How did the term cocktail originate?
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Actually, never mind that. The answer is indeed in the archives, but the link title is misleading. Gotta let the techies know about that.
Here you go: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcocktail.html
Thanx, the question oringinated between a friend and myself a few weeks ago and was driving me nuts.
To amplify Gaudere’s explanation–
The 1806 cite is from The Balance and says “Cock tail, then, is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters–it is vulgarly called bittered sling…it is said, also, to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because, a person having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else.”
Had to add that, in light of the recent election. Even though I am a liberal democrat.
Notice the Cock is capitalized, and a separate word from “tail”