Naming Cocktails

[Troy Sidle]

We've all done it. We've had an idea for a wonderful libation. We tried it, adjusted it, and developed a mighty tasty drink all our own. And now we must name this baby of ours. What a responsibility.

So, how do you go about it? What are the best names you've come up with?

[jmfangio]

Sometimes I'll start with a cool sounding name and idea and go from there, but even when it's something built purely by accident and/or experimentation, I try to come up with something evocative of the ingredients.

For example, a good friend of mine is part of a Lotus Elise owner's group, and during the LA Auto Show a couple of years ago we were hosting a dinner party for some Elise owners and Lotus executives, so I felt that I had to come up with an Elise cocktail - like the Elise (for you non-car people out there, a British sports car with a Toyota sourced engine) light, potent, and comprised of British and Japanese elements. So, I did a riff on the French 75 with Gin (Martin Miller's worked best), fresh yuzu, a dash of Rose's (the real British stuff), topped with sparkling sake.

I'm also a longtime fan of Hong Kong action movies, and in my real life job (movie business) I've done a lot of work in HK, so some friends suggested that I start naming cocktails after kung fu movies. So, I created a cocktail using Korean honey/ginger tea (which is kind of like a marmalade) and called it the Golden Swallow, after the 1968 Chang Cheh classic.

Another friend of mine loves the name Poison Dart for a cocktail, and wants it to be green, small, potent, and eminently quaffable. I took a go at this a few years ago when I was just getting into this hobby but, looking back, I think I can do better, so I'll have to take another go at this one.

[KatieLoeb]

Sometimes the name just works. A recent riff on the Moscow Mule that mimics Indian flavors (pomegranate, lime, ginger) provided the (I think) aptly named Mumbai Mule.

Sometimes your thinking has to be a bit more outside of the box. Named after a person, place or thing that it evokes. My particular bent seems to be a slight twist on the classics. My Rhuby Daiquiri is a twist on a Hemingway Daiquiri featuring a house made Rhubarb syrup and Ruby Red Grapefruit juice. So the name follows rather logically.

I love the idea of a Poison Dart. Some Green Chartreuse in the mix perhaps?

[slkinsey]

I have to say that my biggest peeve in all of cocktailery is the inappropriate naming of a new cocktail after an old cocktail, or an old category of cocktail

This is most pervasive in the practice of naming a cocktail the "[something or Other] Martini" -- but it can be seen across the board. A drink that does not include Cognac, Cointreau (or at least an orange liqueur) and lemon juice just shouldn't be called any species of Sidecar. Period.

For example: Phil Ward mixed me up a great Sidecar-inspired drink at Flatiron Lounge several years ago. It consisted of blended scotch (instead of Cognac), Drambuie (instead of Cointreau) and lemon juice, all in the recognizable Sidecar ratios, along with a short dash of Anostura. It was a tasty cocktail, but I would suggest that "Scottish Sidecar" or "Scotch Sidecar" would not be a useful, good or imaginative name. If one were determined to reference the Sidecar (and there is no reason to do so, considering that the Margarita is equally closely related) there are any number of names from which one could choose. For example, you could call it a Knockhill Cocktail (Knockhill being a major racetrack in Scotland where sidecar races are held).

I do think there are a few circumstances where naming a new drink after an old one makes sense:

First, when the new drink represents a minor tweak, a house formula or a specific iteration of the classic. For example, as we know, a simple gin and dry vermouth Martini can be made in almost infinite variations. A "Hoffman House Martini" tells you that you're getting a 2:1 Martini with orange bitters. The "[insert Name of Bar Here] Martini" may specify certain brands of gin and vermouth at a certain ratio, etc. Or, for example, The Violet Hour might have a house Martini fomulated to be refreshing on a hot day and dashed with some of Toby's Summer Bitters. It would not be inappropriate to call this drink their "Summer Martini."

