Summer Cocktails

Nowadays, cocktail culture and mixology are on everyone's lips, though few know about the illegal origins of this practice. Here’s a bit of history about the profession of bartenders and three recipes to surprise friends and family. In the 1920s, during the Prohibition era in the United States, bartenders had to hide. Anyone wanting to sell alcohol had to do so in hidden locations called speakeasies, places where the norm was to speak in whispers to avoid being discovered by authorities. In case their facade was uncovered, bartenders had to disguise the taste of the liquor used in each drink with various ingredients. This is how cocktails originated, alcoholic preparations with a pinch of ingenuity and creativity. Paradoxically, the same law that sought to eliminate the consumption of spirits became the driving force behind this new way of enjoying them. The word cocktail comes from the English cock’s tail. During Queen Victoria's time, English merchants arrived on Mexican shores to buy and sell precious woods, and during their stay, they enjoyed unmixed drinks like wine and rum in local bars. However, on some occasions, they ordered dracs, drinks mixed with different ingredients, and used metal spoons to mix them, which often added an unpleasant taste to the drink. One day, they observed a bartender using thin, smooth roots from a plant that they called cock's tail for its shape to avoid the bad flavor. The Englishmen asked what it was, and the bartender replied in their language that they were cock's tails. Today, there is a clear differentiation between cocktails for men and women, with men's cocktails being drier and more bitter, while women's cocktails are fruitier and sweeter. This second category has become increasingly popular during summer days, as opposed to men's drinks that may have more woody notes and smoky undertones, fruity cocktails instantly convey freshness. If you have a gathering coming up or simply need an excuse to dust off those bartending skills, the following are cocktails created by some of the best mixologists in the world and participants of the World Class Tournament 2013 held in the Mediterranean. Beyond the recipes, the only instruction is to enjoy. Cheers!   The Best Summer Cocktail Recipes Grapefruit Julep Recipe Ingredients: - 50 milliliters of vodka - 15 milliliters of fresh lemon juice - 8 mint leaves - 10 milliliters of pomegranate syrup - 25 milliliters of grapefruit juice - 10 milliliters of agave honey or aguamiel - 1 mint sprig - 1 slice of grapefruit To see the full recipe click here.   Blood and Sand Recipe Ingredients: - 25 milliliters of whisky - 17.5 milliliters of orange juice - 17.5 milliliters of sherry brandy - 17.5 milliliters of sweet vermouth - 1 cherry - 1 slice of orange peel To see the full recipe click here.   Mai Tai Recipe Ingredients: - 37.5 milliliters of aged rum - 16.5 milliliters of lemon juice - 12.5 milliliters of orange curaçao - 12.5 milliliters of syrup - 2 dashes of Angostura bitters - 1 slice of lime - 1 pinch of orange zest To see the full recipe click here.   If you have more cocktail recipes you love, share them with us by clicking here.   Tell us, what is your favorite cocktail?