Why are cocktails called cocktails?

Humans have enjoyed booze for thousands of years: that’s a fact backed up by history. The earliest recorded alcoholic drink was a mix of rice, honey, and grapes. Then, there were the Ancient Egyptians, who worshipped the God Asar, protector of wine and beer.

In Greece, mead was the main tipple of choice. If you wanted quality wine in 5000 BC, you needed to visit the northern mountains of Iran.

As our need for ale grew stronger, we invented distillation, created higher-quality ingredients, and learnt the art of patience when it came to drinking (a process known as ‘ageing’).

This long journey brings us to today: the land of martinis and margaritas. The word literally means an alcoholic drink mixed with other ingredients. But why are cocktails called cocktails?

Where did the word actually come from?

A time machine would be great. But since we can’t do it all at Salt Dog’s, we’ll let the real historians take over.

When were the first recorded instances of the word ‘cocktail’?

The earliest known example of a ‘cocktail’ (as it’s used today) appears in a 1798 London newspaper, The Morning Post and Gazetteer.

In America, ‘cocktail’ first surfaced in a magazine in 1803. The article describes a person drinking a glass of ‘cocktail’ in the morning as a remedy for illness:

“Drank a glass of cocktail – excellent for the head…”

But the first dictionary definition of ‘cocktail’ appears in the 13 May 1806 edition of The Balance and Columbian Repository. In response to a reader’s question about what the word means, the editor defines “cocktail” as:

“A stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters”

While it’s nice to see cocktails have been around for a while, where the term came from is another matter. From archaeological evidence to wild urban myths, there are several ways the word ‘cocktail’ may have come into being, but which you believe is up to you.

 

Why are cocktails called cocktails?

The Docked Horse theory (from Cock and Tail)

The most plausible explanation for the origin of ‘cocktail’ is the Docked Horse theory.

The idea comes from the practice of ‘docking’, which involved trimming a horse’s tail to prevent it from becoming entangled in harnesses (this was especially common for mixed-breed horses).

‘Docking’ a horse’s tail would then cause it to stand upright and resemble a rooster’s tail; these horses were referred to as ‘cock-tailed’. Over time, cocktail became a colloquial term for horses of mixed lineage.

Later, it was applied to mixed drinks! Who knew?

The Aztec theory (from Xochitl)

On the more fantastical side, some attribute ‘cocktail’ to a name found in Aztec culture.

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, ‘Xochitl’ (pronounced ‘sho-chee-tl’) translates to ‘flower.’ According to legend, Xochitl was an Aztec princess who was ordered by her father to serve guests mixed, alcoholic drinks.

Her name, now associated with this beverage, supposedly became the word ‘cocktail’.

 

 

The Egg Cup theory (from Coquetier)

If you’re wondering where the intersection of egg cups and alcoholic drinks meet, urban legend points the finger at Antoine Amédée Peychaud.

The legendary creator of Peychaud’s Bitters reportedly served his regulars a concoction of brandy mixed with bitters (in egg cups!) With the French word for egg cup meaning ‘coquetier’, the theory is that this word later evolved into the English ‘cocktail’,

The Dregs theory (from Cock tailings)

In today’s bar culture, the dregs of your drink go straight down the sink.

But travel back a hundred years to an old English pub, and you may have caught the cost-savvy tavern owners collecting the ‘dregs’ (also known as ‘tailings’) from nearly empty barrels of various spirits into a single cask.

This mixture was then sold at a reduced price. But where does ‘cocktail’ come into it?

Well, the spigot of a barrel was often referred to as a ‘cock,’ which, when filled with the evening ‘trailings’, became cocktailings (and later, shortened to just cocktails!)

The Mixer theory (from Cola De Gallo)

Stirring a cocktail is a great way to awaken the flavours, and according to stories from English travellers, no one knew this better than Mexican bartenders.

In between sailing journeys, English soldiers were reportedly impressed by the tavern’s tactic of stirring drinks using a root known as ‘cola de gallo’ (which translates to ‘cock’s tail’ in English).

The sailors adopted the term ‘cock’s tail’ to describe these mixed drinks and introduced it to England, where it eventually evolved into ‘cocktail’ (or so the story goes!)

The Cockerel theory (from Cock-ale)

If you think a Bloody Mary tastes bad, be thankful you weren’t around in 17th and 18th-century England. ‘Cock-ale’ was a mixture of ale and the jelly or minced meat of a boiled cockerel, which was then combined with fruits and spices.

The Feather theory (from Cock-tail, Betsy Flanagan)

Other stories attribute the cocktail to an old tale from the American Revolutionary War.

It involved an innkeeper named Betsy Flanagan, who ran a tavern that was popular with both American and French soldiers.

The story posits that one day, in 1779, she stole chickens from a nearby British-owned farm, roasted them, and served the meal for her regulars. To mark the occasion, she also served them alcoholic drinks with the tail feathers of the roasted cocks.

Amazed by this gesture, the soldiers reportedly toasted Betsy by shouting, “Vive le cocktail!”

Try a cocktail at Salt Dog Slims Liverpool and Manchester locations!

So, why are cocktails called cocktails?

Basically, we don’t know. There are so many answers, but none of them can ever be confirmed. What we can do is keep the legacy of the cocktail going strong. Rock on down to Salt Dog Slims to try some of the North West’s worst-kept secrets.

We’ve got classic tipples like the 70s pornstar and Espresso Martini. Or, you can try some of our personal concoctions. Get our Rum For Your Money and Fancy Bastard cocktail (preferably, one in each hand).

In the event you’re also a quiz lover, Salt Dog’s monthly Steins, Brines, and Question Times nights are anything but standard. Bring your friend group for a night of hot dogs, weird questions and even weirder prizes (anyone fancy a new toaster?)

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