Top 6 Favorite Retro Cocktails

The retro-drink culture is officially in vogue, from the TV show Mad Men to the speakeasy-style cocktail bar. Many of today's popular cocktails originated 100, 200, even 300 years ago, but each of the following drinks has enjoyed a resurgence in our lifetimes. Read all about the fabled and oft-debated origins of your favorite retro cocktails, including the Sidecar, Piña Colada, and Gin Rickey.

Tom Collins
Basically gin with sparkling lemonade, the Tom Collins cocktail was born of the Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874. The hoax began as a game, in which someone would ask another if he'd seen Tom Collins, asserting that this character (who didn't really exist) had been spreading rumors about him. A flurry of urgent searching would ensue, and the supposedly maligned searcher would end up feeling foolish. The original Punk'd! Who knew?Sidecar
This version of the World War I-era cocktail incorporates light citrus flavors and Crown Royal, a blended Canadian whiskey. The original recipe was reportedly invented for an American army captain who was feeling under the weather, so his bartender invented a drink with body-warming brandy and vitamin C-rich lemon juice. Oh, and he was known for riding around town in the sidecar of a motorcycle, hence ...

Bourbon Hot Toddy
Bourbon, spiced and sugared, takes center stage in this cold-weather cocktail. Traditionally imbibed for relaxation or to cure a cold, Hot Toddies were reputedly born in Scotland in the early 1700s. (Talk about retro!).

Manhattan
Also known as the "Drinking Man's Cocktail," the Manhattan has a much-debated history, but everyone agrees the drink was indeed invented in New York City in the second half of the 1800s. Whiskey, sweet vermouth, and maraschino cherries are the unwavering ingredient list.

White Russian
If you're feeling political, the White Russian cocktail could refer to the right-wing Bolsheviks of the Russian Civil War during the early 1900s, who were known as the "whites." If not, this drink could simply refer to the vodka (which was associated with Russia during the 1950s) in this dessert-worthy coffee liqueur cocktail. Either way, this drink is both simple and delicious.