The history of cocktails, or it all started with Og
The history of cocktails is probably a bit younger than the history of alcohol. As soon as humans discovered that fermented fruit juice, which seemed to make bees and butterflies behave a bit silly when they drank it, was also good for humans, then the profession of bartending began.
A boy named Og was probably the first. The vine outside his cave seemed to bear the craziest fruits of autumn. He learned to collect the liquid and exchanged a full pumpkin for a couple of boar chops or some fish. His neighbors would stay around to drink and fool around, and to complain about how his wife made eyes at the boys from the tribe next door, and how she didn’t even keep the cave clean. Og’s became the haunt after the hunt. Some of the boys even liked to drum a bit and sing after a few gourds of Og’s concoction.
Time passes and civilization grows. Public bars became associated with places where beer was brewed or wine was made. Most of the great houses in Europe had their own brewery or vineyard, but the common folk had to get their grog from somewhere. Instead of taking it home to drink, people drank their purchase on the spot. It was more fun that way and more convenient. The bartender would be the brewer or winemaker. It was eventually noticed that sales increased if instead of the brewer, one of his attractive young relatives served the pints of beer, a feature designed to keep customers happy and drinking.
Many bartenders, who were usually also the owners of the bars, became wealthy citizens. Over time, the bar became not just a place to drink, but a place for people to come and socialize, talk about the problems of the day, perhaps eat and escape family worries. Most houses would have been very modest, and the bar offered luxurious amenities like night lighting, a place to sit, and of course, food and drink.
As far as we know, there were not many bartenders among the Pilgrim Fathers, but as soon as America began to be seriously colonized by Europeans, the bartenders were among the first to embark. They stood with the workers, farmers, prostitutes, and speculators when the great advance west began. If Hollywood is to be believed, and in this case it probably is, the western town had a bar with its bartender before it had a doctor, a school or a church.
The true mystique of modern mixology goes back to the Roaring Twenties, the era of cocktails and Prohibition, when the only place to drink was the speakeasy. The bartender wielded power, had access to forbidden fruits, and the bartender’s job had an aura of danger and excitement that has perhaps never been left behind. The lure of the forbidden ensured that bars and bartenders had a permanent place in Western cultural life from then on.
In modern times, the role of the bartender has become even more sophisticated and crucial to running a successful first-class business, such as a hotel or restaurant. With its multifaceted demands, bartending work has taken its place in the ranks of the professions, and bartending has become a respected occupation that at the highest levels can bring impressive pay. A long way from Og and his fermented fruit juice, but human nature probably hasn’t changed much over the course of all those thousands of years: people still like a strong drink in comfortable surroundings, a bit of music and a kind ear in what they can for your problems.