World Cocktail Day 2022: origin explained and best recipes

Friday the 13th is usually considered one of the unhappiest days of the year.

But this Friday just might be one of the happiest as we celebrate World Cocktail Day 2022.

Many of Britain’s 106,000 bars, pubs and restaurants will be celebrating the occasion, while households across the country are likely to be dusting off their cocktail shakers.

So why is a cocktail called a cocktail – and how can you make your favorite cocktails at home?

Here’s what you need to know.

World Cocktail Day 2022 is Friday, May 13, 2022.

It is held on this day because it is said to be the first date a cocktail was officially defined.

In 1806, the New York newspaper “The Balance and Columbian Repository” received a letter asking what a cocktail was.

In the May 13 issue of the outlet, editor Harry Croswell described one as, “A stimulant drink composed of all kinds of spirits, sugar, water and bitters.”

He also wittily referred to the style of drinking as “an excellent election drink” because anyone who swallows it is “ready to swallow something else”.

Historians have also found mentions of the word dating to another American publication in 1803 and a British one in 1798 – although it’s unclear whether the word meant the same thing at the time.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), in 1750 the word meant “a horse with a docked tail sticking up.”

The term “cocktail” now has a broader meaning in the beverage world, which is “any alcoholic beverage made by mixing a liquor or spirits with other ingredients such as a liqueur, fruit juice, etc.” according to the OED.

While cocktails in bars are usually made using fancy shakers and techniques, all you need to make them at home is ice, a spoon, various spirits and mixers, and some theatrical glasses to splurge on that special night.

Use the ice to keep your glasses cool and then add your spirits, mixing them with the spoon.

Here’s what you need to do to make some of the UK’s hottest cocktails.

You need a measuring cup for this classic cocktail.

To make one Cosmo you will need:

Stir well and add a slice of lemon or orange as garnish.

A bright blue incarnation, a Blue Lagoon can be seen in a bar from a mile away.

To make it, you need to mix:

With vodka, it goes without saying that the better the quality of the vodka you use, the better the drinking experience will be.

Use a slice of lemon or orange to garnish the drink.

This cocktail is expressly intended for the cocktail umbrella brigade, or those who are looking for a good party.

You need to stir together:

Normally you would garnish this creation with a slice of lime.