Second, when the new drink is clearly evolved from and fundamentally related to the old drink. As it so happens, two drinks that always come to mind when making this point are from Audrey Saunders: her Tantris Sidecar and Gin Gin Mule. A regular Sidecar is made with Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice. The Tantris is made with Cognac, Calvados, Cointreau, Green Chartreuse, lemon juice and pineapple juice. At first glance, these don't seem to be very much related. But really what the drink has is Cognac and supplemented with a little Calvados to result in what could be considered "apple Cognac"; Cointreau supplemented with a little Chartreuse to result in what could be considered "spicy Cointreau"; and lemon juice supplemented with a little pineapple juice to result in what could be considered "tweaked lemon juice." Now we're back to Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice: a Sidecar. If the Cognac were replaced with Calvados instead of supplemented by it, or if the Chartreuse overwhelmed the Cointreau to the point that the Cointreau might as well not be in there, or if the drink just didn't taste like it had any relationship to a Sidecar -- then I wouldn't want to call it any species of Sidecar. The Gin Gin Mule, which substitutes gin for the Moscow Mule's vodka, could be seen as less strongly related to the old drink which inspired it -- but it's also true that there have historically been any number of cocktails named "Mule" (which presumably refers to the "kick" of the drink). Similarly, I wouldn't begrudge a properly styled drink from calling itself a species of "Corpse Reviver."

I think there are a lot of good names out there for drinks, if the mixologist just uses a little imagination. The Introduction to Aperol, the Silver Monk, the Van Brunt, the Red Hook, the French Pearl. . . the list could go on.

[mkayahara]

For example, you could call it a Knockhill Cocktail (Knockhill being a major racetrack in Scotland where sidecar races are held).

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Only it's no more a Cocktail than it is a Martini, right? So shouldn't it be a Knockhill Sour?

[phlip]

I sometimes swear it is harder name drinks than it is to create drinks. One system I have is being a voracious fiction reader I save characters, places, or even titles of books to be used when drinks are otherwise drawing a blank on the name front. Obscure literary references are also fun to see who knows them. I've used such things as The Illywhacker, The Schruffs End, or the Julien Sorrel to name a few. I'm also quite willing to let customers help me. Generally a drink isn't named until its been tried by some regulars, many of which love to name drinks almost as much as I sometimes loath naming them, so I very willing to allow them to contribute.

I agree with everything you said Sam. And even worse than naming variations is using the same name and the wrong recipe. Brooklyn is full of Brooklyn cocktails on menus not a one of which is made correctly. Simply use a different name. In my book a drink name comes with ingrediants and proportions. Proportions can be tweaked ingrediants should not be changed. Change the ingrediants its a different drink. No exceptions.

[Maitre D'Hell]

Couldn't agree more on the abhorrent practice of naming any drink in a cocktail glass a "martini." My local "martini" bar is guilty of this; most of their drinks are just shooters in glasses :rolls eyes:

On the other hand, my restaurant (an Asian fusion joint) just adds the name of an Asian city to a classic cocktail...so we have the "Tokyo Margartia" and the "Shanghai Sangria."

I'm no help here.

[thirtyoneknots]

I sometimes swear it is harder name drinks than it is to create drinks.

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Amen.

[bostonapothecary]

I sometimes swear it is harder name drinks than it is to create drinks.

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Amen.

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a rose by any other name is a rose...

i wish we could all see more cleverness in names but sometimes the broader market doesn't cooperate... some people in the market need hyphenated and simple names because they are scared of everything and that is sad...

i don't hold much of anything sacred but i'd say some cocktail names are more or less sacred and should stay true to tradition and others shouldn't... the jack rose i'd never mess with but that same set of ingredients and ratios would easily become a "corpse reviver" to amuse my favorite, very eccentric, regular at the bar... corpse reviver and names like it to me aren't names for explicit recipes but just synonyms for generic awsome drinks... for people like him (i know quite alot of people like him) that don't really want a classic historical experience we make up all sorts of silly stuff on the spot... he is more amused by frivelous novelty than a historical name... but he does always want a measured crafted drink... he doesn't even want you to tell him explicitly what ingredients are in the drink... he prefers folksy synonyms... kinda weird, kinda challenging... after he drinks something he often renames it, and explains the aesthetic it captured... like its a painting.

batavia arrack is usually presented as "some crappy dram that so far hasn't made anyone blind... its sold by indonesian freedom fighters to buy guns... the importer probably is some sort of crazy anarchist" =)

cocktails are fun if you like to satarize and romanticize things...

