What’s a cocktail?

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 16

What’s a cocktail?

“Vive le cocktail,” toasted a frenchman in Betsy’s Tavern near Yorktown during the American Revolution after seeing bottles decorated with cocks’ tails. He was probably thinking more about the chicken he was eating than the drink but this is the American version of how the name “cocktail” originated.

Another definition of the word cocktail refers to the special way of cutting a horse’s tail. However, the connection between a horse’s tail and drinking a rather delicate blend of spirit, liquor and fruit juice has us baffled.

The word cocktail, when put in front of the word bar in any hotel or at home, should cultivate thoughts of pleasant surroundings.

The man, who provides not only good spirits, but a ready smile,, a friendly word, a sympathetic ear and even a shoulder to cry upon, also has that little bit more knowledge about drinks and their mixing than anyone else. He takes his task of mixing your drink most seriously as he realises that he has a standard to maintain.

A cocktail is in fact a drink consisting of two or more ingredients, stirred or shaken, as a short or long drink as required. It has been said that the first cocktail was a martini but this cannot be proved. We can take it with an olive or a twist of lemon — not a pinch of salt. For the host at home mixing . his own concoction, there are two set rules for mixing: (1) All clear drinks — those not containing fruit juice, cream or milk, must be stirred with ice, e.g. Martinis and Manhattans. (2) Those drinks containing fruit juices and

cream must be shaken e’ther by hand or with an electric blender to acquire a pertect blend.