Prompt Cast
The History and Evolution of Bars and Cocktails
TLDR Bars have been around for centuries, with one of the earliest established bars found in Pompeii. The evolution of bars and cocktails includes the rise of standalone bars in the US, the influence of celebrity bartenders like Jerry Thomas, the impact of Prohibition and World War II, and the development of classic cocktails like the Martini and Mojito.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Bars have been around for a very long time, with one of the earliest established bars being found in Italy in a place called Pompeii, where they served hot snacks and wine.
05:24
Bars have been around for a very long time, with one of the earliest established bars being found in Italy in a place called Pompeii, where they served hot snacks and wine.
10:11
Bars have been around for a long time and were initially built in conjunction with hotels, but in the US, the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law in 1832 allowed for standalone bars, which quickly became popular and customary.
14:58
The first celebrity bartender in New York City was Erasmus Willard, who was known for being ambidextrous and having a photographic memory, paving the way for the flamboyant and creative Jerry Thomas, who is considered the epitome of cocktail culture.
19:44
Jerry Thomas wrote the first bartender's guide in 1862, which emphasized craftsmanship and artisanship in bartending, and he was the first to promote dressing up and taking pride in making a good drink.
24:44
During Prohibition, the lack of rules allowed women to start going to bars, which men found great, and after World War II, the influence of European pubs and Tiki culture led to the creation of pubs and sports bars in Canada and the US.
29:42
Dale DeGroff brought craftsmanship back into bartending by using real ingredients and getting rid of the swirly mixing machines and bags of chemical fruit flavored things.
34:37
The foundation for what we know now as cocktails came out of the Baroque age of cocktails, with experimentation and new creations, and the first cocktail was mentioned in print in 1803 in Amherst, New Hampshire, as a morning drink.
39:10
The perfect Martini consists of three ounces of gin, half an ounce of vermouth, crushed ice, a couple dashes of orange bitters, and a couple of olives, and the origins of the Martini are contentious with multiple claims of invention.
43:48
The mojito might be the oldest cocktail in the world, originating from pirates in the 16th century who added mint, soda water, sweetener, and rum to mask the taste of the bad-tasting rum they were drinking.
48:54
During the Civil War, Canadian distilleries provided booze to the US, leading to a surge in popularity for Canadian whiskey, which eventually resulted in a law requiring the country of origin to be labeled on the bottle, and Canadian Club whiskey remains popular to this day.
Categories:
Society & Culture
