Cocktails Created from the History Books

Jump to the Rob Roy recipe

Jump to the Tipsy Arnold Palmer recipe

Jump to the Shirley Temple recipe

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.

The Rob Roy cocktail invented in 1984, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, in celebration of the Broadway premiere of the operetta Rob Roy, based on the Scottish folk hero. The drink was a variation of the Manhattan, substituting Scotch whisky for bourbon or rye, making it distinctively Scottish in theme, much like the character from the musical.

The original Waldorf Astoria Hotel stood where the Empire State Building is now located, but the hotel itself moved to a different location in the 1930s. The Rob Roy has since become a classic cocktail, enjoyed for its smooth and slightly smoky flavor.

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.

It has since become a staple drink, synonymous with the golfer himself and enjoyed by fans around the world.

3. Shirley Temple

The Shirley Temple cocktail was created in honor of the beloved child star with the signature ringlet curls when she dined out with her family. As she was too young for alcohol, bartenders crafted a sweet, non-alcoholic drink just for her, often made with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, grenadine, and a maraschino cherry on top.

Shirley Temple quickly became a household name in Hollywood during the 1930s, famous for her charm and talent. By the age of six, she was commanding an unprecedented $50,000 per film, starring in timeless classics like Heidi, The Little Princess, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, making her the highest-paid child actor of her time.

While her film career faded as she grew older, Shirley Temple transitioned into public service and diplomacy. After retiring from acting, she embarked on a successful second career in politics, notably serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana in the 1970s and later as the U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

She sadly passed away in 2014, leaving behind not only a legacy as a pioneering child actor but also as a respected diplomat. The Shirley Temple drink, like the star herself, remains a symbol of sweetness and timeless charm, enjoyed by all ages for decades.

Conclusion

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.