as his brilliantly satirical nod to this somewhat unorthodox pseudo-scientific trend.
Iconic Drink: The French 75
Origin: France, WWI
Bartender: Some credit Harry MacElhone, one of the time’s most celebrated bartender and proprietor of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, who included a recipe for it in his Savoy Cocktail Book (1930).
Why it’s Iconic: Born out of WWI, the drink and its name was reportedly crafted by Parisian bartenders and American and British soldiers stationed in France during the war, who likened the strong and zesty kick in the drink to that of a French 75mm field gun. A powerful gun used by the French during the war and famous for its rapid-fire and effectiveness on the battlefield, hence the cocktail was named as a metaphor for its punch.
Iconic Drink: The Sazerac
Origin: New Orleans, America, mid-1800s
Bartender: Antoine Amedie Peychaud
Why it’s Iconic: Often attributed as America’s first cocktail and as the New Orleans cocktail, this many times adapted cocktail was born out of an apothecary on Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Antine Amedie Peychaud was a Creole pharmacist, who developed a bitters formula at his apothecary, originally intended as a medical tonic, now known as Peychaud’s bitters, it is characterised by its distinct aniseed and herbal flavours. It became a popularised cocktail ingredient in early 20th century at the age of a prohibition and the subsequent liqueur shortage, when bartenders sought more complex flavour profiles to mask the taste of lower-quality spirits. Peychaud used his bitters in developing the Sazerac cocktail, which also calls on cognac and an absinthe rinse and was first served out of his pharmacy which doubled as a bar.
Iconic Drink: The Espresso Martini
Origin: Soho Brasserie, London, 1980s
Bartender: Dick Bradsell
Why it’s Iconic: The brainchild of London Bartender, Dick Bradsell, in response to a young supermodel at the time, rumoured to be Naomi Campbell, who frankly requested for a drink that will “wake me up, then f**** me up.” Bradsell quite aptly responded with a drink that combined fresh espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur, conceiving what would be one of the most definitive and iconic drinks of the 1980s and a timeless classic today.
Iconic Drink: The Mojito
Origin: Cuba, 1580’s
Why it’s Iconic: When Sir Francis Drake, English sea captain and privateer, and his crew were stranded in Cuba when raiding Spanish holdings in the Caribbean as part of England’s campaign against Spain, they were reportedly riddled with scurvy and dysentery. In a bid to combat sickness they sought a local remedy and found a ‘medicinal’ mix of lime juice, mint, sugar and a local rum-like cane spirit. The lime fought scurvy, the mint settled stomachs, and the rum made everything a little better! The mixture became to be known as ‘El Draque,’ after Sir Francis Drake and although it started as a pirate’s remedy, it evolved in Cuba throughout the 1800s, calling for more quality Cuban rum, and transformed into the Mojito we know today.
These 7 cocktails prove that cocktail culture isn’t born in sterile kitchens or boardrooms—they emerge from the chaos of human experience. Whether it was a bid for better tasting drinks in a prohibition age or started off as a medicinal remedy for stranded voyagers, each story represents a moment when creativity collided with circumstance to create something timeless. Every great drink tells a story about the time and place it was born, the people who created it, and the circumstances that gave it a reason to exist. Which one of these iconic time capsules will you be trying next?
Inspired by these iconic cocktail tales? Why not begin your own cocktail story and bring the luxury of expertly crafted drinks to your next celebration.
Partner with our team of leading mixologists today to craft your own signature cocktail and tell your individual story through bespoke luxury cocktails and immersive bar experiences.
