One of the social necessities of being a part of a bigger, corporate or franchise based workforce, is attending the social or business social networking, popularly under the banner of “cocktail” evenings. At times, the conversations are silently laced with hunger pangs after a long day or the stress of the day filtering through the thoughts, which can be quite dangerous especially when thoughts and words don’t really gel well with the situation. While primarily the whole purpose is to extend the social “work based” or business connections, one can hardly ignore the “hors d’oeuvre” or appetizers as well as the baseline of the gathering, “cocktails or mocktails”.
“If it’s a cocktail party, I generally make five or six different things, and I try to choose recipes that feel like a meal: a chicken thing, a fish or shrimp thing, maybe two vegetable things, and I think it’s fun to end the cocktail party with a sweet thing.” Ina Garten
While the inventor of the cocktail evenings is quite a controversial topic, with some believing it to be Alec Waugh of London or Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri (May 1917). The former had detailed that the Alec Waugh noted that the first cocktail party in England was hosted by war artist Christopher Nevinson (1924) while Mrs. Walsh invited 50 guests to her house on a Sunday at high noon for a one-hour affair. The St. Paul’s Pioneer Press newspaper had declared that “The party scored an instant hit,” and stated that within weeks cocktail parties had become “a St. Louis institution”.
“A cocktail done right can really show your guests that you care.” Danny Meyer
Whether purely alcoholic or fruit based, a cocktail is essentially both palate satisfying as well as a work of “art”. As defined, “cocktail” is an alcoholic mixed drink, which is either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as fruit juice, lemonade, flavored syrup, or cream. Technically it contains alcohol, sugar and a bitter or citrus. While there are various types of cocktails, based on the number and kind of ingredients added; their origins are debated.
Also, when a mixed drink contains only a distilled spirit and a mixer, such as soda or fruit juice, it is a highball. When it contains only a distilled spirit and a liqueur, it is a duo. On adding a mixer to the duo, it becomes a “trio”. The additional ingredients may be sugar, honey, milk, cream, and various herbs. Mixed drinks without alcohol that resemble cocktails are known as “mocktails” or “virgin cocktails”.
“A cocktail can be made by the bartender. But the cocktail also can be made by the chef.” Jose Andres
The first use of the term “cocktail” is highly debatable. As per The London Telegraph, a satirical newspaper article (March 20, 1798) about what must have been a hell of a party had accounted the drinks imbibed by William Pitt (the younger) which included “L’huile de Venus,” “parfait amour,” and “‘cock-tail (vulgarly called ginger.)’” The challenge was whether “cocktail” in this article truly referred to an alcoholic drink, or something else. Another record was the article from The Farmer’s Cabinet ( Vermont, April 28, 1803), where to drink a cocktail was claimed to be “excellent for the head.” By 1806, the word “cocktail” had reached it’s current meaning as defined by the newspaper, Balance and Columbian Repository( May 13, 1806), the editor defined a cocktail as: “a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind – sugar, water, and bitters.”
The exact derivation is attributed to multiple origins. One origin of “cocktail” is as a mispronunciation of the French word for eggcup “coquetier” (said as cocktay in English). In the late 18th century, apparently Antoine Amédée Peychaud, a New Orleans apothecary and inventor of Peychaud bitters had served brandy mixed with his bitters in eggcups. The second belief states that the name is derived from the term “cock tailings,” which was the practice of tavern owners combining the dregs (tailings) of nearly empty barrels together into a single elixir that was sold at bargain prices. In those days, the spigot of a barrel was sometimes referred to as a “cock.” Another reference was from the “cock tail” of regular “adulterated” horses entered into the races with the thoroughbred horses of docked tails, which during the early 17th century. As Liquor and races go hand in hand, this theory states that “mixed or adulterated drinks” were likened to the “cocktail” of the regular ( non-thoroughbred) horses in the race.
Whatever and however the origin may be, from mocktail to cocktails, the evenings for social or business purposes need them to keep the conversations flowing, mixing work with comparatively less stress of the regular work schedule. With summer in full swing, it would make these occasions more entertaining as well as in demand.
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 