The brief history behind some of our favourite cocktails 

Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini is a modern, stimulating classic created in London in 1983 by legendary bartender Dick Bradsell at Fred's Club (or the Soho Brasserie). The story goes that a young model (often rumoured to be Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell, though neither has confirmed this) walked up to Bradsell’s bar and asked for something that would ‘wake me up, and then **** me up.’

Bradsell’s solution was to mix vodka, coffee liqueur, a shot of fresh espresso and sugar syrup. He originally called it a ‘Vodka Espresso’, later briefly renaming it ‘Pharmaceutical Stimulant’. It was eventually titled what we now know as ‘Espresso Martini’ due to the cocktail glass it was served in. Though now often made with either gin or vodka, it has no vermouth like a traditional martini. 

Fun fact: The drink is recognised by its trademark three coffee bean garnish. This is to symbolise health, wealth and after a few drinks most very likely, happiness.

Pornstar Martini

The Pornstar Martini is a modern classic that originated in London in the early 2000s. It was created by South African mixologist Douglas Ankrah while he was working at The Townhouse bar in Knightsbridge. Ankrah initially named the cocktail the ‘Maverick Martini’, but settled on the more provocative ‘Pornstar Martini’, stating he envisioned it as a drink a type of entertainment star would order, in other words: bold, sexy and confident.

Its signature feature is the presentation. Served with a shot of chilled Prosecco (or Champagne) on the side, which is traditionally meant to be drunk either as a palate cleanser before the cocktail or poured directly into the drink. 

Fun fact: It became the UK's best-selling cocktail in 2018, overtaking classics like the Old Fashioned and Negroni.

Sex on the Beach

The Sex on the Beach is a quintessential 1980s cocktail whose provocative name and fruity flavour propelled it to global fame. The most accepted origin story places its creation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A, in 1987.

A bartender reportedly created the mix of vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice as part of a promotion for peach liqueur. When asked for a name, he apparently jokingly - or provocatively - named it after the two biggest draws of the region: "Sex" and "the Beach." The drink quickly became an international icon of youth culture and summer parties, solidifying its place as one of the most requested and recognisable cocktails worldwide. 

Fun fact: A non-alcoholic version of the drink is often called a "Cuddles on the Beach."

The Cosmopolitan

The history of the deep pink-hued Cosmopolitan is highly debated, but rooted within the good old US of A. There are origin claims spanning both coasts of the U.S. and over different decades, too.

The name ‘Cosmopolitan’ for a cocktail appears as early as 1927 in Barflies and Cocktails, in a column by a certain Arthur Moss. That version bears little resemblance to what we know today as it was a mixture involving vermouths, vodka, whisky, etc.

Fifty years ago in 1975, a bartender named Neal Murray in the States claimed to have created a version by modifying a drink called a ‘Kamikaze’ (vodka + lime + triple sec) and adding some cranberry juice to it. This is often cited as one of the first steps toward what we now consider a Cosmo with its red tinge.

In 1968, Ocean Spray (other makers of cranberry juice are available) printed a cocktail recipe on its cranberry juice bottles called the ‘Harpoon’, which was made with vodka, cranberry and some optional lime. This is sometimes cited as a marketing precursor to the Cosmopolitan. However, the most direct ancestors to the modern classic came later. In or around 1985, a Bartender called Cheryl Cook in South Beach, Florida, created a visually stunning pink drink using Absolut Citron, Triple Sec, some Rose’s lime and yes some cranberry juice. 

Fun fact: Its cultural ascent was aided greatly by Sex and the City (the late 1990s–2000s TV show). The show’s lead, Carrie Bradshaw, often ordered 'Cosmos', which turned it into a fashionable emblem of urbane sophistication.

Piña Colada

The Piña Colada's history is steeped in the sunshine of Puerto Rico, where its name literally means ‘strained pineapple.’ While rum, pineapple and coconut mixtures existed for centuries and indeed, an early reference to a drink named "Piña Colada" appeared in 1922, the modern classic is widely credited to bartender Ramón "Monchito" Marrero Pérez at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan.

In 1954, he was tasked with creating a signature drink for the hotel and after three months, he perfected the blend of white rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice. Another bartender, Ramón Portas Mingot, also claims to have created it in 1963. 

Fun fact: Puerto Rico declared it the official drink of the island in 1978, cementing its status as a tropical icon.

Strawberry Daiquiri

The Strawberry Daiquiri is a vibrant, fruity variation of the classic Daiquiri, a Cuban cocktail invented in the late 19th or early 20th century by American engineer Jennings Cox near the Cuban town of Daiquirí. The original comprised just rum, lime juice and sugar.

The frozen version of the Daiquiri was popularised in the 1930s at El Floridita in Havana, due to the efforts of bartender Constantino Ribalaigua Vert and the new availability of powered blenders. The addition of fresh, sweet strawberries to the blend of rum, lime and ice created the Strawberry Daiquiri, which became hugely popular in the mid-20th century, particularly with the rise of tropical and so called ‘tiki’ bars. The drink is celebrated annually on 19th July over there as Strawberry Daiquiri Day. Well, why not indeed…

Fun fact: The classic, non-frozen Daiquiri was a favourite of both the late President John F. Kennedy and writer Ernest Hemingway.

So, now you know…