The world’s top-loved cocktails were born into local culture and shaped by historical quirks, societal changes and clever innovations. The world’s top 10 cocktails offer more than a refreshing drink; they’re time capsules of the places and people that created them.
1. Espresso Martini: London, UK
The legendary London bartender, Dick Bradsell, reportedly created the espresso martini in the late 1980s at ‘Fred’s Club’, following an odd request from a young supermodel (rumoured to be either Naomi Campbell or Kate Moss). They asked for a drink that would knock their socks off and wake them up. With Fred’s Club having a coffee machine conveniently located near the bar, Bradsell was instantly inspired. He used Vodka (as it was the most popular drink choice of the time) as his base, and the rest is bold, buzzy cocktail history.
2. Aperol Spritz: Italy
Italian brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri from Padua created this local apéritif in 1919. By the 1950s, the Aperol Spritz blossomed as the drink of choice, as Northern Italy also grew popular, becoming a fashion and food hub. Born from postwar elegance and regional pride, the Venetians love crafting this iconic drink dubbed the “Italian sunset in a glass”.
3. Margarita: Mexico
A muddled story, the Margarita’s origins have several competing stories. One story credits Carlos “Danny” Herrera, who created the fiery drink in 1938 for a customer allergic to other spirits. Another story credits socialite Margarita Sames, who mixed the now-iconic blend of tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau at a 1940s Acapulco party. While the origin of the Margarita is muddled, its Mexican roots and global fame are indisputable.
4. Bloody Mary: Paris, France, or USA
The origins of this drink are still up in the air, but most trace it back to a young bartender named Fernand “Pete” Petiot, who worked at ‘Harry’s New York Bar’ in Paris in 1921. Many US expats chose to live in Paris during the 1920s, including the famous Ernest Hemingway, and brought with them canned tomato juice. Russian expats were also found in Paris, escaping the Russian revolution, bringing plenty of vodka with them. It is said that Pete combined the Russian vodka and US canned tomato juice, added some spices, lemon juice and seasoning, and called it the “Bloody Mary”.
5. Mai Tai: Oakland, USA
Its tropical tastes and appearance might fool you into thinking that the Mai Tai must have originated from some tropical island. But this cocktail was born right in Oakland, USA. Trade Vic (Victor Berferon) crafted the drink to showcase an aged Jamaican rum, and his Tahitian guests enthusiastically dubbed it “Maita’i”. Another rendition states that Trader Vic created the drink for his close friends who didn’t particularly like the taste of raw rum.
6. Caipirinha: São Paulo, Brazil
Brazil’s national cocktail has an interesting origin. First believed to have been a remedy for the Spanish flu, it was originally made by combining lime, garlic, honey, and cachaça. As time passed, it embraced simplicity, ditching the garlic.
7. Singapore Sling: Singapore
Bartender Ngiam Tong Boon worked at Raffles Hotel in the early 1900s. He created this pink concoction to allow women to drink in public without being caught or creating a scandal. The colour masked gin with cherry brandy, Benedictine, pineapple, and citrus to resemble a harmless punch. This East-meets-West classic is steeped in colonial history and Singapore’s flair for innovation.
8. Pisco Sour: Lima, Peru
A grape brandy born from colonial Spanish vineyards, Pisco, forms this iconic drink. Mixed in the 1920s in Lima by an American bartender, Victor Morris, he crafted it as a twist on the whiskey sour. Bridging local ingredients with cosmopolitan style, it remains a Peruvian and Chilean cultural treasure.
9. Mojito: Havana, Cuba
The origins of the mojito can be traced back to the 16th century, when a rough mix of mint, lime, sugar, and aguardiente was used as medicine. During Havana’s colonial era, it evolved as rum became smoother and sugarcane thrived. By the 20th century, it found its home in the capitals’ cafès, becoming a symbol of Cuba’s resilience and Afro-Caribbean flair.
10. Negroni: Florence, Italy
Born in 919, Count Camillo Negroni, an aristocrat, asked his Florentine bartender friend to stiffen his usual Americano by replacing the soda water with gin. A bold, bitter, and deeply Italian drink was the result, reflecting the mood of post-war Florence. Today, this iconic cocktail is celebrated for its minimalism and strength.
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This article was originally published on Getaway by Lee-Ann Steyn.
