39-417: A flaming drink is a cocktail or other mixed drink that contains flammable, high-proof alcohol , which is ignited before consumption. The alcohol may be an integral part of the drink, or it may be floated as a thin layer across the top of the drink. The flames are mostly for dramatic flair. However, in combination with certain ingredients, the flavor of the drink is altered. Some flavors are enhanced, and
78-492: A hot toddy made with Scotch into a "blazing stream of liquid fire": The "blue blazer" does not have a very euphonious or classic name, but it tastes better to the palate than it sounds to the ear. A beholder gazing for the first time upon an experienced artist, compounding this beverage, would naturally come to the conclusion that it was a nectar for Pluto rather than Bacchus. The novice in mixing this beverage should be careful not to scald himself. To become proficient in throwing
117-452: A sugar cube inside the shell helps in two ways. First, it acts as a wick to present a better flame, and secondly, it adds weight to the shell and helps to prevent it from tipping into the drink. The caramelized sugar cube is edible if it is not burned too badly. A fruit shell with flaming sugar may also be placed on a drink for presentation or for delaying the lighting of flaming shots. A smaller fruit slice or peel may also be used instead of
156-476: A bartender's guide called How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion which included 10 cocktail recipes using bitters, to differentiate from other drinks such as punches and cobblers. Cocktails continued to evolve and gain popularity throughout the 1900s, with the term eventually expanding to cover all mixed drinks. In 1917, the term cocktail party was coined by Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis , Missouri . With wine and beer being less available during
195-545: A beverage appeared in The Farmers Cabinet, 1803, . The first definition of a cocktail as an alcoholic beverage appeared three years later in The Balance and Columbian Repository ( Hudson, New York ) May 13, 1806. Traditionally, cocktail ingredients included spirits, sugar, water and bitters; however, this definition evolved throughout the 1800s to include the addition of a liqueur . In 1862, Jerry Thomas published
234-419: A bottle, is referred to as flair bartending . A little flair, such as a quick flip or spin of a bottle, is a fairly common way for bartenders to impress patrons and enhance the drinking experience. However, preparing a flaming drink for a patron represents a significantly escalated level of flair. Bars and nightclubs that specialize in this style of bartending tend to develop reputations for it, and people visit
273-566: A citrus half, especially if the slice is meant to be bitten into after drinking the alcohol; small fireproof dishes may also be used. Absinthe is traditionally prepared following the French ritual, in which sugar cubes are slowly dissolved into the absinthe by the pouring or dripping of ice-cold water over the cubes; the mixture of the water with the hydrophobic botanical oils in absinthe causes it to become cloudy, or louche . While this traditional method of preparation involves no flame, absinthe
312-508: A common item in liquor stores. In the modern world and the Information Age , cocktail recipes are widely shared online on websites. Cocktails and restaurants that serve them are frequently covered and reviewed in tourism magazines and guides. Some cocktails, such as the Mojito , Manhattan , and Martini , have become staples in restaurants and pop culture. The term cocktail can refer to
351-507: A few well-known dishes that utilize this method for both imparting complex flavors in the food and, in the case of all but the last, a spectacle performed at the tableside. During the Victorian era , flaming steamed puddings became a tradition. In the mid-1800s, a typical saloon would serve basic spirits, such as whiskey, brandy, or gin. For a sweet variation, a little sugar might be added. For special occasions and depending on availability of
390-417: A flaming drink. In theory, any drink with 40% = 80 proof or more alcohol will ignite, although it takes at least 50% = 100 proof to produce a steady flame. This is a list only of ones mentioned in verifiable mainstream media sources. Any comments about liquors are attributed to the listed sources Beer , with its high water content, is used in many cocktails both to quench flames and for flavor. For example, in
429-425: A mix of cognac with a dash of his bitters. Several authors have theorized that "cocktail" may be a corruption of " cock ale ". There is a lack of clarity on the origins of cocktails. Traditionally cocktails were a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters . By the 1860s, however, a cocktail frequently included a liqueur . The first publication of a bartenders ' guide which included cocktail recipes
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#1732869205088468-454: A person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else. Other origins have been suggested, as corruptions of other words or phrases. These can be dismissed as folk etymologies , given the well-attested term "cock-tail" for a horse. Dale DeGroff hypothesizes that the word evolved from the French coquetier , for an eggcup in which Antoine A. Peychaud, creator of Peychaud's Bitters , allegedly used to serve his guests
507-457: A stimulating drink, like pick-me-up . This agrees with usage in early citations (1798: "'cock-tail' (vulgarly called ginger)", 1803: drink at 11 a.m. to clear the head, 1806: "stimulating liquor"), and suggests that a cocktail was initially considered a medicinal drink, which accords with the use of bitters. Etymologist Anatoly Liberman endorses as "highly probable" the theory advanced by Låftman (1946), which Liberman summarizes as follows: It
