Cocktails Named After Historical Figures: From Rossini to Margarita
The International Bartenders Association acknowledges 102 cocktails, yet there are numerous others. This piece showcases ten timeless cocktails inspired by notable historical figures. The Rossini, named for composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), blends sparkling wine with strawberry puree. The Bellini, crafted by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry's Bar in Venice, features peach puree and honors painter Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516). Likely created in the 1920s, the Bloody Mary pays tribute to Queen Mary I (r. 1553-1558). The Charlie Chaplin cocktail, first prepared in 1934, mixes sloe gin, apricot brandy, and lime juice. Additional cocktails include the Mary Pickford, Ginger Rogers, Shirley Temple, Rob Roy, and the Margarita, which was first documented in 1936.
Key facts
- The International Bartenders Association recognizes 102 cocktails.
- Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) was an Italian composer known for 39 operas including William Tell and The Barber of Seville.
- The Bellini was created by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice.
- Beau Brummell (1779-1840) was an English dandy and fashion icon.
- Queen Mary I ruled from 1553 to 1558 and earned the epithet 'Bloody Mary' for persecuting Protestants.
- The Charlie Chaplin cocktail was first mixed in 1934 and published in The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book by Albert Stevens Crockett.
- The Mary Pickford was created in the 1920s at the Hotel Sevilla-Biltmore in Havana.
- The Ginger Rogers was first created in 1995 by Marcovaldo Dionysos.
- The Shirley Temple was invented at Chasen's Restaurant in West Hollywood.
- The Rob Roy was first mixed in 1894 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
- The Margarita was first mentioned in print in 1936 by journalist James Graham.
- Jose Cuervo ran an ad campaign for the Margarita with the slogan 'Margarita: it's more than a girl's name.'
Entities
Artists
- Gioachino Rossini
- Giovanni Bellini
- Beau Brummell
- Queen Mary I
- King Henry VIII
- Charlie Chaplin
- Mary Pickford
- Douglas Fairbanks
- Ginger Rogers
- Fred Astaire
- Shirley Temple
- Rob Roy MacGregor
- Reginald De Koven
- Harry B. Smith
- James Graham
- Margarita Henkel
- Margarita Sames
- Rita de la Rosa
- Giuseppe Cipriani
- Albert Stevens Crockett
- Marcovaldo Dionysos
- Eddie Woelke
- Fred Kaufmann
Institutions
- International Bartenders Association
- Harry's Bar
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Fortnum and Mason
- United Artists
- Hotel Sevilla-Biltmore
- Chasen's Restaurant
- Waldorf Astoria
- Jose Cuervo
- Library of Congress
- National Portrait Gallery
- Wikimedia Commons
- Unsplash
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- New York
- United States
- London
- England
- Havana
- Cuba
- West Hollywood
- New York City
- Scotland
- United Kingdom
- Dallas
- Mexico