Cocktails and other alcoholic beverages are usually associated with parties, relaxation, and good times. Whether you're having happy hour drinks with co-workers or giving the toast at your best friend's wedding, good drinks go hand in hand with good times. However, your favorite cocktail can shed light on where you need to travel next.
Most cocktails and liquors have a country of origin. So why not enrich your travel bucket list by exploring some of the places where today's most popular and trending drinks are created? It's a place you need to travel to.
French 95 – Louisville, Kentucky
material:
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- simple syrup 1/2 oz
- 2 ounces champagne
Easy to make, the French 95 is a close relative of the popular cocktail French 75. This drink is trending among millennials online, and people can't get enough of the luxury. When you hear the name French 95, travelers who enjoy this cocktail might think they should head to France. But that's wrong.
Bourbon is the main ingredient, so French 95 lovers should head to Louisville, Kentucky. Bourbon whiskey, America's only native spirit, exploded around 1783 along the Ohio River in Kentucky. No other whiskey in the world can be described as bourbon, and Louisville is the best place in the country to find French 95 bourbon.
Manhattan – New York City
material:
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
The Manhattan is considered the first modern cocktail and was created in New York. This cocktail was the first to introduce aromatic ingredients during its creation. This popular cocktail was created by Dr. Ian Marshall as a special drink for parties at popular Manhattan clubs in the 1880s. More than a century later, the Manhattan is still a favorite cocktail for people around the world, and the best place to drink it is in the Big Apple.
Vesper Martini – Northern France
material:
- 3 ounces gin
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1/2 oz Lilette Blanc Aperitif
Everyone loves a good martini. However, the Vesper Martini became popular thanks to the fictional action icon James Bond.in the book casino royale, Bond orders a Vesper Martini, but later famously asks for it to be shaken, not stirred, in the film. The fictional town in northern France where Bond orders his drink is beautiful from late spring to early fall. Next time you're in France, head to Calais, Laon, or Bayeux and enjoy a Vesper Martini.
Caiprihini – Brazil
material:
- 1/2 lime
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 2 ounces cachaça
- Lime wheel, for decoration
Made famous in Brazil, the Caiprihini cocktail is a favorite with travelers around the world. However, the drink originated in São Paulo, where farmers distilled fermented sugar cane to create cocktails for parties. This fermented sugar cane became known as cachaça, the main ingredient in the Caiprihini cocktail. Once known as a drink for the poor, this cocktail has spread far beyond Brazil to bars and restaurants around the world.
