Vintage cocktail specialist John Apodaca: extraordinary
bartending for all occasions 562-773-2293. Martinis,
both Vodka and Gin, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds.
Drinks for private parties and public events of all sizes.
All alcoholic beverages a specialty, with the emphasis on
cocktails done in the classic style. Don't miss out - John
will turn your next party into a memorable event.
bartending for all occasions 562-773-2293. Martinis,
both Vodka and Gin, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds.
Drinks for private parties and public events of all sizes.
All alcoholic beverages a specialty, with the emphasis on
cocktails done in the classic style. Don't miss out - John
will turn your next party into a memorable event.
The Cocktail. Its history stretches so far back that the exact
origins of the word itself can no longer be credibly determined.
Its modern origins stretch back to the eighteenth century, and it
was in the nineteenth century that many of our modern day
staples had their beginnings. The American magazine ‘The
Balance’ defined the cocktail in 1806 as a drink composed of
spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters. The Tom Collins,
Mint Julep and Gin Sling have their origins in the nineteenth
century.
American hotels were the first to attempt to bring social drinking
into high society by offering mixed drinks as late afternoon
refreshments, much as the British offer high tea at 5pm. By the
end of the First World War, both men and women were
celebrating the new vitality that came with the birth of the jazz
age with cocktails. Throughout the ensuing Prohibition in the
States, the cocktail went underground and spawned an entire list
of variations, many of which survive to this day.
It was in the 1930s that the first of the powdered cocktail mixers
appeared, and thus began the slow, sad demise of the freshly
muddled fruit and herbs that had been an integral part of the
cocktails evolution throughout the previous century. It wasn’t
until the late 1980s and the remodeling of New York City’s
illustrious Rainbow Room that the fine art of cocktail preparation
experienced a rebirth. Happily, thanks to craftsmen like John
Apodaca whole new generations are discovering the joy of
expertly prepared cocktails, as opposed to those hastily thrown
together with a powdered mix, a shot from a ‘soda gun’, and
subpar ‘well’ quality spirits served by bartenders who don’t know
any better.
origins of the word itself can no longer be credibly determined.
Its modern origins stretch back to the eighteenth century, and it
was in the nineteenth century that many of our modern day
staples had their beginnings. The American magazine ‘The
Balance’ defined the cocktail in 1806 as a drink composed of
spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters. The Tom Collins,
Mint Julep and Gin Sling have their origins in the nineteenth
century.
American hotels were the first to attempt to bring social drinking
into high society by offering mixed drinks as late afternoon
refreshments, much as the British offer high tea at 5pm. By the
end of the First World War, both men and women were
celebrating the new vitality that came with the birth of the jazz
age with cocktails. Throughout the ensuing Prohibition in the
States, the cocktail went underground and spawned an entire list
of variations, many of which survive to this day.
It was in the 1930s that the first of the powdered cocktail mixers
appeared, and thus began the slow, sad demise of the freshly
muddled fruit and herbs that had been an integral part of the
cocktails evolution throughout the previous century. It wasn’t
until the late 1980s and the remodeling of New York City’s
illustrious Rainbow Room that the fine art of cocktail preparation
experienced a rebirth. Happily, thanks to craftsmen like John
Apodaca whole new generations are discovering the joy of
expertly prepared cocktails, as opposed to those hastily thrown
together with a powdered mix, a shot from a ‘soda gun’, and
subpar ‘well’ quality spirits served by bartenders who don’t know
any better.
