A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients — at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.[1]
Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol. A cocktail today usually contains one or more kinds of spirit and one or more mixers, such as soda or fruit juice. Additional ingredients may be ice, sugar, honey, milk, cream, and various herbs.
According to statistics about the most likely drink ordered during happy hours in bars and restaurants, 71% of U.S. women and 51% of men would order cocktails or mixed drinks. Cocktails are definitely in the top 3 when it comes to drinks of choice during a night out.
Notes[]
- ↑ Overall, this is not quite true, particularly in the case of beer and wine cocktails, but also in the case of "virgin" cocktails that do not actually contain alcohol.