Foundation for Cocktails

Have you ever sat sipping a martini and thought to yourself: where was the first place a dirty martini was ever drank? Who thought up the Mojito? I hope these answers satisfy your thirst.

 the Mojito originated in Cuba

In the 19th century, African slaves worked in the Cuban sugar cane fields. They used sugar cane for sweetener. Mojito was named after "Mojo" a Cuban lime seasoning. The drink became famous by Earnest Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway made the bar "La Bodeguita del Medio," in Key West, Florida, famous by becoming one of the regulars. He wrote "My Mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita." This expression can be read on the wall of the bar today.

the Martini originated in San Francisco

In the early 1860s, it is said that the Martini evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez, served at the Occidental Hotel, in San Francisco. People frequented the place before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town of Martinez. It gained in popularity when it was discovered James Bond frequented the beverage--shaken, not stirred--of course.

the Margarita originated in Mexico

The Margarita was invented in October 1941, at Hussong's Cantina. The bartender was Don Carlos Orozco. Don Carlos experimented with mixing new drinks. One day Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador, came in and Carlos offered to name the drink he made after Margarita if she would be the first person to taste it. In 1953 Esquire Magazine named the Margarita "cocktail of the month."

The Cosmopolitan originated in Ohio.

The Cosmopolitan has "Sex and the City" and Provincetown, Massachusetts for its popularity. However, its origin was not in New England. John Cain came upon Cosmos being sold in Ohio and brought them to his string of bars in San Francisco.  The Cosmo was bounced around independently  by bars in the 1970s. In the 1980s John Caine moved them to a stronger market where their popularity grew from there. 

The Piña Colata originated in Puerto Rico

The Piña olata was created August 16, 1954 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the "Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber." Its creator was Ramón Marrero. The hotel management asked their bartender to make a new drink to impress the palates of its star-studded clients. Marrero accepted the challenge. After three months of blending, shaking and experimenting, the first Piña Colada was created. Rupert Homes' song "Escape" featured the line, "If you like Pina Colatas and getting caught in the rain." Established the drink to more then a destination travel beverage.