COCKTAILS & CURIOSITIES - COCKTAIL PIONEERS
Every great cocktail has a story… although not every story agrees.
Some drinks were carefully crafted by visionary bartenders. Others were born in grand hotels, bustling bars or glamorous cities. And a few? Well, their true origins have been lost somewhere between history and happy hour.
Here's a toast to some of the people – and legends – behind the cocktails we still love today.
JERRY THOMAS
The Original Trailblazer
Known as The Professor, Jerry Thomas is often called the father of modern bartending. His influential cocktail book helped shape the profession, and his published recipe for the Martinez is widely considered one of the earliest stepping stones towards the modern Martini.
HARRY CRADDOCK
The Savoy Legend
Working behind the famous American Bar at The Savoy in London, Harry Craddock became one of the most influential bartenders of the twentieth century. He helped define the gin-based White Lady which remains a timeless classic, published in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.
DICK BRADSELL
The Modern Master
Few bartenders have left a bigger mark on contemporary cocktail culture than Dick Bradsell. In 1980s London he created the Espresso Martini, followed by the Bramble, proving that modern classics can become just as iconic as their century-old counterparts.
DOUGLAS ANKRAH
A Modern Classic
Created in London in the early 2000s, Douglas Ankrah's Pornstar Martini brought passion fruit, vanilla and a touch of theatre to cocktail menus around the world. Love the name or not, it's become one of the most ordered cocktails of the twenty-first century.
JöRG MEYER
Keeping it Fresh
The Gin Basil Smash may be one of the youngest classics on the list, but it's already earned its place. Created by Hamburg bartender Jörg Meyer in 2008, it's proof that sometimes the simplest combinations become the biggest successes.
GIUSEPPE CIPRIANI
Italian Elegance
At Harry's Bar in Venice, Giuseppe Cipriani created the beautifully simple Bellini, pairing fresh white peach with sparkling wine. It's a drink that has captured the spirit of effortless Italian style for decades.
TRADER VIC
King of Tiki
The tropical Mai Tai is generally credited to Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, whose Californian tiki bar helped introduce exotic rum cocktails to the world. One sip and you're instantly transported somewhere warmer.
ADA "COLEY" COLEMAN
A Pioneer Behind the Bar
Long before women were a common sight behind the world's best bars, Ada Coleman was making history at The Savoy in London. As head bartender of the American Bar from 1903 to 1925, she created the elegant Hanky Panky – a wonderfully herbal gin cocktail combining gin, sweet vermouth and a touch of Fernet-Branca. More than a century later, it's still a favourite among gin lovers.
HARRY MacELHONE
The Paris Connection
From his legendary bar, Harry's New York Bar in Paris, Harry MacElhone helped shape cocktail culture between the wars. He's credited with popularising classics including the French 75. His influence reached far beyond his own bar, inspiring generations of bartenders.
HUGO ENSSLIN
The Forgotten Innovator
Before Prohibition changed the cocktail world, Hugo Ensslin was quietly creating elegant drinks behind the bar at New York's Hotel Wallick. His 1916 cocktail book introduced the world to the beautifully balanced Aviation, a gin cocktail with delicate floral notes that has enjoyed a well-deserved revival in recent years.
NGIAM TONG BOON
The Spirit of Singapore
Around 1915, bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the now-famous Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel in 1915. Blending gin, fruit juices and herbal liqueurs, he crafted a drink that was both elegant and approachable. More than a century later, the Singapore Sling remains one of the world's most recognisable gin cocktails and a symbol of its birthplace.
JOE GILMORE
The Savoy Storyteller
For over two decades, Joe Gilmore was the legendary head bartender at The Savoy's American Bar. Known for creating cocktails to celebrate royal occasions, famous guests and historic moments, his creations included the Moonwalk, marking the Apollo 11 moon landing, and The Blenheim, created for Winston Churchill's 90th birthday. His legacy is a reminder that some cocktails are made to capture a moment in time.
THE STORIES WE STILL DEBATE
Not every cocktail comes with a birth certificate.
The Martini remains one of the cocktail world's greatest mysteries, with several competing stories about how it evolved.
The Margarita has inspired just as many claims, with bartenders and socialites on both sides of the border credited at one time or another.
And then there's the Negroni. The widely told tale is that Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender in Florence to strengthen his favourite Americano with a splash of gin instead of soda. Whether every detail is true may never be known—but it's a story cocktail lovers have happily embraced for more than a century.
The world of cocktails is filled with remarkable characters, chance encounters and enduring legends. Some stories are well documented, others have become part of cocktail folklore, but together they've shaped the drinks we continue to raise in celebration today.
There's always another tale waiting to be uncovered… and this collection is only just getting started.