[slkinsey]

i don't hold much of anything sacred but i'd say some cocktail names are more or less sacred and should stay true to tradition and others shouldn't... the jack rose i'd never mess with but that same set of ingredients and ratios would easily become a "corpse reviver" to amuse my favorite, very eccentric, regular at the bar... corpse reviver and names like it to me aren't names for explicit recipes but just synonyms for generic awsome drinks...

I wouldn't disagree with this. The Corpse Revivers Nos. 1 and 2 are completely different drinks, with the only commonality being that they were either originally or notionally thought of as morning pick-me-up drinks. So why not serve a different drink as a "Corpse Reviver"? My only preference would be that the drink be in the spirit of a short pick-me-up. I wouldn't want a cooler-type drink, or a crushed ice drink to be called a "Corpse Reviver."

There were all kinds of drink categories back in the 18C -- although I think that most of them "defined" a feeling and perhaps a style, time,situation or manner of imbibing rather than more well-defined categories such as a Julep. This we have from Notes and Sketches of the Paris Exhibition, by George Augustus Sala (Tinsley Brothers, 1868) on page 374:

While thirst is my theme, let me mention, with gratification, a great establishment for the slaking of human lime which was in the exterior zone. Messrs. Dows and Guild, and nother and kindred firm, who added to their raison commercial the familiar name of "Van Winkel," started a grand American bar, and a grander American restaurant. At the bar, and from syphon tubes decorated with silvery figures of the American eagle, were dispensed the delicious "cream soda" so highly recommended by the faculty. "Cobblers, "noggs," smashes," "cocktails," "eye openers," "moustache twisters," and "corpse revivers" were also on hand; and I dare say you might have obtained the mystic "tip and tic," the exhilarating "morning glory," the mild but health-giving sarsaparilla punch, to say nothing of " one of them things," which is a recondite and almost inscrutable drink. I remember being treated to " one of them things" at Boston, by a young gentleman who was a "Sophomore" of Harvard College; indeed, I think we took two of "them things." The effect produced on me was an impression that I had set fire to the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, combined with an ardent desire to slay Professor Agassiz, and take refuge from justice at the top of the Bunker-hill monument. In fact, "I felt bad." The kindly Sophomore at once suggested a curative whose action was instantaneous and efficacious. I may not mention its components; but it is called, "one of them other things."

I wouldn't mind an ice-cold Moustache Twister or One of Them Things myself.

(ETA: The quoted work is in the public domain.)

Edited March 25, 2008 by slkinsey (log)

[jmfangio]

I love the idea of a Poison Dart.  Some Green Chartreuse in the mix perhaps?

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Actually, it was when I was trying to come up with Poison Dart #1 that I bought my first bottle of Green Chartreuse. I really have to try this one again - Poison Dart is too good a name to pass up having a worthy cocktail attached to it. The green spirits in my cabinet are Chartreuse, Absinthe, and Verveine Velay Extra. Time to get to work!

Edited March 26, 2008 by jmfangio (log)

[bostonapothecary]

i don't hold much of anything sacred but i'd say some cocktail names are more or less sacred and should stay true to tradition and others shouldn't... the jack rose i'd never mess with but that same set of ingredients and ratios would easily become a "corpse reviver" to amuse my favorite, very eccentric, regular at the bar... corpse reviver and names like it to me aren't names for explicit recipes but just synonyms for generic awsome drinks...

I wouldn't disagree with this. The Corpse Revivers Nos. 1 and 2 are completely different drinks, with the only commonality being that they were either originally or notionally thought of as morning pick-me-up drinks. So why not serve a different drink as a "Corpse Reviver"? My only preference would be that the drink be in the spirit of a short pick-me-up. I wouldn't want a cooler-type drink, or a crushed ice drink to be called a "Corpse Reviver."

