Cocktails Through The Decades

You can walk into almost any bar and order whatever cocktail you’d like, and they’ll easily be able to make it for you. But this wasn’t always the case. We didn’t have access to the variety of spirits and flavors we have today, which made for some creative cocktail making back in the day. Join us on a journey through time as we take you through 7 decades of cocktail decadence highlighting the most popular drink of choice for each time period.

1950’s Martini

The ease of gin manufacturing led to the popularity of the drink during prohibition, but it took on both a new class and a new spirit during the 1950’s. The “3 martini lunch” was common practice for cosmopolitan executives and businesspeople, and it was glamorized on tv and film. The vodka martini grew in popularity during this time due to the U.S. allowing the importation of Russian vodka which led the way to a variety of new vodka-based cocktails.

Classic Martini

Ingredients

• 3 oz vodka
• 1 oz dry vermouth
• 3 olives

Directions

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add the vodka and vermouth and shake until well chilled.
3. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with olives, and serve.

1960’s Mai Tai

In the 1960’s drinkers started caring about how their cocktails tasted as much as how well they functioned. With beach themes taking over music and film people wanted to enjoy the beach vibe without having to leave the house. Rum was wildly popular during this time and mixing it with some fruit juices was a delicious way to indulge. It even enjoyed a star turn in the Elvis film “Blue Hawaii” in 1961.

Mai Tai

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz white rum
• ¾ oz orange curaçao
• ¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ¾ oz orgeat
• ½ oz dark rum
• Garnish: lime wheel
• Garnish: mint sprig

Directions

1. Put the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums into a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and frosty.
3. Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.

1970’s Harvey Wallbanger

The Harvey Wallbanger was one of the first cocktails in the U.S. to branch out from just using gin, rum, vodka or tequila with some juice. The search for more exotic flavors didn’t stop with the introduction of Galliano, an Italian liqueur, but was just the beginning of our quest for tasty tipples.

Harvey Wallbanger

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ oz vodka
• ½ oz Galliano L’Autentico liqueur
• 3 oz orange juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: orange slice
• Garnish: maraschino cherry

Directions

1. Fill a tall glass with ice, then add the vodka and orange juice and stir.
2. Float the Galliano on top.
3. Garnish with a skewered orange slice and maraschino cherry.

1980’s Pina Colada

“If you like piña coladas...” then you can probably guess why this cocktail reached its height of popularity in the 1980s. “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes was the last number one hit of 1979 and continued its chart-topping reign into 1980, providing a surge in desire for the headlining cocktail.

Pina Colada

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup ice
• ½ cup diced pineapple, frozen
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 2 oz Coco Lopez coconut cream
• 1 1/2 oz white rum
• 1 oz dark rum
• Pineapple slices

Directions

1. Put the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums into a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and frosty.
3. Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.

1990’s Long Island Iced Tea

By the 90’s we had the flavors and variety we’d been craving so bad tasting drinks was no longer an issue. This gave rise to tasty but strong cocktails and the Long Island Iced Tea was both.

Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients

• ¾ oz vodka
• ¾ oz white rum
• ¾ oz silver tequila
• ¾ oz gin
• ¾ oz triple sec
• ¾ oz simple syrup
• ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Cola, to top
• Garnish: lemon wedge

Directions

1. Add the vodka, rum, tequila, gin, triple sec, simple syrup and lemon juice to a Collins glass filled with ice.
2. Top with a splash of the cola and stir briefly.
3. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
4. Serve with a straw.

2000’s Cosmopolitan

We can thank Carrie Bradshaw a la Sex in the City for the meteoric rise of this tasty treat. For many people, the cosmopolitan came to represent a refined and empowered sip that transported them to the glitz and glam of big city life without the high cost of living in New York.

Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz citron vodka
• ¾ oz Cointreau
• ¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ½ oz cranberry juice cocktail
• Garnish: lime wedge

Directions

1. Add the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

2010’s Old Fashioned

Another classic cocktail brought back to mainstream popularity by a TV show. This time it was Mad Men who fueled the resurgence. This was peak craft cocktail time in the U.S. and folks just couldn’t seem to resist those giant ice cubes and curl of orange peel.

Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 oz bourbon
• Garnish: orange peel

Directions

1. Add the sugar and bitters to a rocks glass, then add the water, and stir until the sugar is nearly dissolved.
2. Fill the glass with large ice cubes, add the bourbon, and gently stir to combine.
3. Express the oil of an orange peel over the glass, then drop in.

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