Where the Cocktail Came From: 10 "Cock-Tales"

Cocktail. According to Jack's Manual by J.A. Grohusko, the word first appeared in The Balance, an American periodical under date of May 13, 1806. It read: "Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters — it is vulgarly called 'bitter sling' and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering position."



The above is the first time the word "cocktail" can be traced in print. However, our search does not stop there. Here are ten different stories recounting the origin of the cocktail. Which do you believe?

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