546-522: A wide variety of drinks; it is typically a mixed drink containing alcohol. When a combined drink contains only a distilled spirit and a mixer , such as soda or fruit juice , it is a highball . Many of the International Bartenders Association Official Cocktails are highballs. When a mixed drink contains only a distilled spirit and a liqueur , it is a duo, and when it adds cream or a cream-based liqueur, it
585-426: Is a mixed drink , usually alcoholic . Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups , tonic water , shrubs , and bitters . Cocktails vary widely across regions of the world, and many websites publish both original recipes and their own interpretations of older and more famous cocktails. A well-known 'cocktail' in ancient Greece
624-423: Is a highly flammable liquor and is thus suitable for use in flaming cocktails. An alternative, Bohemian (Czech) ritual involves fire, but does not (directly) ignite the actual drink itself. Instead of slowly dissolving the sugar with cold water, the sugar cube is doused in absinthe and lit on fire. This results in caramelized sugar dripping into the absinthe, which considerably changes the flavor. This fire ritual
663-427: Is a modern invention, originating in the 1990s and initially meant to distract from the fact that Czech absinthes of that era were often simply overproof vodkas with artificial coloring and flavoring. The pyrotechnic nature of the ritual has nevertheless resulted in a degree of enduring popularity even as the quality of such absinthes improved. Many different liquors and combinations thereof can be used as ingredients in
702-431: Is a trio. Additional ingredients may be sugar, honey , milk, cream , and various herbs. Mixed drinks without alcohol that resemble cocktails can be known as "zero-proof" or "virgin" cocktails or "mocktails". The origin of the word "cocktail" is disputed. It is presumably from "cock-tail", meaning "with tail standing up, like a cock's", in particular of a horse, but how this came to be applied to alcoholic mixed drinks
741-399: Is unclear. The most prominent theories are that it refers to a stimulant, hence a stimulating drink, or to a non-purebred horse, hence a mixed drink. Cocktail historian David Wondrich speculates that "cocktail" is a reference to gingering , a practice for perking up an old horse by means of a ginger suppository so that the animal would "cock its tail up and be frisky", hence by extension
780-692: The Old Fashioned whiskey cocktail, the Sazerac cocktail, and the Manhattan cocktail. The ingredients listed (spirits, sugar, water, and bitters) match the ingredients of an Old Fashioned , which originated as a term used by late 19th-century bar patrons to distinguish cocktails made the "old-fashioned" way from newer, more complex cocktails. In the 1869 recipe book Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks , by William Terrington, cocktails are described as: Cocktails are compounds very much used by "early birds" to fortify
819-592: The Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933), liquor-based cocktails became more popular due to accessibility, followed by a decline in popularity during the late 1960s. The early to mid-2000s saw the rise of cocktail culture through the style of mixology which mixes traditional cocktails and other novel ingredients. By 2023, the so-called "cocktail in a can" had proliferated (at least in the United States) to become
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#1732869205088858-423: The flaming Dr. Pepper , a flaming shot glass full of liquors is dropped into a large beer mug and immediately consumed. There are many flaming drinks, and creative bartenders frequently invent new drinks and variations on existing drinks. This is a list only of drinks mentioned in verifiable mainstream media sources. Any comments about drinks are attributed to the listed sources. Cocktail A cocktail
897-441: The 1980s with vodka often substituting for the original gin in drinks such as the martini . Traditional cocktails began to make a comeback in the 2000s, and by the mid-2000s there was a renaissance of cocktail culture in a style typically referred to as mixology that draws on traditional cocktails for inspiration but uses novel ingredients and often complex flavors. Tiki bar Too Many Requests If you report this error to
936-418: The United States (1920–1933), when alcoholic beverages were illegal, cocktails were still consumed illegally in establishments known as speakeasies . The quality of the liquor available during Prohibition was much worse than previously. There was a shift from whiskey to gin , which does not require aging and is, therefore, easier to produce illicitly. Honey, fruit juices, and other flavorings served to mask
975-401: The act of setting a spray of orange oil is performance more than culinary enhancement. This technique can be done anytime a twist of citrus is called for in a drink recipe; however, drinks with stronger flavors are better for this than delicate ones. Since, after squeezing, the peel will be rubbed around the edge of the glass and then placed in the drink, it is best to use very clean fruits. Also,
1014-412: The establishment as much for the show as they do for the drinks. The skin of most citrus fruits, especially oranges and lemons , contains flammable volatile oils . When a slice of peel is squeezed over a drink above a flame, such as from a match or a lighter, the resulting spray passes through the flame and is slightly caramelized and produces a sparkle effect. Any change in flavor is subtle, but
