The Evolution of Mixed Drinks: A Timeline
American cocktail culture evolved over time without a plan, involving myriad people, places, and circumstances. Our understanding of how cocktails evolved has required heavy reconstruction work from historians (primarily David Wondrich) examining the writing and other evidence that has survived to the present, and then writing the many chapters worth of stories the evidence implies. In this exhibit, we attempt to model a great many fragmentary stories into a single view “from 10,000 feet” to tie it all together. For a related view, see our timeline of writing exhibit.
This exhibit is interactive:
Slide timeline left and right by dragging it or using your device’s scrolling features
Click/tap on drink names for more information
- Switch between different sets of historical context: