The Origins of Several Famous Classic Cocktails

Weird History Food takes an amusing look at the respective origin stories of some of the most famous classic cocktails ever. This list includes the Cuba Libre, the Gimlet, the White Russian, the Long Island Iced Tea, the Moscow Mule, the Negroni, Mint Julep, the Sazerac, and others. Some cocktails are a bit murky when it comes to their origins, while some came about by happy accidents, and some have nothing to do with what they’re named.

From the Long Island Iced Tea to the White Russian, some mixed drinks are so well known they’ve become household names. But those drinks didn’t just spring into being, somebody had to come up with a recipe for every single glass of headache juice you’ve ever sipped and the stories behind some of those drinks are genuinely fascinating.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.