It’s pretty easy to assume the Cuba Libre has its origins in the Latin American country – the cocktail’s roots can be dated back to the aftermath of the Spanish-American war at the beginning of the 20th century. However, others such as the Bloody Mary or the Cosmopolitan have a more complex history. Read on to find out more about the story behind some of Hugo Chetcuti’s favourite drinks – they’re more surprising than you’d think!
The Pina Colada
The traditional mix for this cocktail is a blend of pineapple juice, rum and coconut cream or milk; thus, the name Pina Colada is actually Spanish for ‘strained pineapple’ in reference to the fruit used in the drink’s base. There are various claims as to who actually invented the cocktail, but the earliest known recipe can be traced back to a Puerto Rican pirate in the 19th century. Roberto Carfresi came up with the beverage as a way to boost his crew’s morale during especially hot weather whilst on board the ship. The drink itself exploded in popularity after the famous “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” was released by Rupert Holmes in 1979.
The Bloody Mary
One of Hugo Chetcuti’s all time favourites, this spicy drink shares its name with numerous figures in history, many of whom are thought to be its namesake. One story relates how it began as a dark joke in connection to Mary Tudor’s rule, during which hundreds of Protestants were murdered under her rule in an effort to re-establish Catholicism. Another account tells of how an American bartender, Fernand Petiot, named the drink after a girl called Mary who worked at the Bucket of Blood in Chicago. The most light-hearted explanation is that the name began due to an inability to pronouce “Vladimir” – the forename of one of the Smirnov family members to whom Petiot served the drink.
The Cosmopolitan
If you’re a Sex and the City fan, you’ll know that this was a favourite with Carrie Bradshaw and the gang. The name is derived from a recipe back in 1927 which combined many international ingredients, including Swedish, Irish, French and Italian whiskeys and vermouths. It continued to gain popularity in different parts of the US until bartender Cheryl Cook in South Beach Florida was finally credited with the original creation. Cook’s intention in 1986 was to make it more appealing to women with “just enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink.”
The Manhattan
Recommended by Hugo Chetcuti himself, the cocktail is famously rumoured to have originated in the Manhattan Club in the late 1800s when the mother of Winston Churchill hosted a banquet in honour of Samuel J. Tilden, then a Presidential candidate. However, a more likely chain of events is that it was invented in the 1860s by a man named Black in Broadway, as Mrs. Churchill was actually pregnant with Winston in 1874.