There were all kinds of drink categories back in the 18C -- although I think that most of them "defined" a feeling and perhaps a style, time,situation or manner of imbibing rather than more well-defined categories such as a Julep. This we have from Notes and Sketches of the Paris Exhibition, by George Augustus Sala (Tinsley Brothers, 1868) on page 374:

While thirst is my theme, let me mention, with gratification, a great establishment for the slaking of human lime which was in the exterior zone. Messrs. Dows and Guild, and nother and kindred firm, who added to their raison commercial the familiar name of "Van Winkel," started a grand American bar, and a grander American restaurant. At the bar, and from syphon tubes decorated with silvery figures of the American eagle, were dispensed the delicious "cream soda" so highly recommended by the faculty. "Cobblers, "noggs," smashes," "cocktails," "eye openers," "moustache twisters," and "corpse revivers" were also on hand; and I dare say you might have obtained the mystic "tip and tic," the exhilarating "morning glory," the mild but health-giving sarsaparilla punch, to say nothing of " one of them things," which is a recondite and almost inscrutable drink. I remember being treated to " one of them things" at Boston, by a young gentleman who was a "Sophomore" of Harvard College; indeed, I think we took two of "them things." The effect produced on me was an impression that I had set fire to the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, combined with an ardent desire to slay Professor Agassiz, and take refuge from justice at the top of the Bunker-hill monument. In fact, "I felt bad." The kindly Sophomore at once suggested a curative whose action was instantaneous and efficacious. I may not mention its components; but it is called, "one of them other things."

I wouldn't mind an ice-cold Moustache Twister or One of Them Things myself.

(ETA: The quoted work is in the public domain.)

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the corpse revivers one and two are only compeletely different drinks to academic drinkers... anyone else just thinks the drink name "corpe reviver" is timelessly witty... your excerpt from the sketches of paris exhibition is very insightful... those people had a great sense of fun that needs to be recaptured...

my shift just ended so i attempted to make myself what one might call a "mustache twister" as a staff drink... apparently to my other team member it was called an i want "one of them things"... (she doesn't have a mustache)... to explicitly describe it, the drink was gin and elderflower-wormwood champagne that i made with a float of barolo chinato...

[KatieLoeb]

I love the idea of a Poison Dart.  Some Green Chartreuse in the mix perhaps?

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Actually, it was when I was trying to come up with Poison Dart #1 that I bought my first bottle of Green Chartreuse. I really have to try this one again - Poison Dart is too good a name to pass up having a worthy cocktail attached to it. The green spirits in my cabinet are Chartreuse, Absinthe, and Verveine Velay Extra. Time to get to work!

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There's something about a drink that's the color of antifreeze that just evokes "Poison", no matter how good the end result tastes. If it's high proof and deadly, then the name is so much more so apropos, n'est ce pas?

[slkinsey]

Poison Dart also somehow makes me think of Tiki. Is there a way to make a Tiki-style drink with Green Chartreuse.

[hathor]

I'm a humble novice in the world of cocktails, but we've had good times coming up with names. (Disclosure: I spent years giving names to colors, so giving a name to a drink is child's play.)

While skiing we came up with The Stem Christie. Duh.

The other night it was the Trader Horn named for the weirdly compelling 1931 movie. We're talking vintage National Geographic on racist steroids.

What I'm realizing is that these cocktails are personal, and the name is evocative of my personal experiences.

My historic knowledge of cocktails is very limited, but I don't think we should call EVERYTHING a martini, right? It's ok to give credit where a classic has inspired, but the name shouldn't just ride on coat tails.

[Chris Amirault]

Sometimes you can pay homage to an earlier drink without repeating the base name. Variations on Manhattan neighborhoods are a good, if overused, example; I also liked the Squadra Azzurra, which may be a bit too clever for its own good.

Sometimes a name just plunks itself in front of you, like this AAA Cocktail. Sometimes I force it and get things squirm-worthy names like The European Union, the Maize Morning, and the Kingston Winter Cocktail.

Dave the Cook is good at naming drinks: his Aviation variation (the Cropduster) is a house favorite, as is his jack-based Sidecar, the Apple Cart.

[slkinsey]

Sometimes you can pay homage to an earlier drink without repeating the base name. Variations on Manhattan neighborhoods are a good, if overused, example; I also liked the Squadra Azzurra, which may be a bit too clever for its own good.

I can't quite tell from your description in the other thread whether you meant to name this drink after the Italian national team (most commonly associated with either football or cycling).

[Chris Amirault]

Sometimes you can pay homage to an earlier drink without repeating the base name. Variations on Manhattan neighborhoods are a good, if overused, example; I also liked the Squadra Azzurra, which may be a bit too clever for its own good.

I can't quite tell from your description in the other thread whether you meant to name this drink after the Italian national team (most commonly associated with either football or cycling).

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As I said, perhaps a bit too clever for its own good. From the topic itself:

I hit the books and found the Whist Cocktail, which the Craddock makes with calvados in the Savoy and PG Duffy suggests with that or apple brandy. Given Averna's sweetness, I gave it a try with Laird's bonded. It needed a higher note at the top, so I added a lemon twist. It's a thick, layered drink, a friendlier Negroni.

After much searching, I decided to go with the name the Squadra Azzurra, after a famous team of Italian bridge players. (Whist, bridge, Italian.... Yeah, I know, a bit forced; at least the drink isn't blue.)

[Alchemist]

I just put together the spring menu for The Violet Hour, and on it, for the first time are drinks from the bartenders. And it seemed to me that they had great fun naming the drinks. As each took center stage yesterday and presented thier cocktails for the staff, there were long explinations on the origin of the names. We are changing 19 cocktails on the list so there were some very detailed, rambling explinations near the end. I am very proud that my staff took the task so seriously and had a great time doing it.

I love coming up with names for drinks. The method that I find best is to sit around late ant night after the bar is closed and drink a bunch of variations of the cocktail and bandy suggestions about. Some of my names clearly come from the muse of booze. The Tattooed Seaman comes to mind. It main ingredient is Sailor Jerry's...

Toby

[Chris Amirault]

For example, you could call it a Knockhill Cocktail (Knockhill being a major racetrack in Scotland where sidecar races are held).

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Only it's no more a Cocktail than it is a Martini, right? So shouldn't it be a Knockhill Sour?

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mkayahara raises an interesting question. When can you append "Cocktail" to the end of your... um... libation?

Here's Dave Wondrich from Imbibe!:

"Cocktail" means anything from "whatever is served in a conical, stemmed glass" to "a mixed drink serving alcohol".... But that lexical flexibility wasn't always the case. In the nineteenth century, when the word first became joined to a drink, it denoted something far more specific: spirits or wine, sweetened with sugar, diluted (if necessary) with water, and spiced with a few dashes of "bitters" -- that is, a medicinal infusion of bitter roots, herbs, barks, and spices.

Where do ye stand, then? I confess to a lack of care here: I named the AAA Cocktail knowing that it wasn't a cocktail by classic standards, but "the AAA" seemed lacking for such a swell drink.

[bostonapothecary]

For example, you could call it a Knockhill Cocktail (Knockhill being a major racetrack in Scotland where sidecar races are held).

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Only it's no more a Cocktail than it is a Martini, right? So shouldn't it be a Knockhill Sour?

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mkayahara raises an interesting question. When can you append "Cocktail" to the end of your... um... libation?

Here's Dave Wondrich from Imbibe!:

"Cocktail" means anything from "whatever is served in a conical, stemmed glass" to "a mixed drink serving alcohol".... But that lexical flexibility wasn't always the case. In the nineteenth century, when the word first became joined to a drink, it denoted something far more specific: spirits or wine, sweetened with sugar, diluted (if necessary) with water, and spiced with a few dashes of "bitters" -- that is, a medicinal infusion of bitter roots, herbs, barks, and spices.

Where do ye stand, then? I confess to a lack of care here: I named the AAA Cocktail knowing that it wasn't a cocktail by classic standards, but "the AAA" seemed lacking for such a swell drink.

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i thought the AAA was Armagnac After All...

