The U.S. Bartenders Guide has listed the defining cocktail for each decade of the 20th century. Are they on the money, or dead wrong?
I love lists. Ten best, ten worst, must do, never do, gotta see, stay away - it doesn't matter, there's just something about a list.
CocktailTimes.com has helped me indulge my fascination for lists with "100 Years of Cocktails." They've provided a decade-by-decade breakdown of the "it" cocktails of the 20th century, as listed by the U.S. Bartenders Guide and Anchor Hocking.
1900-1910: Old Fashioned
1910-1920: Singapore Sling
1920-1930: Bloody Mary
1930-1940: Manhattan
1940-1950: Mai Tai
1950-1960: Vodka Martini (OK, here, I have to quibble. I think specifying vodka is too restrictive. But definitely, the Martini!)
1960-1970: Whiskey Sour
1970-1980: Long Island Iced Tea
1980-1990: Sex on the Beach
1990-2000: Cosmopolitan
They even gave me an added bonus, a best and a worst! The best non-alcoholic cocktail of the century is the Shirley Temple. And the worst cocktail of the century? The Brain Hemorrhage. No quibble from me there - it's probably one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. Although even at that, I have to admit, it's a great Halloween shooter.
