Martinis to mimosas, 7 classic cocktails' origins, from a New York bar to a Brussels hotel
Advertisement
Which bars first mixed these well-known drinks? We tracked down the places where seven world-famous drinks were made.
1. The piña colada
Drinks made with rum, pineapple and coconut have long been a core part of beverage culture in the Caribbean.
Although drinks containing coconut, pineapple and rum have long been a part of beverage culture in the Caribbean, the piña colada is said to have been invented in 1954 in the Puerto Rican capital San Juan. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
The Puerto Rican pirate captain Roberto Cofresi is said to have given his ship's crew a mixed drink like this back in the early 19th century. But the name piña colada (sieved pineapple) was attributed to a drink in Cuba by Travel Magazine in 1922.
Nevertheless, the cocktail has been Puerto Rico's national drink since 1978.
According to the Caribe Hilton beach hotel in the capital, San Juan, the bartender at the Caribar there, Ramón 'Monchito' Marrero, created the recipe in 1954 after months of experimentation using rum, coconut cream, whipped cream, pineapple juice and crushed ice, topped with a piece of pineapple and a cocktail cherry.
2. The martini
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
06-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for August 7-9
Bold choices are the theme of the weekend as we reach the peak of an extremely rainy summer. Singaporean concept Sago House arrives at Dead Poets to sling classics, while farm-to-bar concept Glass Gardener runs it back with seasonal classic twists at Gishiki Lounge. Close off the weekend by celebrating two years of Crushed Wine Bar with small-batch wines and free-flow pasta. Thursday, August 7 Sago House x Dead Poets Dead Poets at Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Handout What: Kick off your weekend at Dead Poets as the barber shop-slash-cocktail hotspot hosts the equally bold Sago House from Singapore. The latter is known for unconventional combinations and flavours in its signatures back home, such as the Just Right, which combines whisky, toasted oats, miso, Benedictine, lemon and cinnamon. Sago House will be slinging classics on the night, but expect a top-tier atmosphere for your night out. Where: Dead Poets, 41-49 Aberdeen Street, Central When: 8pm onwards Friday, August 8 Glass Gardener x Gishiki Lounge Glass Gardener in Hong Kong is helmed by Henry Ho (left) and Tony Hsu. Photo: Handout What: If you missed its first collaboration with Gishiki Lounge on July 17, nomadic farm-to-bar concept Glass Gardener are returning to Tai Kwun this Friday. Glass Gardener is helmed by Tony Hsu and Henry Ho, whose deep understanding of classic flavours and techniques are powering their seasonal twists on classics on offer alongside a menu of skewers and gyoza. Where: Gishiki Lounge, LG103, Tai Kwun, Block 1, Hollywood Road, Central When: 6pm till sold out Saturday, August 9 Crushed Wine Bar second anniversary
South China Morning Post
04-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
8 timepieces from Rihanna's luxury watch collection: Cartier, Rolex, Jacob & Co and more
When it comes to Rihanna 's luxury watch collection, every single piece just work, work, work, work, works. The Barbados-born singer-turned-business mogul has spent nearly two decades building an empire and a career in entertainment, and with a net worth of US$1.7 billion, she's earned every bit of her style icon status. Never one to shy away from a statement piece, Rihanna has long embraced the world of luxury timepieces, making curated picks, forging relationships with top watchmakers, and consistently stepping out in rare, droolworthy models. From diamond-studded fine jewellery to bold, custom one-offs, here are some of the stand-out watches in Riri's personal collection. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak 77450OR with a pink dial. Photo: Handout Advertisement One thing's for sure: nobody does pregnancy couture like Rihanna . Last month, she stepped out in a floaty, ruffled Saint Laurent maternity dress, grounded with practical Puma trainers – and on her wrist, a not-so-practical Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 77450OR, fresh off the line. This 34mm beauty is crafted from 18-carat pink gold with a matching pink Grande Tapisserie dial and integrated bracelet – a monochrome masterpiece that's as feminine as it is fierce. It's newly released and already making waves in the resale market, commanding prices close to US$90,000. Cartier Panthère de Cartier The Panthère de Cartier watch in yellow gold. Photo: Handout Another fabulous women's watch in Rihanna's collection is the oh-so-chic Cartier Panthère de Cartier, a timepiece she's been spotted wearing on repeat. It's no surprise why: this elegant yellow-gold timepiece is the definition of versatile. With its petite, polished silhouette, it's the kind of watch that works for just about anything, from red carpets and power lunches to late-night parties and casual errand runs. It's quiet luxury at its best – and, worth somewhere in the neighbourhood of US$28,200, it's a nice affordable price point … if you're a billionaire pop star and entrepreneur, of course. Cartier Santos Rihanna's also been seen wearing the Santos de Cartier watch. Photo: Handout Rihanna's love for Cartier doesn't stop at the Panthère. She's also been seen wearing the iconic Cartier Santos, a watch that shares the same sleek design language but with a more structured, industrial edge. Where the Panthère flows like jewellery thanks to its silky, five-link bracelet, the Santos leans tougher: a bold square case, exposed screws and chunkier links that make it feel more unisex. The Fenty Beauty founder was spotted wearing it out and about, running errands like grocery shopping (she's just like us!) stacking it with gold bangles (OK, not just like us), proving that luxury doesn't need an occasion. Jacob & Co Flying Tourbillon choker
South China Morning Post
31-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Montana brings Cuban cocktail magic to Hong Kong's Hollywood Road
What happens when two of the world's most accomplished mixologists decide to build the bar they want to drink in? The result is Montana, a tribute to Cuban cocktail heritage on Hollywood Road, as well as a nod to the influence the Caribbean nation's bartenders had on nearby Florida in the 1970s and 80s. Montana takes its name from an obscure drink in the Club de Cantineros repertoire, the bartending guild that shaped Havana's hedonistic heyday. 'American cocktail history is very important, but what's unknown yet equally important is Cuban cocktail history,' says Simone Caporale , co-founder of Barcelona's Sips (World's Best Bar 2023) and co-owner of Boadas, the Spanish city's oldest cocktail bar, founded by a Cuba-trained bartender in the 1930s. Montana, on Hollywood Road, is a tribute to Cuba's cocktail heritage. Photo: Jocelyn Tam Lorenzo Antinori adds: 'All these wealthy or hedonistic Americans were flying to Cuba, and that's when the strength and the awareness of the Cuban school of classic cocktails really took hold and began to spread all over the world.' And the duo's combined areas of expertise are on full display in the new space. Antinori is best known for Bar Leone in Central, twice named Asia's Best Bar , and he designed the opening menu for Argo at the Four Seasons Hong Kong . Caporale's Sips is renowned for its boundary-breaking mixology. Both bartenders have an abiding love for classic cocktails, evinced by back-to-basics menus at Boadas and Bar Leone. Here's how their newest venture came together. How did you two meet? Lorenzo Antinori: In 2011, Simone was working at the Artesian (in London) and was already one of the top names in the industry. I was just a barback, so I would go there to admire his work. After our shifts we would bump into each other and have a few drinks. But the fun times eventually happened when I left London and we found ourselves at the same events around the world. One of those events was 50 Best Bars in Madrid last year, where we definitely had more than one tequila, and that's when we planted the seed for Montana.
