Its World Cocktail Day at the Alcron

This year will mark the 10th anniversary of World Cocktail Day, a yearly celebration held every May 13th, at the Alcron Hotel’s Be Bop Bar and at Bugsy’s Bar in Prague. This international event was launched in 1999 through the initiative of the Radisson SAS Alcron’s Be Bop Bar and its Bar Manager, Alexander Miksovic, to commemorate the date the term “Cocktail” was first coined in 1806.

The following definition was printed in the American magazine, The Balance: “A Cocktail is a stimulating drink composed of spirits of any kind, mixed with sugar, water and bitters – it is vulgarly called a bittered sling….”

To commemorate this 10th anniversary of World Cocktail Day, the Be Bop Bar, together with Bugsy’s Bar, will feature drinks from famous bars around the world. While almost everyone enjoys cocktails, few really know about the origin of today’s world-famous cocktails and that drinks such as Bloody Marys, Daiquiris and Singapore Slings gained their name and fame from their own unique bars.

The experienced bartenders at the Be Bop Bar and Bugsy’s Bar will prepare these cocktails using the original recipes during the World Cocktail celebration which begins on May 13 and lasts until the end of the month. During this time, guests can enjoy a “tour” of world-famous bars and sample such notable cocktails as those described below. To make this celebration even more fun, guests can enjoy a free cocktail. Just order a drink from the special cocktail menu at either the Be Bop Bar or Bugsy’s, and receive the cocktail for free in the partner’s bar.

Cocktail by Tony (available only in the Be Bop Bar)
“Alcronies” are a special line of cocktails created by Alcron bartenders from 1932 to the present. Over time, the collection of original Alcron cocktails has grown significantly. One of the most famous bartenders at the hotel was Antonín Laube, better known as Tony. Tony worked at the bar between 1960 and 1980, and was unique for his style of mixing drinks with a bar spoon.

The Almond Cigar – a Silver Medalist Cocktail (available only in Bugsy’s Bar)
The Almond Cigar was created in 1998 by Václav Vojí;, Zdeek Šulc and Zdeek Doubek, the three original co-owners of the legendary Prague bar, Bugsy’s. A joint effort of the three, the Almond Cigar represented the Czech Republic at the 1998 Havana Club Grand Prix world finals in Havana, Cuba, and was a huge hit. The drink won the silver medal at the competition and today is one of the few cocktails mixed around the world to have been originally created in the Czech Republic. Proof of its fame is its inclusion in the book Around the World in 80 Bars.

Singapore Sling
This cocktail was created by Ngiam Tong Boon for the Raffles Hotel in Singapore between 1910 and 1915. The recipe listed in articles about the hotel before 1970 is different from the recipe used today. But while the drink may have changed elsewhere, the Raffles Hotel still mixes the drink according to the original recipe using gin, cherry brandy and Benedictine, typically in the same proportions.

The drink is shaken and strained into a glass, and club soda is added according to individual taste. The contemporary recipe at the Raffles Hotel is a modified version of the original and was likely created by Ngiam Tong Boon’s nephew in 1970. Numerous references in song and film speak of the cocktail’s popularity. You can also enjoy a complimentary Singapore Sling on certain Singapore Airlines flights.

Daiquiri
Not just a famous and popular cocktail, Daiquiri is also the name of a beach near the city of Santiago de Cuba. The Daiquiri prepared according to today's recipe was first mixed in the La Floridita Bar in Havana, Cuba. The bar was opened back in 1820 under the name La Pia de Plata (The Silver Pineapple), and renamed La Florida in 1898. The bar was later rechristened La Floridita by the guests themselves. The bar became a popular haunt of businessmen, politicians, and celebrities. La Floridita was visited by Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper and John Wayne, but the most famous guest was Ernest Hemingway, who deserves credit for the worldwide fame of the Daiquiri.

Bloody Mary
There is some controversy surrounding the matter of the creator of the Bloody Mary. One version has it that today’s version was first mixed at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1921 when bartender Fernand Petiot created magic by adding a few ingredients to a simple glass of tomato juice and vodka. And how was the drink named? Fernand Petiot said: “One of my guests suggested that I name the drink Bloody Mary because it reminded him of a club named Bucket of Blood in Chicago and a certain local girl named Mary.”

Bellini
The Bellini is a highly popular long drink mixed with sparkling wine and peach puree. Today it is one of the most popular Italian cocktails. The Bellini was first mixed between the years 1934 and 1948 by head bartender Guiseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice. The magnificent pink color of the drink reminded Cipriani of a saint’s robe in a 15th Century work by the Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini.

The drink became a local seasonal specialty and was enjoyed, among others, by writers Ernest Hemingway and Sinclair Lewis, and the author and film director Orson Welles. The Bellini cocktail later became popular at bars in New York City. In order to achieve a radiant pink color the original recipe also included a drop of raspberry or cherry syrup.