1053-402: The foul taste of the inferior liquors. Sweet cocktails were easier to drink quickly, an important consideration when the establishment might be raided at any moment. With wine and beer less readily available, liquor-based cocktails took their place, even becoming the centerpiece of the new cocktail party . Cocktails became less popular in the late 1960s and through the 1970s, until resurging in
1092-458: The fresher the fruit, the more oil there will be within the skin. A lemon, lime, or small orange is cut in half, hollowed out, and then typically floated inside an ornate tiki bowl filled with mixed liquors and fruit juices (such as a scorpion bowl group cocktail), or simply placed inside a large brandy snifter . A small amount of overproof rum (45% ABV or greater) is then poured into the hollowed out shell and carefully set on fire. Placing
1131-433: The ingredients, various punches , toddies , egg nogs , grogs , or mulled wines might be provided, especially at social events. Somewhere between at least the 1600s and the 1860s, people began to light the alcohol on fire. The first bartender 's manual, written by Jerry Thomas and published in 1862, contains the recipe for the first flaming cocktail, the blue blazer. The book, How to Mix Drinks , describes how to turn
1170-405: The inner man, and by those who like their consolations hot and strong. The term highball appears during the 1890s to distinguish a drink composed only of a distilled spirit and a mixer . Published in 1902 by Farrow and Jackson , "Recipes of American and Other Iced Drinks" contains recipes for nearly two dozen cocktails, some still recognizable today. The first "cocktail party" ever thrown
1209-540: The liquid from one mug to the other, it will be necessary to practise for some time with cold water. The cocktail was prominently featured in Samuel Fuller 's period journalism drama, Park Row (1952). Bars have been shut down specifically due to failure to follow fire codes and reckless endangerment of patrons. Bartenders have also suffered burns from flaming drinks. The art of preparing mixed drinks with style and pizazz, as opposed to simply pouring sedately from
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1248-470: The process may impart a toasted flavor to some drinks. While alcohol has historically been both consumed as a drink and used as fuel for fire, the first instance of a flaming alcoholic drink is uncertain. Many traditional recipes for food incorporate flaming alcohol as a key process or ingredient. This method of cooking is usually referred to as flambé . Bananas Foster , cherries jubilee , bombe Alaska , crêpe Suzette , steak Diane , and coq au vin are
1287-401: The question, "What is a cocktail?": Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters —it is vulgarly called bittered sling , and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, in as much as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because
1326-623: The word as originating in the U.S. The first recorded use of cocktail as a beverage (possibly non-alcoholic) in the United States appears in The Farmer's Cabinet , April 28, 1803: 11. [a.m.] Drank a glass of cocktail—excellent for the head...Call'd at the Doct's. found Burnham—he looked very wise—drank another glass of cocktail. The first definition of cocktail known to be an alcoholic beverage appeared in The Balance and Columbian Repository ( Hudson, New York ) May 13, 1806; editor Harry Croswell answered
1365-612: Was allegedly by Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis , Missouri , in May 1917. Walsh invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a Sunday. The party lasted an hour until lunch was served at 1 p.m. The site of this first cocktail party still stands. In 1924, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis bought the Walsh mansion at 4510 Lindell Boulevard, and it has served as the local archbishop's residence ever since. During Prohibition in
1404-617: Was an acceptable alcoholic drink, but diluted, not a "purebred", a thing "raised above its station". Hence the highly appropriate slang word used earlier about inferior horses and sham gentlemen. The first recorded use of cocktail not referring to a horse is found in The Morning Post and Gazetteer in London, England, March 20, 1798: Mr. Pitt, two petit vers of "L'huile de Venus" Ditto, one of "perfeit amour" Ditto, "cock-tail" (vulgarly called ginger) The Oxford English Dictionary cites
1443-472: Was customary to dock the tails of horses that were not thoroughbred [...] They were called cocktailed horses, later simply cocktails. By extension, the word cocktail was applied to a vulgar, ill-bred person raised above his station, assuming the position of a gentleman but deficient in gentlemanly breeding. [...] Of importance [in the 1806 citation above] is [...] the mention of water as an ingredient. [...] Låftman concluded that cocktail
1482-444: Was in 1862 – How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion , by "Professor" Jerry Thomas . In addition to recipes for punches, sours, slings, cobblers, shrubs, toddies, flips, and a variety of other mixed drinks were 10 recipes for "cocktails". A key ingredient distinguishing cocktails from other drinks in this compendium was the use of bitters . Mixed drinks popular today that conform to this original meaning of "cocktail" include
1521-641: Was named kykeon . It is mentioned in the Homeric texts and was used in the Eleusinian Mysteries . 'Cocktail' accessories are exposed in the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Greece). They were used in the court of Philip II of Macedon to prepare and serve mixtures of wine, water, honey as well as extracts of aromatic herbs and flowers, during the banquets. In the United States, a written mention of 'cocktail' as
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