What Makes a Classic? The Five Best Stories behind Classic Cocktails
Features
Just as the juiciest stories from history rally people to debate, the origins of some of the world’s most beloved adult beverages are no different. While proprietors, attempting to give their establishments the cache of having birthed an international sensation, may contest a cocktail’s beginnings, many mythic booze tales are simply muddled by the passing of time and the liberal indulgence in the topic at hand.
To help clarify the (somewhat) cloudy waters, Fairmont Tastemakers Nader Chabaane, Director of Mixology at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec, and Grant Sceney, Head Bartender at Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, illuminate the shadowy origins of a quintet of cocktails as they explain what makes each one so special.
The Martinez
Figuring out where the Martinez comes from is nearly as difficult as determining how to properly make it. The short answer to the latter question is gin, sweet vermouth, and, at least originally, Maraschino liquor. Chabaane is quick to point out, though, that even in its first printed mention, author O.H. Bryon offers two completely different Martinez recipes in his Modern Bartender’s Guide published in 1884. It’s possible that this double description is what fueled the ongoing controversy surrounding the “true classic” that, according to Chabaane, “no one really agrees on how to make.”
For good reason, the drink is sometimes called the Father of the Martini: Both are gin-based and include vermouth. But the Martinez shares a relationship with the Manhattan, too, as the renowned whiskey-and-bitters concoction uses sweet red vermouth. Chabaane believes the Martinez to be “the perfect link between a Martini and a Manhattan,” but cautions against arguing about how they’re related. “What’s important is the infinite number of possible ratios and substitutions used. That makes it much more interesting.”
The general consensus is mixologists reserve the right to make this classic as they see fit. Chabaane insists the very flexibility of the Martinez is its major strength: “I love to replace the Maraschino from O.H. Bryon’s first recipe with a good apricot brandy or to add dry curacao to it.”
The Negroni
An iconic drink the bartending world dedicates a full week to enjoying, the Negroni stems directly from the Americano, which is composed of Campari, Cora-brand amaro slightly bitter, cinnamon and orange peel liquor), sparkling water and lemon. According to Grant Sceney, the Negroni's roots can be traced to Florence and the Caffè Casoni in 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni requested an Americano “with a bit more kick.” The bartender replaced the sparkling water with gin and the new cocktail took off.
“By design, it appears quite simple," says Sceney. "Three ingredients equally measured and stirred with a bit of citrus on top, but within this simplicity is a complex and unique platform to evolve and change at the bartender’s hand.” He also notes the type of gin and vermouth can noticeably alter the balance and the strength of the botanical elements.
The Rum Daiquiri
Named for the Cuban beach town in which it was invented, the rum daiquiri came to be by happy accident in 1896. Chabaane explains American engineer Jennings Cox was managing properties in Cuba when he added lime juice and sugar to the island’s pure cane rum to make it more palatable for gin drinkers. Later, it became popular in the U.S. by way of Rear Admiral Lucius Johnson, a naval medical officer, who debuted the cocktail at Washington D.C.’s Army and Navy Club, where it’s still on the bar menu today.
Due to the recipe’s ingredients, Chabaane believes the cocktail existed long before the late 19th century. “Marco Polo related stories of how the Malay people were serving a ‘very good sugar,’ which I believe was a kind of rum derivative—certainly a cane sugar-based alcohol. And with lime being around, I’m sure someone must have thought of putting the two together.” He also notes how Ti’ Punch, a French West Indies pick-me-up, is “basically an unshaken daiquiri” made with Rhum Agricole (a spirit from freshly squeezed cane juice), lime and sugar, that he believes dates back to much earlier times.
The Ramos Gin Fizz
This is, Sceney reveals, “the cocktail bartenders love to hate. It’s essentially an adult milkshake using gin.” Sounds good to us, and he agrees. “The creamy texture allows for the subtleties of the botanicals to shine through, delivering a citrusy and refreshing finish. What’s not to like?”
Shaken up for the first time in 1888 at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans by Henry C. Ramos, the gin fizz eventually became so popular that by Mardi Gras of 1915, Ramos had to hire a rotating chain of 20 “shaker boy” bartenders per shift to keep up with demand. The drink’s place in bar lore was solidified when the nearby Roosevelt Hotel trademarked the gin fizz in 1935.
While Sceney laments the two full minutes of shaking required to mix one can feel “nearly endless" and lead to a bartender’s arms going numb, he maintains it is worth every second, as long as “you’re not the one making it.”
The Mint Julep
With bourbon, spearmint leaves, sugar syrup and ice, the signature cocktail of the Kentucky Derby first appeared as a stomach curative in literature in 1784. Chabaane recommends bartending pioneer Jerry Thomas’s tome, Bar-Tender’s Guide—the first book dedicated to mixed drinks published in the U.S.—for a full description of this Southern standby. The text also features julep recipes featuring five starring liquors: Whiskey, brandy, gin, Cognac and sparkling Moselle wine.
Traditionally served in silver cups, the crushed ice acts on the metal tumblers and frosts over—a welcome sight on smoldering summer days. Chabaane says the mint julep was one of the first showy drinks aimed at impressing guests, since “most of the ingredients were rare and expensive in the late 18th century. Being able to serve it meant you had access to an icehouse, silver cups and servants to properly make the julep.”
While this enduring sipper is primarily the territory of bourbon these days, he reminds us that “gin juleps had their time of glory” and continue to be a worthy alternative to the invigorating original.
