An irresistible combination of vermouth, Scotch whiskey and bitters, this smooth, tasty cocktail is...
Official Cocktails in the USA
If your city was a cocktail, which one would it be? There seems to be a trend in America over the past seven years to designate each city an official cocktail that bears some historical connection to the area. Most recently, Louisville has jumped on the bandwagon and dubbed the Old Fashioned their Official Cocktail. The beverage is made with bourbon, sugar and bitters and was first documented in the 1881 Pendennis Club menu. It has been attributed to the city ever since and so is considered a fitting drink for the residents.
The city has further celebrated their cocktail by naming June 1st-14th Old Fashioned Fortnight. There are 34 restaurants and bars participating in the festivities by offering discounted drinks and special offers. You still have time to join in, so find the recipe on www.makemeacocktail.com and let us know what you think!
Louisville follows in the footsteps of towns such as New Orleans, who nominated the Sazerac as their Official Cocktail in 2008. It was the first city to claim a beverage officially and was designated by Louisiana legislation due to its supposed creation in the city in the 19th century. It is said that a New Orleans barman took an old cocktail and updated it, creating the now well-loved Sazerac. The drink contains rye whiskey, sugar, bitters and absinthe.
From then on, it seems there has been no stopping the US cities as they all clamour to have an official drink of their own. Washington D.C chose the Gin Rickey in 2011. It is named after Col. Joe Rickey who is said to have experimented with lime in his morning cocktail at a bar in Washington D.C. in 1883. It soon became the most popular gin cocktail in town. Thus the Rickey was born, along with Washington’s right to claim it as their own.
In 2014, a barman in San Francisco started a campaign to make the Pisco Punch the Official Cocktail for their golden-gated city. The beverage, made with grape spirit (Pisco), pineapple, gum syrup and bitters, has some tenuous connection with the city due to the import of Pisco and pineapple in the 1830s.
Of course, there are hundreds of cocktails that have been attributed to certain states and cities without becoming “official”. There is the New York cocktail, and then one for each of its boroughs. When in Alabama, you must try an Alabama Slammer. You cannot visit Arkansas without sipping on an Arkansas Razorback and don’t even think of taking a trip down the river without trying a Mississippi Punch. When in town, try a Rhode Island Red and you cannot skip through Vermont without a taste of an Old Vermont. With over 20,000 cities in North America, this sounds like the start of a very long drinking game!
Pardon the interruption
Did you know that you can become a member for free, taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. You can save your My Bar ingredients, make tasting notes, have personalised Tried and Want to try lists and more.
Continue reading
History of the Kir Royale Cocktail
If there is a classier, more elegant classic cocktail on offer, then we are yet to discover it. The Kir Royale is the ultimate champagne cocktail – simple, sleek and sophisticated. The best thing abou... read more
The Travelling Cocktail Drinker: The Best Bars in Kent
A slightly less exotic location for our drinking travels this month, but with the whole global pandemic making it difficult to explore further climes, staying close to home seems more important. In th... read more
A Short History of the Crack Baby Cocktail
The Crack Baby cocktail might not have been around long enough to be labelled a classic just yet, but it is a drink favoured by new mum-of-three Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and it comes with quite a s... read more
More to explore
IntroductionWelcome to the ultimate guide to elevating your BBQ experience with the perfect cocktail...
Are you tired of serving mediocre cocktails at your home gatherings? Want to take your mixology skil...
Bartender's top tip
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get tips straight into your inbox.