Grant Park Social

Brief History:The Old Fashioned is widely considered the original cocktail, with roots tracing back to the early 1800s. Originally just a simple combination of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters, it was referred to simply as a “cocktail.” As bartenders began experimenting in the late 1800s, some drinkers started asking for their drink made the “old-fashioned” way—hence the name. It gained renewed popularity during the craft cocktail revival and remains a timeless staple.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey • 1 sugar cube (or 1/2 tsp simple syrup) • 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters • Splash of water or a few drops to dissolve sugar • Orange peel (for garnish) • Optional: Luxardo cherry (traditionalists say no, but modern versions often include it)

Brief HistoryUnlike century-old classics, the Bourbon Bee is a relatively recent creation, likely emerging in cocktail circles in the late 2010s or early 2020s. It takes inspiration from honey-forward bourbon cocktails like the Gold Rush, but adds Aperol and pineapple juice for a brighter, more tropical twist. Sources such as Seattle Refined and Booze on the Rocks highlight this variation as a modern riff on whiskey‑sour styles .⸻Classic Ingredients • 2 oz bourbon (e.g. Bulleit 10‑Year or another favorite) • 0.5 oz Aperol • 0.5 oz honey syrup (typically a 1:1 honey-to-water reduction) • 1 oz pineapple juice • 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice • 2–3 dashes aromatic bitters (often Angostura)

Brief History:The Aviation was created in the early 20th century, first appearing in Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks while he was head bartender at New York’s Hotel Wallick. Its signature bluish-purple hue came from crème de violette, a floral liqueur that was hard to find for much of the 20th century, leading many versions to omit it. When crème de violette made a comeback in the 2000s, so did the original recipe.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz gin • 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur • 1/4 oz crème de violette • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice • Optional: cherry (for garnish)

Brief History:The Vieux Carré (pronounced “voo care-ray”) was created in the 1930s at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans by head bartender Walter Bergeron. The name means “Old Square” in French and refers to the city’s French Quarter. Like the Sazerac, it’s deeply rooted in New Orleans cocktail culture. The Vieux Carré is a richly complex, spirit-forward drink—essentially a blend of a Manhattan and a Sazerac with a touch of French influence via Cognac and Bénédictine.Classic Ingredients: • 3/4 oz rye whiskey • 3/4 oz cognac • 3/4 oz sweet vermouth • 1/4 oz Bénédictine • 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Garnish: lemon twist or cherry

Brief History:The Espresso Martini was created in the 1980s by legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell. As the story goes, a supermodel walked into the bar and asked for a drink that would “wake me up and then f*** me up.” Bradsell combined vodka and fresh espresso, inventing what was first called the Vodka Espresso—later renamed the Espresso Martini during the ‘tini craze of the ’90s. Despite the name, it contains no actual martini ingredients like gin or vermouth.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz vodka • 1 oz fresh brewed espresso (or cold espresso) • 3/4 oz coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa or Mr Black) • Optional: 1/4 oz simple syrup (if you prefer a touch more sweetness) • Garnish: 3 espresso beans (for health, wealth, and happiness)

Brief History:The Manhattan is one of the oldest and most iconic American cocktails, believed to have originated in the 1870s at the Manhattan Club in New York City. Though the exact origin is debated, the drink helped popularize the use of vermouth in cocktails and has remained a staple in bars ever since. It’s the blueprint for countless whiskey-based stirred drinks and is a paragon of balance and simplicity.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz rye whiskey (bourbon can be used, but rye is traditional) • 1 oz sweet vermouth • 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters • Garnish: brandied cherry (or lemon twist, less commonly)

Brief History:The exact origin of the Margarita is hotly debated, with stories placing its invention between the 1930s and the 1940s in Mexico or the southwestern U.S. One widely accepted theory is that it evolved from the Daisy (a classic cocktail style combining spirit, citrus, and orange liqueur), with tequila substituted as the base—fittingly, margarita means daisy in Spanish. It gained massive popularity in the U.S. in the mid-20th century and remains the most ordered tequila cocktail in the world.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz blanco tequila • 1 oz Cointreau (or triple sec) • 1 oz fresh lime juice • Optional: 1/4 oz agave syrup (for added sweetness) • Garnish: lime wheel and a salt rim

Brief History:The Paper Plane is a modern classic created in 2007 by bartender Sam Ross (also known for the Penicillin) at New York’s Milk & Honey. Originally developed for Chicago’s Violet Hour, the drink was named after the M.I.A. song “Paper Planes” that Ross had on repeat during its creation. It’s a riff on the Last Word, using equal parts and a perfect balance of bitter, citrus, and bourbon.Classic Ingredients: • 3/4 oz bourbon • 3/4 oz Aperol • 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Brief History:The Whiskey Sour is one of the oldest known cocktails, with the earliest printed mention appearing in an 1862 edition of Jerry Thomas’ Bartender’s Guide. Like many early sours, it evolved from the naval tradition of mixing citrus with spirits to prevent scurvy and make the liquor more palatable. It belongs to the family of “sour” cocktails, balancing spirit, citrus, and sweetener—clean, simple, and endlessly adaptable.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice • 1/2 to 3/4 oz simple syrup (adjust to taste) • Optional: 1/2 oz egg white (for texture and froth) • Garnish: cherry and/or lemon wheel

Brief History:The Sidecar emerged in the aftermath of World War I, with both Paris and London laying claim to its creation. It first appeared in print in Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails (1922) and Cocktails and How to Mix Them by Robert Vermeire. The drink was named after the motorcycle sidecar, supposedly because the drink’s inventor arrived at the bar in one. A refined variation of the Brandy Crusta, the Sidecar became a staple of the early 20th-century cocktail canon and is a prime example of the spirit-citrus-sweetener formula.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz cognac (or brandy) • 3/4 oz orange liqueur (typically Cointreau) • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice • Optional: sugar rim • Garnish: lemon twist (optional)

Brief History:The Corpse Reviver family of cocktails dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and were originally conceived as hangover cures—hence the name. While there are multiple versions, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 is by far the most famous. It was popularized in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) by Harry Craddock, who cheekily warned:“Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”Classic Ingredients (Corpse Reviver No. 2): • 3/4 oz gin • 3/4 oz Cointreau (or triple sec) • 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano, as a more traditional substitute) • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice • Absinthe rinse (or a few drops)

Brief History:The Last Word was created in the early 1920s at the Detroit Athletic Club. It gained popularity just before Prohibition and was nearly forgotten until it was rediscovered and revived in the early 2000s by Seattle bartender Murray Stenson. Its equal-parts build, vibrant green color, and balance of sweet, sour, herbal, and boozy made it a favorite in the modern classic cocktail renaissance.Classic Ingredients: • 3/4 oz gin • 3/4 oz green Chartreuse • 3/4 oz maraschino liqueur • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Brief History:The Sazerac is one of the oldest known American cocktails, dating back to the mid-1800s in New Orleans. It was originally made with Sazerac de Forge et Fils cognac, hence the name. When the phylloxera outbreak devastated French vineyards in the late 19th century, rye whiskey became the base of choice. The cocktail is closely associated with New Orleans culture and was declared the official cocktail of the city in 2008. Its preparation and ritual—particularly the absinthe rinse—set it apart as a ceremonial drink.Classic Ingredients: • 2 oz rye whiskey (or cognac, for a traditional twist) • 1 sugar cube • 3–4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters • Absinthe rinse • Lemon peel (for garnish)