Whether at a public bar or private party, the average drinker may not see the need for the abundance...
Cocktails Created from the History Books
Jump to
To get your name in the history books, you must have done something wondrous or terrible. To be remembered, you need to be considered a hero or a villain. But you only know that you have really made it when your name is given to a cocktail.
A mixologist in Colchester, UK, has created a new drink named the Bad Girl Boudica. Named after one of the area’s most notable historical figures, the sweet concoction is a closely guarded recipe created by Don Quinn.
Boudica formed a rebellion against the Romans around 2000 years ago, where she almost burned Colchester to the ground and ultimately lost her battle. Her story is still taught to schoolchildren around the country. Yet she is not the first historical figure to be immortalised in such a way.
1. Rob Roy
A drink made with scotch whiskey, Martini Rosso, Angostura Bitters and some lemon zest, this drink is always topped with a cherry. The Rob Roy is named after a famous Scottish rebel who became known as a Robin Hood character, who fell out with the Duke of Montrose and so began stealing from his lands.
The drink was invented when the story of Rob Roy was made into a Broadway musical in 1984. The nearby Waldorf Astoria (now the Empire State Building) created the drink in celebration of the new show.
2. Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer was the man credited with making golf popular. It helped that his career coincided with the rise of the television, but the sporting legend was considered to be one of the best golfers ever, and the term ‘to Palmer’ is still often used on the courses.
Arnold had a huge fanbase, who soon learned that his favourite drink was iced tea mixed with lemonade. They started to order it themselves, a for a long time this drink was known as a Half and Half. A few decades later, Palmer and his friends joined forces with a beverages company and Arnold Palmer Tee was born.
3. Shirley Temple
The child star with the beautiful curly locks had to have a non-alcoholic cocktail, of course, so this drink was created in her honour when she went out to eat with her family. Shirley was famous for being the first person under seven years old to command $50,000 per film, starring in classics like Heidi, The Little Princess and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
Shirley died in 2014 after making a career change into politics and standing as UN Ambassador in Ghana.
So there you have it: if you want to be talked about for years after your death, have a cocktail created in your honour. It helps if you already have a reason to be famous, obviously, as every concoction needs a story behind it.
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
The Story of the Sangria
No other drink gives us summer holiday vibes quite like the Sangria. Images of tropical paradises on the beach, under a palm tree, are only completed with a glass of the red cocktail in hand. Few othe... read more
The History of the Mary Pickford Cocktail
A very fancy cocktail with an extremely glamourous namesake, the Mary Pickford cocktail was created during prohibition and is saved for only the classiest of establishments. Who was Mary Pickford? B... read more
The History of the Bloody Mary Cocktail
The Bloody Mary cocktail has undergone something of a revival of late. The ultimate hangover cure, this is a dangerous cocktail to drink, since the tomato juice can often mask the taste of the alcohol... read more
More to explore
The White Russian is arguably one of the most famous cocktail recipes in the world, even among peopl...
The history of the Manhattan Cocktail is a good deal more complicated than most legends would have o...
Bartender's top tip
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get tips straight into your inbox.