Arcadia&Co.
Signature Beverage Guide
Author: ArcadiaMediaGroup
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Gin Basil Smash
The Gin Basil Smash was created in 2008 by German bartender Jörg Meyer at Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg. Originally called the Gin Pesto, it was inspired by the flavours of a Tom Collins, but with fresh basil muddled into the drink. Its vivid green colour, fresh herbal aroma, and simple combination of…
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Negroni Spagliato.
The Negroni Sbagliato was created in the early 1970s at Bar Basso in Milan, Italy, by bartender Mirko Stocchetto. According to the famous story, while making a Negroni, Stocchetto accidentally reached for a bottle of Prosecco instead of gin, creating a lighter, sparkling variation of the classic cocktail. The name Sbagliato means “mistaken” or “wrong”…
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Manhattan
The Manhattan is a classic American cocktail believed to have originated in New York City during the late 19th century, most commonly dated to the 1880s. Legend says it was created for a banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome (Winston Churchill’s mother) at the Manhattan Club, although this story is disputed. The original recipe combined rye…
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Aviation
The Aviation cocktail was created in the early 20th century and is generally credited to Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York. His original recipe appeared in his 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks and combined gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette, giving the drink its distinctive pale…
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Lemon Drop
The Lemon Drop cocktail was created in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday, the owner of Henry Africa’s bar in San Francisco, and is widely regarded as one of the early examples of the modern “sweet and sour” cocktail style. Inspired by the lemon drop candy, Hobday combined vodka, fresh lemon juice and sugar to…
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Jungle Bird
The Jungle Bird cocktail was created in 1978 at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in Malaysia, where it was reportedly served as a welcome drink to guests. Created by bartender Jeffrey Ong, the drink combines dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice and sugar syrup, creating a distinctive balance of tropical sweetness and bitter complexity. Although…
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Vesper Martini
The Vesper cocktail was created by author Ian Fleming and first appeared in his 1953 James Bond novel Casino Royale. Named after the fictional character Vesper Lynd, Bond orders the drink with gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet, famously specifying that it should be “shaken, not stirred.” The original recipe called for Gordon’s gin, vodka, and…
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French Martini
The French Martini was created in New York in the late 1980s, during the cocktail revival that helped popularise sweeter, fruit-forward drinks. Despite its name, the cocktail has no direct connection to France; its name is thought to reference the use of Chambord, a French raspberry liqueur. Traditionally made with vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice,…
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Amaretto Sour
The Amaretto Sour is a classic cocktail that emerged in the United States during the 1970s, built around the sweet Italian almond-flavoured liqueur amaretto. It became particularly popular as a simple, approachable drink combining amaretto with fresh lemon juice, although early versions were often criticised for being overly sweet. The modern Amaretto Sour was elevated…
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French 75
The French 75 is a classic cocktail that originated during World War I and is generally credited to Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, where it was created in 1915 by bartender Harry MacElhone. Named after the powerful French 75mm field gun, the cocktail combines gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar and Champagne. Its refreshing yet…
