There are five cocktails that are named after the five boroughs of New York City. In common lore, each has some connection to the borough after which it is eponymously styled.

The Bronx

Named after the borough of The Bronx, a Bronx consists of gin,

vermouth Vermouth (, ) is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th centur ...

, and

orange juice Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. As well as vari ...

. It was formerly listed as an IBA official cocktail and was ranked as the third most famous cocktail in the world in 1934. A pre-Prohibition cocktail, the Bronx appears in the 1908 book ''

The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them ''The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them'' is a cocktail manual by William "Cocktail" Boothby originally published in 1900, with revised editions in 1908, 1930 and 1934. The publisher was the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where Boothby worked ...

''.Boothby, William "Cocktail". ''The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them'', 1908. Photographed at San Francisco Public Library Historical Materials Collectio

on December 28, 2007. Some accounts say the Bronx originated in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

and was later popularized in New York. Others say that it was invented by a bartender in the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schult ...

. According to Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill W., the first drink he ever had was a Bronx cocktail, after which he became an alcoholic.

Brooklyn

Named after the borough of Brooklyn, a Brooklyn consists of rye,

dry vermouth Vermouth (, ) is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th centur ...

, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon. In this regard, it is similar to a Manhattan, but with a specific type of bitters (instead of the several that can be used in a Manhattan) and the notable addition of maraschino. The Brooklyn was popular in the early 20th century and largely fell into obscurity after

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

. It began to regain popularity at the end of the 20th century.

Manhattan

Named after the borough of Manhattan, a Manhattan is a cocktail composed of

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ...

sweet vermouth Vermouth (, ) is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th cen ...

, and

bitters Bitters (plural also ''bitters'') is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now ar ...

, typically served in a

cocktail glass A cocktail glass is a stemmed glass with an inverted cone bowl, mainly used to serve straight-up cocktails. The term ''cocktail glass'' is often used interchangeably with ''martini glass'', despite their differing slightly. Today, the glass i ...

. Of the five drinks, it is the only one considered one of "the unforgettables" on the IBA list of official cocktails. It is also listed as one of the six basic drinks in ''

The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks ''The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks'' is a book about cocktails by David A. Embury, first published in 1948. The book is noteworthy for its witty, highly opinionated and conversational tone, as well as its categorization of cocktails into two main ty ...

''. The Manhattan is said to have originated at a banquet hosted by

Lady Randolph Churchill Jennie Spencer-Churchill (; 9 January 1854 – 29 June 1921), known as Lady Randolph Churchill, was an American-born British socialite, the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, and the mother of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill. Early ...

at the Manhattan Club in the late 19th century.

Queens

Named after the borough of Queens, a Queens consists of gin,

, and

pineapple juice Pineapple juice is a liquid made from pressing the natural liquid from the pulp of the pineapple (a fruit from a tropical plant). Numerous pineapple varieties may be used to manufacture commercial pineapple juice, the most common of which are ...

. The drink dates back to 1930, appearing in

Harry Craddock Harry Craddock (29 August 1876 – 25 January 1963) was an English bartender who became one of the most famous bartenders of the 1920s and 1930s. He is known for his tenure at the Savoy Hotel in London, and for his 1930 book, ''The Savoy Cocktail ...

's '' Savoy Cocktail Book''.

Staten Island

Staten Island is the only borough without a cocktail that bears its name directly. A Staten Island Ferry is named after the ferry that carries passengers between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. It consists of

Malibu rum Malibu is a coconut flavored liqueur, made with Caribbean rum, and possessing an alcohol content by volume of 21.0 % (42 proof). As of 2017 the ''Malibu'' brand is owned by Pernod Ricard, who calls it a "flavored rum", where this design ...

and

, resembling a

piña colada The piña colada (; es, piña , "pineapple", and , "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple we ...

. Its tropical flavoring is a satire on the fact that Staten Island is an island though far removed from the tropics.

References

{{New York City Cocktails named after New York City boroughs

New York City boroughs New York City is composed of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of New York State, making New York City the largest U.S. municipality situated in mul ...

Mixed drinks Cocktails named after New York City boroughs Cuisine of New York City

The Bronx

Brooklyn

Manhattan

Queens

Staten Island

See also

References