National Cocktail Day

National Cocktail Day celebrates all types of cocktails, and also encourages people to create their own cocktails. It was created by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway. Cocktails usually consist of a wine or distilled beverage—such as whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, or tequila—mixed with ingredients such as soda, liqueurs, fruit, or juice. The word “cocktail” has been in print since at least 1803 but probably predates that. The word is possibly derived from the French word “coquetier,” which means “egg cup.” Egg cups held a concoction of bitters and brandy and were served by Antoine Peychaud after he arrived in New Orleans in 1795. The word appeared in a Hudson, New York, newspaper—the Balance—in 1806. By about 1800, a mixture of various whiskeys was called a cocktail. Cocktail shakers were invented in the 1860s. A cocktail hour is a time during the late afternoon or early evening when people enjoy a cocktail before dinner. The term is thought to have originated in New York City during Prohibition.

How to Observe National Cocktail Day
Celebrate the day by having a few cocktails. Try them shaken, stirred, on the rocks, or frozen. Come up with your own cocktail, or make yourself some using recipes from the International Bartenders Association. Some common cocktails that they supply recipes for include:

• Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned or a Manhattan
• Brandy Alexander
• Daiquiri
• Martini
• Bloody Mary
• Harvey Wallbanger
• Margarita
• Mimosa
• Mint Julep
• Mojito
• Piña Colada

Credit: checkiday.com