Halloween Cocktails

In 1919, Count Camillo Negroni would frequent the aristocratic Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy. One day he wanted something a little bit stronger than his usual Americano. So he asked the barman Fosco Scarselli to add a little bit of Gin to his drink, rather than soda, in memory of his recent trips to London.

This new cocktail became “The Usual” for the Count, but soon it became the “American Aperitif Count Negroni-style" for everyone else. In the 1950's the cocktail became very popular in Italy and, soon, all over the world. Ian Fleming mentioned the Negroni Cocktail in one of the 'James Bond' movies.

The true origins of the Whiskey Sour are shrouded in mystery, like any great story. While the sour drink first emerged when the Royal Navy sailors mixed citrus with their beer or rum, to keep the scurvy away, credit for the birth of the Whiskey Sour is often given to the intrepid Englishman Elliott Stubb. Stubb's adventures led him to a Peruvian port town in the 1870's, where he opened a bar and experimented with whatever he could find. He eventually tried mixing the local limon di pica with whiskey and sugar. The result? A classic that balances sweet warmth and tart citrus.

The Manhattan has outlasted prohibition, it's survived countless trends, and is widely (and rightly) regarded as one of the greatest ever cocktails. If you believe the legend, it was first mixed in 1870 at a reception held by Jennie Jerome, soon-to-be mother of Winston Churchill. The venue? The Manhattan Club - where else. Or so the story goes. You can find it on cocktail menus around the world, and now, in your very own cocktail bar, too.

Iconically pink, the Cosmopolitan was born at the hands of Cheryl Cook, bartender and owner of The Strand in Miami. Her words describe the birth of the drink better than anyone else: "It was about 1985; the Martini was making a comeback, with its classic glass. The women didn't seem to like cocktails very much but wanted to be seen with the martini glass in hand. This gave me the idea of ​​creating a cocktail that would appeal to everyone, and fit in this classic glass. So, I took the ingredients: Absolut Citron, a dose of triple sec, a drop of Rose's Lime and enough cranberry to make it deliciously pink."
In a short time the cocktail was mentioned by the famous Cosmopolitan magazine, from which Cook took inspiration for the name.

It's winter. An Alpine chalet and an open fire. NIO Cocktails' Head Mixologist Patrick Pistolesi is in the mood for a gin-based drink before dinner - something a little different, something unexpected. Inspired by the après-ski mood, Patrick creates this perfectly perfumed signature cocktail for the curious gin lover. The floral notes of violet in the Purple Breeze are as home on a snow-covered slope as a sun-soaked beach.

This story begins in Paris, at Harry’s Bar, where the famous barman Harry McElhone invented this special cocktail for Erksine Gwynne. Gwynne was well known because he was the grandson of the magnate Alfred Vanderbilt. Thanks to Gwynne, the Boulevardier became famous when he published the recipe in his “Barflies and Cocktails”, circa 1927, and he went on to create a monthly magazine called "Boulevardier”.

The origins of this cocktail go so far back that it's tough to trust anyone who says they created it. The original name was Whiskey Cocktail, as it reflected the characteristics of the classic cocktail formula laid down in 1806: spirit, sugar, water and bitters. The proliferation of new liqueurs available to bartenders from the 1870s resulted in a fad for new and allegedly 'improved' Whiskey Cocktails, which then led to a revolt amongst those who yearned for the original drink. Hence the Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail.

It's simple: Milan is the birthplace of Campari. Turin is the home of sweet vermouth. Mix the two together in a glass. garnish with orange peel, and you have the perfect classic. Legend has it that Gaspare Campari first served the Milano Torino at his Milan cafe in 1860. The Mi-To proved so popular it became the template for the next generation of bittersweet cocktails, like the Americano (with a splash of soda) and the Negroni (with an equal measure of gin). Ours includes Cocchi vermouth, from a family recipe that's over 100 years old.