5/10 of Armanac

2/10 of dry vermouth

2/10 of peach juice

1/10 of lemon juice

i think something sorta relative to this discussion is whether in a bar scenario you disclose the ingredients or not... if i called the shots sometimes i would and sometimes i wouldn't... i had an incredible cocktail tonight at eastern standard where they don't dislose anything... i think its fun and is useful for dealing with irrational people that have phobias... but i thought i was in some sort of dry martini section but i actually ordered something that was 50/50 anchor steam genavieve and M&R sweet... (orange bitters lemon peel)... it could have been a shock to someone stodgy... the cocktail was incredible and worth discussing in another thread actually... anyhow the surprise worked for me because i like everything thoughtful more or less...

i wish i didn't have to disclose ingredients. i'd get away with more vermouth in things... it was the biggest deal last year to stop putting brands on things.

[thirtyoneknots]

For example, you could call it a Knockhill Cocktail (Knockhill being a major racetrack in Scotland where sidecar races are held).

←

Only it's no more a Cocktail than it is a Martini, right? So shouldn't it be a Knockhill Sour?

←

mkayahara raises an interesting question. When can you append "Cocktail" to the end of your... um... libation?

Here's Dave Wondrich from Imbibe!:

"Cocktail" means anything from "whatever is served in a conical, stemmed glass" to "a mixed drink serving alcohol".... But that lexical flexibility wasn't always the case. In the nineteenth century, when the word first became joined to a drink, it denoted something far more specific: spirits or wine, sweetened with sugar, diluted (if necessary) with water, and spiced with a few dashes of "bitters" -- that is, a medicinal infusion of bitter roots, herbs, barks, and spices.

Where do ye stand, then? I confess to a lack of care here: I named the AAA Cocktail knowing that it wasn't a cocktail by classic standards, but "the AAA" seemed lacking for such a swell drink.

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With Apry being the sugar, and Averna and Aperol both being bitters, I think the AAA would have been recognizable enough to the Guilded Age tippler to warrant the name 'cocktail' even if it is a particularly "improved" variation. I guess if you want to split hairs you could say that it differs by not being primarily about the base spirit. I say, vive la difference.

[Troy Sidle]

One name for a drink came directly from being frustrated with having to come up with names in general. It's a rye whiskey sour with ginger and green chartreuse (delightfully spicy). So, I was thinking green... the green... something. Ah, forget it! No green. How about red? Yes, red.

Now it's name is...

The Red Herring.

[newbie21]

I just put together the spring menu for The Violet Hour, and on it, for the first time are drinks from the bartenders.  And it seemed to me that they had great fun naming the drinks.  As each took center stage yesterday and presented thier cocktails for the staff, there were long explinations on the origin of the names.  We are changing 19 cocktails on the list so there were some very detailed, rambling explinations near the end.  I am very proud that my staff took the task so seriously and had a great time doing it.

I love coming up with names for drinks.  The method that I find best is to sit around late ant night after the bar is closed and drink a bunch of variations of the cocktail and bandy suggestions about.  Some of my names clearly come from the muse of booze.  The Tattooed Seaman comes to mind.  It main ingredient is Sailor Jerry's...

Toby

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When I was in The Violet Hour on Monday I had the chance to taste many of the new spring cocktails, and even looked over an informal list, as the menus hadn't been printed up yet. During and after hours there was quite a bit of bandying going on. The best I recall, yet not sure if it'd make it in print, was The Lovely Choke. As they aren't mine to give out, I feel it wouldn't be right to list the ingredients, but had to give a nod to the name!!

[JAZ]

I have to say that my biggest peeve in all of cocktailery is the inappropriate naming of a new cocktail after an old cocktail, or an old category of cocktail

This is most pervasive in the practice of naming a cocktail the "[something or Other] Martini" -- but it can be seen across the board.  A drink that does not include Cognac, Cointreau (or at least an orange liqueur) and lemon juice just shouldn't be called any species of Sidecar.  Period.

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Although I don't ordinarily name drinks after classics, once in a while it's a natural fit, as in the case of my Velvet Daiquiri (rum, lime juice and Velvet Falernum with a dash of peach bitters). Not only is it structured like a daiquiri, but I think Velvet Daiquiri describes it well; it's softer and plusher than a Daiquiri -- more velvety, in fact.

Usually, though, if a new drink is similar to another, I find a different way of making the connection. Thus, when we changed the proportions of the Last Word, it became a Closing Remark.

I think it's great fun to name drinks; I don't worry about it if nothing comes to mind immediately, because I know something will soon.