When happiness is a day's work done and it's time for an hour of fun!
By Mermaid Debbie
It's Happy Hour somewhere! Happy Hour, also known as Cocktail Hour, has it's roots in the Prohibition Era (1920-1933) when the 18th Amendment and the Voldsted Act were passed. Alcohol consumption was banned and people began hosting their own "cocktail hours", also known as "happy hours", in speakeasy's (illegal drinking establishments.)
Happy Hour can also be traced to a term used by the United States Navy in the 1920s, "Happy Hour" was slang for a scheduled entertainment period on board a ship, before dinner, during which boxing and wrestling bouts took place; this was an opportunity for sailors to relieve the stress accumulated during the long periods at sea.
Happy Hour became a (legal) civilian term, commonly used in the 1960's. People would gather in the hour before dinner at bars and restaurants for drinks and appetizers. Most establishments ran "Happy Hour Specials," in which drinks and snacks were discounted during that hour.
Please see below, a compilation of some of the most popular, classic cocktails through the years.
A Manhattan cocktail can be made two ways: Sweet or Dry. Manhattan (sweet) 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounces) Bourbon or rye whiskey Stir with cracked ice; strain into glass. Add a cherry. Manhattan (dry) 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounces Bourbon or rye whiskey Stir with cracked ice; strain into glass. Add a cherry. Mint Julep, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby Begin by making a simple syrup. Simple syrup Simple Syrup Boil one part water with two parts sugar until it has a syrupy consistency. See, it really is simple! In a tall glass, muddle a few mint leaves with a dash of Angostura bitters. Add a tablespoon of simple syrup and fill glass with crushed ice. Pour Bourbon almost to the top. Garnish with mint leaves. Sip slowly. This drink is potent! Serve with a short straw Note: Choose a high-quality bourbon for the best results Why don't you slip out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini? ~Robert Benchley Classic Martini 2 1/2 oz gin or vodka Shaken or stirred? That is the question! Shaken: Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with 5 or 6 ice cubes. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist. Stirred: Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes. Stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the olive or lemon twist. 4 cubes ice Place ice cubes in a cocktail glass. Poor gin, tonic water, and lime juice over ice. Stir and garnish with lime wedge. Tom Collins Layer ingredients over ice in a short highball glass, otherwise know as a "Collins glass." Garnish with a cherry, lemon, lime, or orange slice. Special note: Make this a "skinny" cocktail by using 1 package of stevia instead of sugar or simple syrup. Screwdriver The Screwdriver, the simplest of all the cocktails was first referenced in the October 24, 1949 issue of Time magazine. The article read, "In the dimly lighted bar of the sleek Park Hotel, Turkish intelligence agents mingle with American engineers and Balkan refugees, drinking the latest Yankee concoction of vodka and orange juice, called a 'screwdriver'." The drink reportedly got its name because American petroleum engineers in Saudi Arabia secretly added vodka to small cans of orange juice and stirred the mixture with their screwdrivers. Who knew?! 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounce) vodka Put ice cubes int a 6 ounce glass. Add vodka; fill with orange juice and stir.
Rob Roy or (Scotch Manhattan) 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounce) Scotch whiskey Stir with cracked ice. Strain into cocktail glass; add a twist of lemon peel. Rusty Nail 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounce) Scotch Pour ingredients into a cocktail glass and stir; garnish with lemon twist
Mary Pickford The Mary Pickford cocktail was reportedly the favorite cocktail combination of the silent picture star of the 1920's. 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounces) light rum Combine the rum, pineapple juice, maraschino liqueur, and grenadine in a shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschio cherry. Rum Swizzle Juice 1/2 lime Mix in a glass pitcher with lots of crushed ice. Stir vigorously until the mixture foams. Serve in double Old-Fashioned glass. Special note: For a "skinny" version, substitute 1/2 package stevia for 1 teaspoon sugar. Cuban Mojito, from Havanah, Cuba This is the orginal Mojito recipe that Hemingway loved. 1 teaspoon powdered sugar Place the mint leaves in a Collins glass. Squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. Add powdered sugar and gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler. (or use the back of a spoon) Add crushed ice, rum and stir. Top off with club soda. Garnish with mint sprig. Stinger 1 jigger (1 1/2 ounce) brandy Shake well with cracked ice and strain into glass. Alexander 1 part fresh cream Shake with cracked ice and strain into cocktail glass Grasshopper 3/4 ounce fresh cream Shake with cracked ice or mix in electric blender; strain into glass. It's your favorite bar, the genius of its barman... the hum of the friendly crowd unwinding at the magic hour, when nothing pleases a Happy Hour fan... like a (Southern) Manhattan can! The Mermaids ask that you please drink responsibly! Always use a designated driver. Mermaids are not pretty swimming on their lips! View all of our recipes
Bourbon Cocktails...
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters (optional)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters (optional)
Make more than you think you will need for your gathering.
It will keep in the refrigerator.
Bourbon
Mint leaves
Angostura bitters
Crushed ice
Gin and Vodka Cocktails...
1/2 oz dry vermouth
A green olive or lemon twist for garnish
2 ounces gin
4 ounces tonic water (diet tonic can also be used)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 lime wedge
2 ounces gin
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ ounce simple syrup or 1 teaspoon super fine sugar
2-3 ounces soda water
orange juice
Scotch Cocktails...
1/2 jigger (3/4 ounce) sweet vermouth
Dash of angostura bitters
1/2 jigger (3/4 ounce) Drambuie
lemon twist for garnish
Rum Cocktails...
Hence the name!
1 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
1/2 teaspoon grenadine syrup
1 maraschino cherry
2 1/2 ounces light rum
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes bitters
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda
Dessert Cocktails...
1/2 jigger white creme de menthe
1 part creme de cacao
1 part Southern Comfort or gin or brandy
1 ounce creme de cacao
1 ounce green creme de menthe
~ From an advertising booklet by Southern Comfort
Oh my goodness!! So many cocktails I've never heard of! Perhaps I should start at the top of your list, and work my way down!!! LOL!
xxDaniella
Posted by: Daniella Hayes | May 27, 2011 at 06:33 PM