Stirring It Up – Cocktail Culture Through the Years
Cocktails – we know them, savor them, and reinvent them. Collectively, alcoholic drinks have come into the possession of their own language; bar lingo dedicated to distinct tastes, textures, and preparations.
But cocktails did not just walk into the bar one day. Instead, they arrived in dribs and drabs, slowly creating their own movement that, today, sees many Happy Hours come alive. Let’s stir in a little bit of the cocktail’s origins – how they came to sit next to the classic pours like Scotch and Whiskey – as told by one of the oldest, always-bustling cocktail bars in the West Village.
Cocktails: A Short History
This much is true – the recipe that is cocktail history carries numerous claims, a few detours, and a dash or two of socio-political influence. And so this is more of an interesting tidbit to bring up over Margaritas and Chicken Wings fresh from the bar menu in NYC rather than an academic entry.
Medicinal Beginnings & British Punches
The cocktail’s less-than-recreational origin dates back to the late 18th century, when botanical-infused spirits were prescribed by doctors for anything from indigestion to jaundice. Many note cocktails’ early American adaptation as inspired by British punches – big bowls of spirits mixed with fruit juice, spices, and other flavors.
1806 rolled around, and the humble cocktail was pinned as “a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind – sugar, water, and bitters” by Balance and Columbian Repository, a New York newspaper.
The Ice Age
Next stop – ice. It became readily available in the 19th-century US thanks to ice freights arranged by Boston’s ‘Ice King’ Frederic Tudor – signaling a golden era of cold, refreshing cocktails and alcoholic pours in general.
The Dry Years
In the 1920s, Prohibition Laws halted alcoholic libations after a long day at work, banning alcohol for nearly 13 years. Or they tried, anyway – this is also when speakeasies were born. The smooth indulgence that came with the old ‘stimulating’ craft mixes was no longer explored. Speakeasies had to sell liquor that wasn’t made in a professional distillery, leaving a somewhat harsh aftertaste in the mouth.
A rather inventive wave of cocktails soon flooded these informal establishments in an attempt to take the edge off the poor-quality liquors. ‘Long’ cocktails like the Highball became popular, and Gin had a moment in the limelight since it was easier to make at home than Whiskey.
Prohibition Is Lifted
The curtain lifted, and Prohibition officially got the boot in 1933. The public was ready to reawaken their cocktail senses. Writers like Ernest Hemmingway wrote about his love for Whiskey and Soda, as well as a Daiquiri or Negroni every so often.
Did you know that The White Horse Tavern was the gathering place of literary giants like Dylan Thomas and Jack Kerouac in the 1950s? Not to mention the string of famous faces that relished in sips and socializing at this NYC bar throughout the years.
A cultural phenomenon – cocktails were trending. Pop culture exploded with references to this mixed sensation by the 1960s. After all, James Bond openly liked his Martini “shaken, not stirred.”
Indulge in Centuries of Cocktail History at the White Horse Tavern
This paints a picture with but a few highlights in cocktails’ history – perhaps you’ll continue the conversation upon glancing at our NYC bar menu. Consider it this watering hole on Hudson’s toast to cocktails.
Here, you can relish specialty cocktails – Happy Hour is Monday to Thursday from 4 pm to 6 pm and Friday from 2 pm to 6 pm. In fact, it’s entirely possible that you’re craving a cold, refreshing pour at your go-to cocktail bar in the West Village – reservations are always on the table.
Share your White Horse Tavern sips on Instagram – and don’t forget to tag us. Until next time, fellow sippers.