9 cocktails invented at iconic hotel bars and how they were created

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9 cocktails invented at iconic hotel bars and how they were created
  • Hotel bartenders have invented cocktails that have become staples at bars around the world.
  • Some history is murky, like the piña colada, of which two Caribe Hilton bartenders claim ownership.
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Every drink has an origin story, and a handful of familiar cocktails were invented in swanky hotel bars decades ago.

Every drink has an origin story, and a handful of familiar cocktails were invented in swanky hotel bars decades ago.
A Singapore Sling cocktail-making machine at the famed Raffles Hotel Long Bar in Singapore.SvetlanaSF/Shutterstock

From Singapore to Paris, iconic hotel bars — and their bartenders — have experimented with ingredients and developed cocktails that have since become staples at bars around the world.

Many of the drinks, including the sidecar and martini, are decades old. Over time, their origin stories have become murky, but their flavors and recipes remain a part of the drinking culture today.

Take a step into these historic hotel bars and learn about the cocktails that originated there.

The Rob Roy was created at the Waldorf Astoria New York to celebrate the opening of the "Rob Roy" musical in 1894.

The Rob Roy was created at the Waldorf Astoria New York to celebrate the opening of the "Rob Roy" musical in 1894.
The Rob Roy, a cocktail based on Scotch whisky, originated at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock/Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In 1894, the musical "Rob Roy" was opening on Broadway, and the operatta needed a celebratory drink, according to VinePair.

Bartenders at the Waldorf Astoria New York decided to put a spin on the classic Manhattan cocktail and swapped rye whiskey for Scotch. It was the ideal match since the operetta's main character, Robert Roy MacGregor, was known as a 17th century "Scottish Robin Hood."

While the Waldorf Astoria has earned the title of the Rob Roy birthplace, some cocktail writers believe the Rob Roy actually originated at the nearby Fifth Avenue Hotel, and others think it it was created all the way in Hoboken, New Jersey, by bartender Henry A. Orphal, VinePair reports.

Either way, the drink gained popularity and outlasted the operatta's length on Broadway. The hotel's bar served the tipple until the property closed for renovations in 2017.

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The Singapore Sling originated at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar, a lounge known as a "watering hole for the elite."

The Singapore Sling originated at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar, a lounge known as a "watering hole for the elite."
The Singapore Sling was created at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.Iryna Rasko/Shutterstock/Shyripa Alexandr/Shutterstock

Inside the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in 1915, bartender Ngiam Tong Boon concocted a cocktail with the sole purpose of disguising its alcohol, according to Conde Nast Traveler. At the time, it was against societal norm for women to drink liquor in public, so Tong Boon set out to create a drink that looked — and tasted — like fruit juice.

While there's some debate over what was in the original recipe, today a Singapore Sling is comprised of pineapple juice, grenadine, lime juice, Cointreau, bitters, gin, Bénédictine, soda water, and a dash of cherry brandy. It's now city-state's national drink, and beloved one in tropical locations around the world.

The two-ingredient Black Russian was first served at Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium.

The two-ingredient Black Russian was first served at Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium.
The Black Russian cocktail was created at the beginning of the Cold War in Belgium.Werner Lerooy/Shutterstock/Ekaterina_Molchanova/Shutterstock

At the start of the Cold War, a bartender at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium, decided to create a signature drink for an American customer, according to Liquor.com.

In the late 1940s, Gustave Tops was serving the American ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta. Tops wanted to make a drink to honor the diplomat, who was known for throwing opulant parties, according to Conde Naste Traveler. Tops mixed Russian vodka with Kahlúa coffee liqueur — a fittingly dark drink for the time period.

It's unclear if the Black Russian predates the White Russian, which is a similar drink made with milk or cream, but both have their moments for sipping.

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The Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the focal point for two piña colada origin stories.

The Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the focal point for two piña colada origin stories.
Two bartenders at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, claim they invented the beloved piña colada.Liliana Kieler/Shutterstock/Gerhard/ullstein bild/Getty Images

According to Discover Puerto Rico, three bartenders and two bars argue over who is the creator of Puerto Rico's famed piña colada.

One story dates back to 1954, when Caribe Hilton Beachcomber's bartender, Ramon "Monchito" Marrero, was commissioned to draft a signature cocktail for the hotel in San Juan. After three months of brainstorming and experimentation, he landed on the fruity, rum-based creation known as the piña colada.

However, another one of the hotel's bartenders, Ricardo García, alleges he designed the piña colada the same year. García says he got creative during a coconut shortage and started adding pineapple into his mixed drinks.

Then, there's a third origin story, but that doesn't take place inside a hotel bar. Bartender Ramón Portas Mignot says he created the tropical drink in 1963, when working at Barrachina, a bar in Old San Juan, Discover Puerto Rico reports.

Regardless of the individual creator, it's safe to say the drink is a nod to all-things Puerto Rico. A popular tipple to this day, the piña colada was declared the official drink of the island in 1978, Forbes reported. And if you want to try what may be the original, swing by the bar at the Caribe Hilton, which serves a piña colada that includes rum, coconut cream, heavy cream, and pineapple juice.

At the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana, a cognac and whiskey cocktail known as the Vieux Carré debuted.

