A traditional cocktail.

A cocktail is a style of mixed drinkA mixed drink is a type of beverage in which two or more different ingredients are mixed together to create a different drink.mixed drink. However, not all mixed drinks are cocktails. A cocktail usually contains one or more types of liquorA distilled beverage is a liquid preparation meant for consumption containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as fruit, vegetables, or grain. The word spirits generally refers to distilled beverages low in sugars and containing at least 35% alcohol by volume. Ginger Wine, baijiu, gin, vodka, rum, whisky, brandy, absinthe, tequila, and traditional German schnapps are types ...liquor and flavorings and one or more liqueursA liqueur is a sweet alcoholic beverage, often flavored with fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, roots, plants, barks, and sometimes cream. The word liqueur comes from the Latin word liquifacere which means "to dissolve." This refers to the dissolving of the flavorings used to make the liqueur. Liqueurs are not usually aged for long periods, but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry. In some parts of the world people use the words cordial and liqueur ...liqueurs, fruit juicesJuice is a liquid naturally contained in vegetable or fruit tissue. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree. Juice may be supplied in concentrate form, requiring the user to add water to reconstitute the liquid back to its 'original state' (Generally, concentrates have a noticeably different taste than their comparable "fresh-squeezed" versions). Juice should ...fruit juices, sauces, honeyHoney is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honey bees, and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for ...honey, milkMilk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). Mammary glands are highly specialized sweat glands. The female ability to produce milk is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborns before they are able to digest other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, ...milk, creamCream (from Greek chrisma) is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators". In many countries, cream is sold in several grades depending on total butterfat content. ...cream or spicesA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavoring, and indirectly for the purpose of killing and preventing growth of pathogenic bacteria. Many of the same substances have other uses in which ...spices, etc. The cocktail became popular with ProhibitionThis article discusses prohibition of alcohol. For prohibition of drugs, see Prohibition (drugs). The term Prohibition, also known as Dry Law, refers to a law in a country by which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. The term also applies to the periods in the histories of the countries during which ...Prohibition in the United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states, one federal district, and fourteen territories. The country is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere: its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie in central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico ...United States. During Prohibition the art of mixing drinks became more and more important to mask the taste of bootleggedMoonshine (sometimes known as Poitín, mooney, moonshizzle, mountain dew, moon, branch or creek water, hooch, squeezings, rot gut, gut rot, corn liquor, Portuguese grape juice, white lightning, and many others) is a common slang term for home-distilled alcohol, or whiskey for the hills, especially in places where this production ...bootlegged alcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. The general formula for a simple acyclic alcohol is CnH2n+1OH. Generally, the word alcohol, when used alone, usually refers to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol or (older) spirits of wine. Ethanol ...alcohol. The bartendersA bartender (barman, barkeep, barmaid, mixologist among other names) serves beverages behind a bar in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. This usually includes alcoholic beverages of some kind, such as beer (both draft and bottled), wine, ...bartenders at a speakeasyA speakeasy was an establishment that was used for selling and drinking alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920-1933, longer in some states), when the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol was illegal. The term comes from a patron's manner of ordering alcohol without raising suspicion — a bartender would tell a patron to be quiet and "speak easy". One former speakeasy, Chumley's, still exists in New York City at 86 Bedford ...speakeasy would mix it with other ingredients, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. After the repeal of Prohibition, the skills developed in illegal bars became widespread and heralded the golden era of the cocktail, the 1930sThe 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. The decade started off economically unsteady, with the stock market dropping early in 1930. However, late in 1930, stocks and the economy dropped more, and this time it didn't get better. People began to feel the effects of ...1930s. One of the oldest known cocktails, the CognacCognac (pronounced IPA: )), named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The rest of the cognac can consist of ten selected grapes. However, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only. It must be distilled twice ...Cognac-based SazeracThe Sazerac is one of the oldest known cocktails. The drink has its origins in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is based on a combination of Cognac and bitters created by Antoine Amédée Peychaud. There are currently many different recipes for the drink, involving some combination of Cognac, rye whiskey, absinthe, pastis, Peychaud's bitters, ...Sazerac, dates from 1850sNo quick definition available. 1850s New OrleansIts status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture, music, cuisine, its annual Mardi Gras, and other celebrations and festivals. The city is often referred to as "The most unique city in America."Institute of New Orleans History and Culture at Gwynedd-Mercy CollegeBehind the Scenes: Hurricane on the BayouMaps of World: New OrleansNew Orleans: A Choice Between Destruction and Reparations, by David Billings, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, November/December 2005BringNewOrleansBack.org Spike ...New Orleans, as many as 70 years prior to Prohibition.

Until the 1970sThe 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. In the Western world, the focus shifted from the social activism of the sixties to social activities for one's own pleasure, such as cocaine-fuelled, hedonistic all-night parties at discotheques and swinging parties. The seventies were characterized ...1970s, cocktails were made predominantly with ginGin is a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. Distilled gin is made by redistilling white grain spirit which has been flavoured with juniper berries. Compound gin is made by flavouring neutral grain spirit with juniper berries without redistilling and can be considered a flavoured vodka. The most common style of gin, typically used for mixed drinks, is London dry gin. London dry gin is made by taking a neutral grain spirit (usually produced in a column still) and redistilling after the botanicals are ...gin, whiskeyWhisky, or whiskey, refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak). Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Whisky derives from the Irish Gaelic uisce beatha, related to the Latin aqua vitae, both meaning "water of life".Lloyd, J & Mitchinson, J: "The Book of General ...whiskey or rumThis article is about the beverage. For the Hebridean island, see Rùm. For the former Turkish state, see Sultanate of Rûm. Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane byproducts such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other casks. The majority of rum production occurs in and around ...rum, and less commonly vodkaVodka is one of the world's most popular distilled beverages. It is typically a colorless liquid containing ethanol purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as grain or molasses. Except for various types of flavorings, vodka consists of water and alcohol (ethanol). Vodka usually has an alcohol content of 35% to 50% by volume. The classic Russian and Polish vodka is 40% (USA 80 proof). This can be attributed ...vodka. From the 1970sThe 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. In the Western world, the focus shifted from the social activism of the sixties to social activities for one's own pleasure, such as cocaine-fuelled, hedonistic all-night parties at discotheques and swinging parties. The seventies were characterized ...1970s on, the popularity of vodka increased dramatically, and by the 1980sThe 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. Particularly in the United Kingdom, this decade is often referred to as "the Me decade" or "the Greed decade", reflecting the economic and social climate of the period. During this time the word "yuppie" entered the lexicon in the United States and UK, referring to the well-publicized rise of a new middle class. College graduates in their ...1980s it was the predominant base for mixed drinks. Many cocktails traditionally made with gin, such as the gimletThe gimlet is a cocktail typically made of gin and lime juice (such as Rose's) A 1928 description of the drink was: "gin, a spot of lime, and soda" (D. B. Wesson, I'll never be Cured III). A 1953 description was: "a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose's Lime Juice and nothing else" (Terry Lennox in Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye). According to the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition of August 4 2006, a gimlet consists of the following: *2 ...gimlet, or the martiniThe martini is a cocktail made with gin and dry white vermouth, although substituting vodka for gin is now common. It is often described as being "crisp" or "astringent." Over the years, the martini has become perhaps the most well-known mixed alcoholic beverage. H. L. Mencken once called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet", and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude". It is also the ...martini, may now be served by default with vodka.