If ever there was a time for a classic cocktail, it’s right now. But like all occasions, a sense of place and an acknowledgment of history makes for a better experience, so before you down the hatch here’s a brief history of some of your favourites.

THE NEGRONI

Arguably the cocktail of the last decade down under, the Negroni was designed as an aperitif and typifies Italy’s ability to master simplicity and balance. It’s strong, bitter, herbaceous and, well, rewarding thanks to the mix of gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and a wedge of orange. It was created at Florence’s Caffe Casoni in 1919 by bartender Forsco Scarselli, when Count Carmillo Negroni asked him to strengthen his favourite cocktail – The Americano. He replaced the soda with gin, added orange rather than lemon and all of a sudden Negroni was the drink of Florence. Not one to miss an opportunity, the Negroni family jumped on it and created the Negroni distillery in Treviso Italy in 1919 to produce ready-made versions sold as Antico Negroni. Saluti!

THE BELLINI

It’s the pretty pink blush and the spritely effervescence that makes this drink such a winner in warmer climates. The Bellini, that combines peach puree and prosecco served in a flute glass, had humble beginnings in Venice in 1948 when Guiseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar, created a seasonal drink to champion peaches. The original version of Bellini was made with a bit of raspberry or cherry juice to give it the pink hue. That inspired Cipriani to name it after Giovanni Bellini, a 15th Century Venetian artist, because the colour of the drink reminded him of the toga on a saint in one of Bellini’s paintings. It was such a hit it became popular at the bar’s New York sibling, and a seasonal hit globally since. Saluti!

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THE SINGAPORE SLING

The gin-based long drink was, not so surprisingly, created in Singapore. One of the oldest cocktails on the planet, at over a century old (1915), the Singapore Sling shares similarities with a gin sling – a North American beverage that was composed of gin, water and sweetener. The Singapore Sling was developed by Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon while manning the Long Bar in the world famous Raffles Hotel. But he had help. The hotel discovered written notes from bartenders of his past which acted as a source of inspiration. Because it’s such a fruity concoction it has had many iterations, but Mr Boon used gin, Cherry Heering, Benedictine, and fresh pineapple juice, which helps deliver that signature foamy top. The drink is now the signature drink of a country, and loved the world over. Yum Seng and Cheers!

THE CAESAR

The Bloody Mary has saved a hangover from shadowing many of us for an entire day, but there are some that say the Canadian Caesar is the brown bottle flu’s ultimate cure. Of course, you don’t need a hangover to enjoy the punchy combination of clam-infused tomato juice, vodka, chilli sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime. Just don’t tell the Canadians that their clammy drink bears similarities to the classic Bloody Mary or they’ll call last drinks. The Caesar is the invention of bartender Walter Chell (1969) who wanted a celebratory drink for the opening of a new Italian restaurant. Chell wanted to pay homage to the restaurant’s signature dish ‘clam spaghetti’, in a glass. Fortunately he left the pasta out of it, but the inclusion of clam stock cooked down with tomatoes gives it a uniquely deep, alluring bisque-like experience. Down the hatch! Cheers!

THE MARGARITA

When we think of Margaritas we often think of Mexico. Some cocktails have fairly straightforward histories, others like the Margarita, wear many historical sombreros. The Spanish word for Daisy (a Brandy cocktail) the Margarita is said to be a spin on that drink, as Americans travelled over the border to Mexico and discovered tequila during prohibition. In 1937 a recipe appeared in the Café Royal cocktail book called Picador but used tequila, triple sec and lime. Restaurateur Carlos Herrera (Rancho La Glroia) near Tijuana is named to have created it in 1938 for a customer allergic to all spirits, but not tequila. Meanwhile, Dallas socialite Margarita Sames is said to have concocted it in the 1940s. What isn’t debated is the contents. Salt rim, tequila, orange liquor (Cointreau) and lime juice, shaken with ice. Of course, some like it without ice and others prefer crushed ice for the ultimate adult slushie! Salud!

This article originally appeared on escape.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission.

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