Have you ever wondered where the best cocktail drinks originated from, how or why? Have you ever pondered on where would be the best place to enjoy one?
The truth is that the top mixed drinks were not invented in just one place, they come from all around the planet and the secrets were often brought home by sailors and why not? What better place to enjoy a good cocktail than on a sun drenched beach?
Here is a list of the top 10 beach drinks:
01: Pina Colada, Puerto Rico
As a cocktail made from Pineapple, Coconut and Rum, Pina Colada’s had been enjoyed for a hundred years when in 1950, a barman at the Oasis Bar in San Juan perfected it by using Cream of Coconut.
02: Caipirinha, Brazil
This is a cocktail made from sugar, lime and Cachaca. Cachaca is a fermented drink made from sugarcane juice. Even vendors on the beaches sell this. Variations can be made of this by adding different fruit juices.
03: Mai Tai, Polynesia
Made from a mix of Rum, Orange Curacao and Orgeat Syrup (a derivative of almonds) on first tasting this in a bar called ‘Hinky Dink’ in Oakland in 1944, a Polynesian guest exclaimed “maita’I ro’a ‘ae”, meaning ‘out of this world’ and the name stuck.
04: Red Stripe Beer, Jamaica
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Red Stripe Beer, Jamaica
After Jamaica received Independence in 1962, a British journalist suggested that Jamaica had really been independent since it started brewing Red Stripe in 1928. It is now the most popular beer in the Caribbean.
05: Daiquiri, Cuba
- Made from a mix of Rum, Lime and sugar this drink is said to have been given its name by a group of American engineers, whilst working on a beach near Santiago in Cuba. The beaches name was Daiquiri.
06: Margarita, Mexico
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Margarita, Mexico
There seems to be conflicts as to the origin of this mix of Tequila, Cointreau and Lime juice served in a glass rimmed with salt. The legends of its origin are from Acapulco or Tijuana and so this most popular of tequila cocktails definitely started in Mexico.
07: Limoncello, Italy
When faced with a surplus of lemons, the Italian farmers placed peel in alcohol and added sugar. This is rapidly becoming the cocktail of choice along the Amalfi coast of southern Italy.
08: Cape Codder, Massachusetts
A mix of Vodka and Cranberry, this drink was named after the cape that is famous for growing Cranberries.
09: Rosé, Cóte d’Azur, France
A long time favorite at Saint Tropez, this pink wine is supposedly made by removing the skins from the red grapes after crushing. Thought of to be a less serious drink than either red or white wines.
10: Gin and Tonic, India
When the British in India were advised to drink Gin as an anti-malarial, the taste was a little bitter to them. They then discovered that adding tonic and perhaps a squeeze of lime, the drink was very refreshing. It has remained popular even though the British left India.