Cocktail Party Ideas

This cocktail has become one of the most popular cocktails in the world. Huge amount of variations and ways to prepare - Mojito!

Mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail, which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s, and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity.

A mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, carbonated water and mint. Its combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear cocktail a popular summer drink. Many hotels in Havana also add Angostura bitters to cut the sweetness of the mojito; while a popular variation, it is not the original version created in La Bodeguita del Medio.

When preparing a Mojito, juice from lime is added to sugar (or syrup) and mint leaves. The mixture is then gently mashed with a muddler. The mint leaves should only be bruised to release the essential oils, they must not be shredded. Then rum is added and the mixture is briefly stirred to dissolve sugar. Finally the drink is topped with ice cubes and sparkling water, mint leaves and lime wedges are used to garnish the glass.

Piña Colada is a sweet, rum-based cocktail containing light rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice. The drink is typically served either blended or shaken with ice. Two common garnishes are a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry. Piña Colada is known as the official beverage of Puerto Rico.

The earliest reference to a drink called a Piña Colada containing rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice, occurred in the April 16, 1950, in a newspaper "New York Times". Here's the original article : "Drinks in the West Indies range from Martinique's famous rum punch to Cuba's pina colada (rum, pineapple and coconut milk). Key West has a variety of lime swizzles and punches, and Granadians use nutmeg in their rum drinks."

The Caribe Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico claims that their bartender, Ramon "Monchito" Marrero created the Piña Colada on August 15, 1954 after spending 3 months perfecting the recipe. There is also a bar in Old San Juan that makes a similar claim.

Although Barrachina, a restaurant in Puerto Rico claims to be the birth place of Piña Colada. Here is the story of the birth of Piña Colada as claimed by Barrachina.

"In 1963, on a trip to South America Mr Barrachina met another popular Spaniard and bartender Mr. Ramon Portas Mingot. Don Ramon has worked with the best places in Buenos Aires and associated with 'Papillon' the most luxurious bar in Carcao and was also recognized for his cocktail recipe books.

Pepe Barrachina and Don Ramon developed a great relationship. While working as the main bartender at Barrachina (a restaurant in Puerto Ric), Ramon mixed pineapple juice, coconut cream, condensed milk and ice in a blender, creating a delicious and refreshing drink, known today as the Piña Colada."

There are several variations of this drink, here are some of them:
Virgin Piña Colada - without the rum
Chi Chi - vodka substituted for rum
Miami Vice or Lava Flow - Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada blended together
Amaretto Colada


Even though Piña Colada is a cocktail, which has to be prepared just before drinking, some companies decided to ensure everyone could get a sip of this wonderful drink, no matter where they are, and started to produce it in bottles.

A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, beef consomme or bouillon, horseradish, celery, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt. It is the official alcoholic beverage of the preppy lifestyle, according to Lisa Birnbach's Official Preppy Handbook from the 1980s.

The origin of the Bloody Mary is somewhat disputed. One claim states that it was originally created by George Jessel around 1939. Lucius Beebe, in his gossip column "This New York" (New York Herald Tribune, December 2, 1939, page 9), printed what is believed to be the first reference to this drink, along with the original recipe: "George Jessel’s newest pick-me-up which is receiving attention from the town’s paragraphers is called a Bloody Mary: half tomato juice, half vodka."

Frenchman Fernand Petiot corroborates that George Jessel first created the drink and name, and that he (Petiot) merely added the spices to the plain vodka and tomato juice drink. From the New Yorker Magazine, July 1964: “I initiated the Bloody Mary of today,” he told us. “Jessel said he created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it over. I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour. We serve a hundred to a hundred and fifty Bloody Marys a day here in the King Cole Room and in the other restaurants and the banquet rooms.”

The epithet "Bloody Mary" is associated with a number of historical (particularly Queen Mary I of England) and fictional women, especially from folklore. It is believed that inspiration for the cocktail was the Hollywood star Mary Pickford who earlier had a similar cocktail consisting of rum, Grenadine and Maraschino named after her.

In 1934, the cocktail was called "Red Snapper" at the St. Regis Hotel, where Petriot was hired at the time. It was here that tabasco sauce was added to the drink, and the name "Bloody Mary" eventually won popularity. In the 1960s it became popular to serve the cocktail with celery due to a guest at The Pump Room at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago.

The name likely refers to the blood-like color of the cocktail.

Bloody Marys, as well as the non-alcoholic Virgin Mary, are frequently served in the morning (as are mimosas and Screwdrivers).

While there is not much complexity in mixing vodka and tomato juice, more elaborate versions of the drink have become trademarks of the bartenders who make them. A common garnish is a celery stalk when served in a tall glass, often over ice. A beer chaser may also be served with the Bloody Mary, although this varies from region to region.

Ingredients
Bloody Mary recipe courtesy of the New York School of Bartending:

1 oz. to 1 1/2 oz.vodka in a Highball glass filled with ice. Fill glass with tomato juice 1 dash celery salt 1 dash ground black pepper 1 dash Tabasco 2-4 dashes of Lea & Perrin'sWorcestershire sauce 1/8 tsp. horseradish (pure, never creamed) Dash of lemon or lime juice Garnish with celery stalk.

May be shaken vigorously or stirred lazily, as desired. Garnish with a celery stalk; a skewer of olives, pickles, carrots, mushrooms, or other vegetables; or even meat or fish (salami, shrimp, etc.) and cheese (see photos). Occasionally, pickled asparagus spears or pickled beans are also used.

Prepackaged Bloody Mary mixes that combine the spicy, non-alcoholic components of a Bloody Mary are commercially available.