At the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana, a cognac and whiskey cocktail known as the Vieux Carré debuted.
A bartender at the New Orleans hotel brainstormed a recipe for a cocktail that would honor the French Quarter's residents.William A. Morgan/Shutterstock/Maksym Fesenko/Shutterstock

In a matter of years, the Vieux Carré went from nonexistent to NOLA's official drink. According to Louisiana Travel, bartender Walter Bergeron concocted the drink in 1937, while working at Hotel Monteleone's Carousel Bar in the French Quarter.

He stirred the spirit-forward Vieux Carré, which translates to "old square," to serve as a tribute to the different populations living in the area at the time: cognac and Benedictine for the French, sweet vermouth for the Italians, bitters for the Caribbeans, and rye whiskey for Americans.

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The bloody mary was renamed the Red Snapper and served with breakfast at The St. Regis New York hotel.

The bloody mary was renamed the Red Snapper and served with breakfast at The St. Regis New York hotel.
The St. Regis New York hotel is where the Red Snapper, known more broadly as a bloody mary, got its start.NK/Shutterstock/DW labs Incorporated/Shutterstock

A French bartender is behind the Red Snapper, more commonly known as a bloody mary.

According to Esquire, bartender Fernand Petiot got the idea for the cocktail while living in Paris in the 1920s. Émigrés from the Russian Revolution arrived at Harry's New York Bar, where he was working in Paris, and introduced Petiot to vodka. Meanwhile, his American customers showed him canned tomato juice.

In the 1930s, Petiot moved to New York, and began working at The St. Regis New York's King Cole Bar.

In 1934, Petiot perfected the cocktail's mix of vodka, tomato juice, and seasonings, according to the hotel's website. He named it a bloody mary. At the time, the cocktail's title was too risque, so it was dubbed the Red Snapper.

Eventually, the now-ominipresent brunch drink earned back its title of bloody mary, and you can't stop anywhere for avocado toast without seeing one on the menu. If you pop into the King Cole Bar, it still goes by its monikor, Red Snapper.

Another classic brunch cocktail, the Mimosa, was allegedly first poured at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.

Another classic brunch cocktail, the Mimosa, was allegedly first poured at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
The Mimosa was designed as a less-boozy version of another popular drink at the time.Richard Podgurski/Shutterstock/Jaione_Garcia/Shutterstock

The simple combination of equal parts orange juice and Champagne was created at the Hemingway Bar at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, according to Chilled Magazine.

The hotel claims that the Mimosa was based on a Buck's Fizz, a boozy cocktail with Champagne and juice made popular at the Buck's Club in London.

The hotel wanted a less alcoholic version of the beverage, so the bartending team scaled back the amount of Champagne mixed with juice. They named the drink after the color of the mimosa flower.

While the Hotel Ritz's origin story is widely known, others believe that director Alfred Hitchcock invented the drink in San Franscico, in the 1940s, Chilled Magazine reports. Hitchcock apparently wanted a light drink to nurse a hangover.

Either way, the drink has become a brunch staple across the US and much of the world — and a popular cure-all for a late night out on the town.

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The Hotel Ritz also claims to be the birthplace of the sidecar, a blend of cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice with a sugared rim. But like the Mimosa, its origin story is murky.

The Hotel Ritz also claims to be the birthplace of the sidecar, a blend of cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice with a sugared rim. But like the Mimosa, its origin story is murky.
The Ritz Hotel in Paris claims ownership over the development of the sidecar cocktail too.Andrei Mayatnik/Shutterstock/EQRoy/Shutterstock

Most people seem to agree that the sidecar cocktail was created in either London or Paris.

Which city — and which bartender — can take ownership of the drink, though, is up for debate.

According to VinePair, the drink was likely drafted off of a cocktail called a brandy crusta, which was created in New Orleans by Joseph Santini.

Following World War I, the sidecar was born. Some believe that Frank Meier, the bartender at the Ritz Hotel's Hemingway Bar in Paris, mixed the first sidecar in 1923, while others think it was barman Harry McElhone of Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1922. A third group believes that Pat MacGarry, the bartender at Buck's Club in London, was the originator of the drink, according to VinePair.

The official ratios of its ingredients—cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice—are also up for debate. But if you do order a sidecar today, rest assured you'll have a stiff drink with a sweet finish.

While the martini's origin story is filled with mystery, many believe it originated at The Knickerbocker in New York City.

While the martini's origin story is filled with mystery, many believe it originated at The Knickerbocker in New York City.
Some believe the martini originated in The Knickerbocker hotel in New York City.Roy Rochlin/Getty Images/K321/Shutterstock

While the recipe for a martini is straightforward — gin and vermouth with a garnish of olives or a citrus twist — the cocktail's origin story is not.

Some believe the drink originated on the West Coast, when gold miners struck rich and hit the bar, Insider previously reported. But the most are familiar with the origin story that started in The Knickbocker Hotel in New York.

According to Insider, oil tycoon and millionaire John D. Rockefeller would regularly visit Knickerbocker's speakeasy, and at one point, bartender Martini di Arma di Taggia served Rockefeller a martini for the very first time.

While the hotel has changed owners, its bar is still serving the same martini recipe it claims to have mixed for Rockefeller: gin, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, and an orange twist.

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