The Vodka Scandal!

Spirits of all kinds whether it be Gin, R(h)um or Tequila have been popularised by mixed drinks, cocktails with substance, history, oh yes and originality....

Vodka came to America from Eastern Europe where it was classically drunk straight, launched in a society dominated by cocktail culture this traditional method of consumption would simply not do. With no traditional cocktails to speak of and considering vodka is essentially unflavoured gin, one wonders where those marketing genius's searched for inspiration.

One of the cocktails that popularised vodka was the Moscow Mule, created in 1941 by John G. Martin, the chap who had just acquired the rights to Smirnoff vodka in the U.S. and Jack Morgan, the owner of the Cock 'n' Bull salon and coincidently a fellow who was trying to launch his own ginger beer. The two met and gave birth to the Moscow Mule by combining their products and adding a splash of lime juice, a friend of theirs had just inherited a copper factory so as a way of promoting this lovely libation they served it in copper mugs... what a lovely story.

A similar drink which was found on bar menus in the late 1800's and early 1900's right up until World War II was the Gin Buck, a refreshing, spicy drink perfect for the summer, the recipe for this beverage can be found below, although it may seem suspiciously familiar;

The Gin Buck

Tanqueray - 60ml

Fentimans Ginger Beer - 150ml

 Lime juice - 15ml

Gimmicky drinking vessel aside this is remarkably similar to the Moscow Mule, only difference being the Gin Buck has the added pleasure of a punchy juniper flavoured spirit providing it with a more interesting flavour. I would recommend using ginger beer as opposed to the widely recommended ginger ale for this drink as what would have been described as ginger ale in the 1900's would not be the lightly flavoured Canada Dry we are familiar with now, it would be a fiery ginger soda... ginger beer it is then.

It would be unfair to accuse Vodka of pilfering this drink from Gin, after all, rum and scotch have also been known to mix well with ginger beer and were widely drunk around the same time as the Gin Buck, but what about the Martini?

There is little argument that the Gin Martini was the original. Despite this it has become common practice to inquire if someone requests a Martini as to their spirit of choice or in some uncivilised establishments to simply whip up one with vodka.   

The popularity of the Vodka Martini and the decline of the Gin Martini can be attributed to an American drinking habit coined as 'the three martini lunch'. During their lunch break from highly stressful jobs American professionals began to indulge in a liquid lunch of several Martini's. Now three martini's can no doubt make any ones afternoon go quicker, unfortunately gin's distinctive aroma would often give away the reason for an employees reduced productivity, que clever marketing...

In the 1950's Smirnoff launched a campaign using the slogan 'Smirnoff, Leaves You Breathless'. Now this could simply be suggesting the product is outstanding and will leave you marvelling at it's quality, or as it was widely interpreted, it was suggesting that vodka based martini's could not be detected by the boss on your return to work... the three martini lunch reigns supreme. 

Once again it would be unfair to suggest Vodka robbed the martini from gin as prior to Smirnoff's clever marketing antics the combination of Vodka and Vermouth was known as a Kangaroo. Although if the Kangaroo developed independently from the Martini it cannot be denied that Vodka, like a cheap groupie, tagged on to the popularity of this drink to aid it's own success.

For further information on the Gin Martini check out our post.

Fast forward to the 1980's and we come to one of those modern classics, the Cosmopolitan, a vodka creation through and through right? The widely accepted creator of the drink was Cheryl Cook around 1985 who wanted to craft a martini style drink to suit a wider palate adding cranberry juice for aesthetic value 'to make it oh so pretty in pink'. The Cosmopolitan was popularised by Dale DeGroff who gave the signature flamed orange zest garnish and served it to celebrates such as Madonna before being made even more famous after appearing on the popular TV show Sex in the City.

Funny thing is the modern Cosmopolitan is remarkably similar to a recipe for a 'Cosmopolitan Daisy' which can be found in a compilation of recipes from between 1903 and 1933 entitled 'Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars'.

The Cosmopolitan Daisy

Plymouth Gin - 50ml

Cointreau - 15ml

Lemon Juice - 20ml

Raspberry Syrup - 10ml 

Garnish with an orange zest twist

So simular in name, ingredients and still pretty in pink, however The Cosmopolitan Daisy has a flavour profile far removed from the modern Cosmopolitan. In addition to this the recipe has only only recently surfaced from an obscure book published fifty years before the birth of the vodka Cosmopolitan, I would therefore be inclined to believe the Cosmopolitan developed independently from the Cosmopolitan Daisy after all, it's a small world.     

Personally I remain undecided whether vodka has pillaged most of it's more credible libations from gin or just managed to develop very similar drinks, either way it has been said that the fight for survival can justify swindle and theft, just be sure to respect what preceded these popular vodka drinks after all I hear trends have a way of  coming back around...

Hope You Enjoy

Umpleby & Brown