Happy National Cocktail Day 2023

DID YOU KNOW? Cocktails were traditionally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters, and some mixed drinks today still conform to this, such as the Old Fashioned Whiskey cocktail, the Sazerac cocktail, and the Manhattan cocktail.

Many believe that cocktails originated in the U.S., and while this is partly true, cocktails were actually inspired by British punches from the 18th century. These are big bowls of spirits mixed with fruit juice, spice, and other flavors.

No one is exactly sure who first created cocktails, but the world is more than grateful to them. By the 1860s, cocktails started gaining popularity and became especially popular after alcohol was prohibited in the United States from 1920 to 1933.

Speakeasies began to sell inferior liquor because it was easier to produce as it was prohibited. They started adding honey, fruit juice, and other flavorings to mask the foul taste of liquor, enabling customers to drink faster, which was very important in case of a raid.

The Industrial Age made a major contribution to the evolution of cocktails with the production of ice. Before the Industrial Age, there was no effective way to make ice blocks and keep them from melting.
In the 90s, a group of bartenders at New York’s famous Rainbow Room brought back classic cocktail culture and followed strict quality standards. Today, there is a substantive cocktail culture in the art of mixology, which draws on traditional cocktails, but uses novel ingredients and complex flavors.

Source: https://nationaltoday.com/national-cocktail-day/

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So we all love cocktails at times right? Well on March 24th we celebrate that very thing. Cocktails remind us of vacations on sandy beaches, relaxing pool-side lounges, or just Friday nights out with the gang. 

DID YOU KNOW? Even though cocktails are now often referred to as ‘girly drinks,’ it used to be frowned upon for women to drink them? Well we know that has changed for sure...

We want to highlight one of our favorite, refreshing cocktails... THE GREYHOUND!

This is a simple mix of your favorite vodka (we prefer Tito's) and grapefruit juice (we prefer white grapefruit juice, but ruby red is another option) topped with your favorite citrus garnish. You can top with a lime, a dried piece of grapefruit or lemon...

Try it this way!!

AND I discovered another way to make this drink that is also amazing, maybe even better. Instead of grapefruit juice use Sanpellegrino® Pompelmo or Italian sparkling grapefruit soda! It is amazing!!

Cheers to today and many more cocktail days!