Cocktail: History Timeline — Key Dates from 1806 to the Craft Revival
Cocktail first defined in print: May 13, 1806. Jerry Thomas Bartender's Guide: 1862. Prohibition: 1920–1933. Craft revival: 1987 (Dale DeGroff). IBA founded 1951. First printed Martini recipe: 1884.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First printed cocktail definition | 1806 | May 13 (The Balance, Hudson NY) | Defined as 'a stimulating liquor composed of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters' |
| First cocktail book | 1862 | year | Jerry Thomas: 'How to Mix Drinks' — 10 cocktails, 3 punches, cobblers, smashes; first Blue Blazer |
| Vermouth arrives in United States | 1850s | decade | Italian and French vermouth imports enabled Manhattan, Martinez, and later Martini |
| Prohibition start | 1920 | January 17 | 18th Amendment; Volstead Act enforcement; drove 30,000+ speakeasies in NYC alone |
| Prohibition end | 1933 | December 5 (21st Amendment) | 13-year gap; significant US whiskey aging stock depleted; cocktail culture partially exported |
| IBA founding year | 1951 | year | International Bartenders Association; standardizes official cocktail list (now 77 drinks) |
| Craft cocktail revival | 1987 | year (approx.) | Dale DeGroff at Rainbow Room, NYC; fresh juice, proper technique, pre-Prohibition recipes |
| Molecular gastronomy cocktail era | 2000s | decade | Ferran Adrià, Dave Arnold, Heston Blumenthal; centrifuges, rotary evaporators, liquid nitrogen |
The cocktail has a documented history of 220 years — from a one-line newspaper definition in 1806 to a globally codified craft practiced in 192 countries. The evolution was not linear: the complexity of the 1890s golden age was partially lost in Prohibition, partially recovered in the 1930s–1940s, degraded again in the convenience culture of the 1950s–1970s, and rebuilt from historical sources in the craft revival of the 1990s–2000s.
Cocktail History Timeline
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1806 | First printed cocktail definition (The Balance, Hudson NY) | Four-ingredient model (spirit + sugar + water + bitters) established |
| 1830s | Ice harvesting industry (Frederic Tudor) | Reliable, affordable ice transforms drinking culture |
| 1850s | Italian/French vermouth arrives in US | Enables Manhattan, Martini, Martinez family |
| 1862 | Jerry Thomas publishes How to Mix Drinks | First cocktail book; codifies pre-Civil War technique |
| 1884 | First printed Martini recipe (O.H. Byron) | Dry vermouth + gin format documented |
| 1890s | Cocktail golden age | Fixes, Rickeys, Cobblers, Collins, Tom & Jerry at peak |
| 1900 | Pegu Club opens in Rangoon | Colonial gin culture; Pegu Club cocktail classic |
| 1919 | Negroni allegedly invented, Florence | Equal-parts bitter aperitivo formula |
| 1920 | Prohibition begins in US | 30,000+ speakeasies; American bartenders emigrate to Europe |
| 1933 | Prohibition ends | Craft partially recovers; tiki era begins (Don the Beachcomber) |
| 1934 | Don the Beachcomber opens, Hollywood | Founding of tiki culture and tropical cocktail tradition |
| 1951 | IBA founded | International cocktail standardization begins |
| 1987 | Dale DeGroff at Rainbow Room, NYC | Craft revival; fresh juice, historical recipes |
| 2000 | Milk & Honey opens, NYC | Template for modern craft cocktail bar |
| 2008 | Global financial crisis + cocktail boom | Post-crash artisanal spirits movement; small-batch distilleries multiply |
| 2010s | Japanese whisky and gin boom | Suntory/Nikka global recognition; gin renaissance |
| 2020s | Low/no-ABV movement | Ritual, Seedlip; aperitivo culture; spritz dominance |
The Geography of Cocktail Development
The cocktail canon is primarily American in origin but was preserved and advanced in Europe during Prohibition:
- United States (1800s–1919): Old Fashioned, Martini, Manhattan, Daiquiri (Cuba/US naval), Whiskey Sour
- Cuba / Havana (1920s–1940s): Daiquiri refinements, Mojito, El Presidente; American expat bartenders (Sloppy Joe’s, El Floridita)
- London / Paris (1920s–1940s): American bartenders bring pre-Prohibition technique; Sidecar, White Lady, Corpse Reviver No.2 codified
- United States (1987–present): Craft revival reconstructs and expands; new American classics emerge
Related Pages
Sources
- Wondrich, D. (2010). Imbibe! Updated and Revised Edition. Perigee Books.
- Thomas, J. (1862). How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon Vivant's Companion. Dick & Fitzgerald.
- Grimes, W. (2001). Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail. North Point Press.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the word 'cocktail' first used in print?
The word 'cocktail' in its alcoholic beverage sense first appeared in print on May 13, 1806, in The Balance and Columbian Repository newspaper of Hudson, New York. Editor Harry Croswell, responding to a query from a reader, defined it as: 'a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.' This definition exactly describes the Old Fashioned. David Wondrich identified this source in the early 2000s; it predates all other known printed uses by several years. Earlier uses of the word 'cock-tail' in other senses (horse breeding, a type of horse) go back to the 1700s but have no connection to the drink.
Who was Jerry Thomas and why does he matter?
Jerry Thomas (1830–1885) was the first celebrity bartender — a showman, traveler, and codifier of cocktail technique. His 1862 book How to Mix Drinks (also published as The Bar-Tender's Guide) was the first cocktail book published in America, containing 10 cocktail recipes, 3 punch recipes, cobblers, smashes, juleps, and other mixed drinks. He is credited with inventing the Blue Blazer (flaming whiskey poured between two metal mugs in an arc). His New York saloons drew crowds. Without his codification work, most pre-Civil War cocktail knowledge would have remained entirely in oral tradition. Wondrich wrote the definitive biography in Imbibe!
What is the craft cocktail revival and when did it start?
The craft cocktail revival refers to the movement that returned pre-Prohibition cocktail techniques, fresh ingredients, and historical recipes to American bars. Most historians trace its formal beginning to 1987, when Dale DeGroff began working at the Rainbow Room in New York City under restaurateur Joe Baum, with instructions to recreate the pre-Prohibition cocktail experience using fresh juices and proper techniques. DeGroff mentored a generation of bartenders who spread throughout NYC in the 1990s. Sasha Petraske's Milk & Honey (opened 2000) became the template for the modern craft cocktail bar: reservations, house rules, seasonal menu, no flair. The movement spread globally through the 2000s–2010s.
What happened to cocktail culture during and after World War II?
WWII had a complex effect on cocktail culture. Wartime rationing limited grain spirits (whiskey, gin) in the US, driving consumption of rum (from the Caribbean, not rationed) and sustaining the tiki culture's popularity. Post-war prosperity and the rise of suburban culture created demand for simplified, approachable drinks — the vodka martini, the highball, the Bloody Mary. The 1950s–1970s saw a decline in cocktail craftsmanship as convenience products (pre-mixed sours, bottled sweeteners, maraschino cherries) replaced fresh ingredients. This 'dark ages' of American cocktail culture lasted until the 1987 revival.