- If you missed it, don’t be disappointed. You can celebrate your favorite cocktail all week long.
This week, a national day of celebration was held, but it’s entirely possible you may have been fighting the massive amounts of pollen to notice. Or you may have been busy keeping up with politics, or perhaps you were recovering from your mother-in-law’s recent visit. All of those things are enough to drive you to drink.
Did someone say drink? Remember that missed national day of celebration mentioned above? It was National Cocktail Day, celebrated each year on March 24. But don’t be disappointed that you missed it. You can celebrate your favorite cocktail all week long.
Like many national holidays, National Cocktail Day is a man-made holiday, created by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, the self-proclaimed “Holiday Queen.” She wrote articles about holidays for years before deciding to create a few of her own, one of which she dedicated to celebrating cocktails and those who make and drink them. And like many holidays, National Cocktail Day is a time to learn more about the reason for the holiday, in this case, the cocktail.
A Brief History of The Cocktails
Traditionally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters, many of our favorite libations today began as mixtures designed for medicinal purposes. For example, people once drank gin & tonics to cure malaria, and a Gimlet to prevent scurvy. Mimosas, made with orange juice topped with champagne, are said to be a remedy for a morning hangover. The same is said for a bloody Mary. The Atomic Cocktail is a champagne-based drink promoted by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the casinos in Las Vegas in the 1950’s. The cocktail is said to cure headaches, depression, and minor fevers. Anyone who has suffered from a winter cold knows that a hot toddy will keep the sniffles away (or at least you won’t care).
Cocktails may have originated in Britain, where large punch bowls in the 1700s were often filled with spirits, spices, fruit juice, and other ingredients. By the 1860s, individually crafted cocktails became popular. They made their way to the United States, ironically becoming even more popular during Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, leading to the proliferation of speakeasies.
During that time, inferior liquor was often served because it was easier to make. In order to make the sometimes-foul-tasting spirits more palatable, sweet additions like honey and fruit juices were added. The added benefit was that customers could down their drinks quickly should the speakeasy be raided.
The famous Rainbow Room in New York was where today’s cocktail culture began when a group of bartenders banded together in the 1990s to follow the strict quality standards set forth by their early predecessors. While today’s cocktails are undoubtedly more complex and creative, mixologists draw on traditional cocktails, adding their unique blend of special ingredients and interesting flavor profiles.
National Cocktail Day and More
If you’re still bummed that you missed the actual holiday earlier this week, there is some consolation – there are more fun holidays that revolve around alcoholic libations including National Beer Day on April 7, National Wine Day on May 25, and Mint Julep Day on May 30. National Bubbly Day is on June 1, not to be confused with Champagne Day on December 31.
National Cocktail Day has been such a popular holiday that there is an international celebration – World Cocktail Day is on May 13 – so now you can plan ahead. Leave a good tip for your favorite bartender, or plan a cocktail party at home and celebrate with friends. Just remember to drink responsibly.
If you’d rather stick to non-alcoholic beverages, you can celebrate National Iced Tea Day on June 10, with or without lemon. Or next year instead of celebrating National Cocktail Day, you can blow it out for National Cheesesteak Day or National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, both celebrated annually on March 24.
A few local bars are offering special cocktails this week to celebrate National Cocktail Day.
Amerigo
Amerigo offers a vast list of delicious Italian wines (which you can get a glass of for just $7 between 4-6 pm daily) and fun cocktails, such as the Fondren 75, made with Empress gin, lemon juice, simply syrup and sparkling wine and the Morgan Martini, made with vanilla vodka, dark crème de cacao, Kahlúa, Nocello walnut liqueur and espresso.
Char
The elevated local eatery offers an extensive wine list and many cocktails to indulge in — everything from classics, like a crisp Aperol Spritz, to unique originals like the Pamarita, made with Patron reposado, PAMA pomegranate liqueur, fresh lime juice, lemon and a sugar rim.
Saltine
The oyster bar and seafood restaurant serves everything from bubbly to tequila cocktails to gin cocktails and more. The drinks are all nautically themed, such as the Abandoned Ship, made with gin, lime, cucumber, salt and pepper, or the Eye of the Storm, made with tequila, orange, strawberry, lime and jalapeño.
