Cocktail History
400 years of cocktail culture — from colonial punch bowls to molecular mixology.
Punch Era
1600–1800
The pre-cocktail age dominated by communal punch bowls. British sailors and colonists mixed spirits with citrus, sugar, water, and spice in large vessels for shared drinking.
Golden Age
1800–1919
The birth and golden age of the American cocktail. Professional bartending emerged as a craft, cocktail manuals were published, and iconic drinks like the Martini, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned were …
Prohibition
1920–1933
The dark age of American cocktails. Constitutional ban on alcohol drove drinking underground, degraded cocktail quality, and scattered American bartenders across the globe.
Tiki Era
1934–1975
The exotic cocktail movement blending Caribbean rum traditions with Polynesian-inspired aesthetics. Elaborate, multi-ingredient tropical drinks served in themed venues.
Dark Ages
1950–1980
The post-war decline of cocktail culture. Mass-produced spirits, artificial mixers, and a preference for simplicity reduced cocktails to their lowest quality in modern history.
Craft Cocktail Renaissance
1980–2010
The revival of classic cocktail craft. A new generation of bartenders rediscovered pre-Prohibition recipes, championed fresh ingredients, and elevated bartending back to an art form.
Modern Era
2010–present
Today's cocktail landscape: globally connected, technically sophisticated, and increasingly inclusive. Bartenders blend tradition with innovation, science, and sustainability.