National Cocktail Day

The story

National Cocktail Day was created by holiday guru and freelance writer, Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, who thought it’d be fun to give cocktails their own special day. And we couldn’t agree more!

The term “cocktail” first appeared in print in 1806, though the drink itself likely existed long before that. Some believe it’s derived from the French word coquetier, meaning “egg cup,” used by Antoine Peychaud to serve a mix of bitters and brandy in the late 1700s.

By the early 1800s, whiskey mixtures were being called cocktails, and the craft of cocktail making started to gain popularity. By the 1860s, the invention of the cocktail shaker took the art of mixing drinks to a whole new level.

Fast forward to the 1920s during Prohibition, and cocktails became the go-to way to mask the harsh taste of bootleg alcohol. With fruit juices, honey, and spices mixed in, they made moonshine a little more palatable, all while adding some fun to the speakeasies of the time.

But cocktails aren’t just about masking bad booze. They’ve become a blend of science and art, with bartenders experimenting with flavors, textures, and colors. In fact, some modern cocktails are even known to change color right before your eyes!

The classic cocktails, though, are where the real history lies. From the Old Fashioned to the Sazerac to the Manhattan, these drinks offer a sense of nostalgia and sophistication that’s hard to beat.