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For many bartenders, classic cocktails are the foundation of skill and knowledge, and for many happy drinkers out there, classic cocktails are some the best and favorite drinks to order and enjoy.
Often times, sayings about a classic cocktail might go something like this - “Well they aren’t called classics for no reason.” or - “It was invented 150 years ago and is still popular for a reason.” or even - “Hey, I can’t take credit for the recipe, but at least I didn’t mess it up”. Needless to say, classic cocktails are some of the most popular and most intriguing libations out there. They can be bold or light, have crazy ingredients rarely ever heard of, or even read out-right…confusing (I mean scotch, absinthe and egg white in a Morning Glory Fizz? Come again?).
But what is a classic cocktail? Many people consider them to be well known, at least 25 years old, something that most bartenders know how to make, and a drink that was either important or popular enough to be written down in a book. However, there are thousands of drinks written in books 150 to 75 years ago that rarely anyone has ever made or heard of in modern times. These “vintage” drinks can often times be both a classic and a forgotten gem that is waiting to be re-discovered. With the renaissance of classic cocktails and the re-printing of so many ancient cocktail books, these intriguing libations have a multitude of recipes and sources readily available today waiting to be made by any adventurous drink maker. Cheers!
Great Books to Find Vintage Cocktails Include:
How to Mix Drinks or the Bon-Vivant’s Companion by Jerry Thomas, first printed in 1862
The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, first printed in 1930
Café Royal Cocktail Book by W.J. Tarling, first printed in 1937
Recipes for Mixed Drinks by Hugo R. Ensslin, first printed in 1917
Bar Keeper’s Golden Book by O. Blunier, first printed in 1935
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh, First Printed in 2004