After living for five years in Brazil, where he wrote restaurant, nightlife and hotel city guides for Time Out São Paulo and other publications, CM Gorey returned to his native New York City. With experience creating and revising content for corporate PR and social media campaigns for the art market, he also continues to translate Brazilian Portuguese works for film, television and theater.
To help clarify the (somewhat) cloudy waters, Fairmont Tastemakers Nader Chabaane, Director of Mixology at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec, and Grant Sceney, Head Bartender at Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, illuminate the shadowy origins of a quintet of cocktails as they explain what makes each one so special.
The Martinez
Figuring out where the Martinez comes from is nearly as difficult as determining how to properly make it. The short answer to the latter question is gin, sweet vermouth, and, at least originally, Maraschino liquor. Chabaane is quick to point out, though, that even in its first printed mention, author O.H. Bryon offers two completely different Martinez recipes in his Modern Bartender’s Guide published in 1884. It’s possible that this double description is what fueled the ongoing controversy surrounding the “true classic” that, according to Chabaane, “no one really agrees on how to make.”
For good reason, the drink is sometimes called the Father of the Martini: Both are gin-based and include vermouth. But the Martinez shares a relationship with the Manhattan, too, as the renowned whiskey-and-bitters concoction uses sweet red vermouth. Chabaane believes the Martinez to be “the perfect link between a Martini and a Manhattan,” but cautions against arguing about how they’re related. “What’s important is the infinite number of possible ratios and substitutions used. That makes it much more interesting.”
The general consensus is mixologists reserve the right to make this classic as they see fit. Chabaane insists the very flexibility of the Martinez is its major strength: “I love to replace the Maraschino from O.H. Bryon’s first recipe with a good apricot brandy or to add dry curacao to it.”
The Negroni
An iconic drink the bartending world dedicates a full week to enjoying, the Negroni stems directly from the Americano, which is composed of Campari, Cora-brand amaro slightly bitter, cinnamon and orange peel liquor), sparkling water and lemon. According to Grant Sceney, the Negroni's roots can be traced to Florence and the Caffè Casoni in 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni requested an Americano “with a bit more kick.” The bartender replaced the sparkling water with gin and the new cocktail took off.
“By design, it appears quite simple," says Sceney. "Three ingredients equally measured and stirred with a bit of citrus on top, but within this simplicity is a complex and unique platform to evolve and change at the bartender’s hand.” He also notes the type of gin and vermouth can noticeably alter the balance and the strength of the botanical elements.
The Rum Daiquiri
Named for the Cuban beach town in which it was invented, the rum daiquiri came to be by happy accident in 1896. Chabaane explains American engineer Jennings Cox was managing properties in Cuba when he added lime juice and sugar to the island’s pure cane rum to make it more palatable for gin drinkers. Later, it became popular in the U.S. by way of Rear Admiral Lucius Johnson, a naval medical officer, who debuted the cocktail at Washington D.C.’s Army and Navy Club, where it’s still on the bar menu today.
Due to the recipe’s ingredients, Chabaane believes the cocktail existed long before the late 19th century. “Marco Polo related stories of how the Malay people were serving a ‘very good sugar,’ which I believe was a kind of rum derivative—certainly a cane sugar-based alcohol. And with lime being around, I’m sure someone must have thought of putting the two together.” He also notes how Ti’ Punch, a French West Indies pick-me-up, is “basically an unshaken daiquiri” made with Rhum Agricole (a spirit from freshly squeezed cane juice), lime and sugar, that he believes dates back to much earlier times.
The Ramos Gin Fizz
This is, Sceney reveals, “the cocktail bartenders love to hate. It’s essentially an adult milkshake using gin.” Sounds good to us, and he agrees. “The creamy texture allows for the subtleties of the botanicals to shine through, delivering a citrusy and refreshing finish. What’s not to like?”
Shaken up for the first time in 1888 at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans by Henry C. Ramos, the gin fizz eventually became so popular that by Mardi Gras of 1915, Ramos had to hire a rotating chain of 20 “shaker boy” bartenders per shift to keep up with demand. The drink’s place in bar lore was solidified when the nearby Roosevelt Hotel trademarked the gin fizz in 1935.
While Sceney laments the two full minutes of shaking required to mix one can feel “nearly endless" and lead to a bartender’s arms going numb, he maintains it is worth every second, as long as “you’re not the one making it.”
The Mint Julep
With bourbon, spearmint leaves, sugar syrup and ice, the signature cocktail of the Kentucky Derby first appeared as a stomach curative in literature in 1784. Chabaane recommends bartending pioneer Jerry Thomas’s tome, Bar-Tender’s Guide—the first book dedicated to mixed drinks published in the U.S.—for a full description of this Southern standby. The text also features julep recipes featuring five starring liquors: Whiskey, brandy, gin, Cognac and sparkling Moselle wine.
Traditionally served in silver cups, the crushed ice acts on the metal tumblers and frosts over—a welcome sight on smoldering summer days. Chabaane says the mint julep was one of the first showy drinks aimed at impressing guests, since “most of the ingredients were rare and expensive in the late 18th century. Being able to serve it meant you had access to an icehouse, silver cups and servants to properly make the julep.”
While this enduring sipper is primarily the territory of bourbon these days, he reminds us that “gin juleps had their time of glory” and continue to be a worthy alternative to the invigorating original.
After living for five years in Brazil, where he wrote restaurant, nightlife and hotel city guides for Time Out São Paulo and other publications, CM Gorey returned to his native New York City. With experience creating and revising content for corporate PR and social media campaigns for the art market, he also continues to translate Brazilian Portuguese works for film, television and theater.