How Traditional Alcoholic Drinks Got Their Names

If you are anything like us, this is not a topic that you have thought all that much about lately. We love to have a drink with our friends and loved ones but we do not spend much time thinking about the history lessons behind each of them.

That’s where the good folks at Storied come into play. Host Dr. Erica Brozovsky, Ph.D. of the PBS series Otherwords was enlisted to provide us with all of the background information that we were never aware of.

Those who do not know the etymological origins of how these beverages got their names definitely need to take the time to learn more. “Alcohol has been with humanity since the dawn of civilization, and we use still use some of the same terms for it! Come with us on an etymological journey through the history of drinking,” the video description reads.

Once we saw that, we could not wait to wet our beaks. All of the most popular alcoholic beverages are covered here. Lager, beer, wine, ale, wine, all of your favorites are presented and accounted for. The harder spirits are covered as well, including bourbon, scotch whiskey, mezcal, tequila, gin, and rye.

In addition to discussing these drinks, she gets into other terms that are a part of the common drinking parlance. If you have ever wondered why the term “cocktail” is used to describe a drink, this is your perfect chance to learn more. She even explains why we use the word “toast” once it is time to raise our glasses and celebrate the best moments in our lives.

“Once you start mixing liquors with other beverages, the result is widely known as a cocktail, although no one is certain why. One theory refers to a 19th-century New Orleans socialite who served mixed drinks in egg cups, known in French as coquetiers. Another suggests it’s named after a horse’s tail that has been cut short…Now that everyone has the drink they ordered, it’s time to raise our glasses for a toast,” they explained.

“There was an archaic tradition of adding a small piece of charred bread into your wine …Since this was typically done on festive occasions, you can imagine it to be the perfect moment to say something special,” she added.

To learn more about all of the knowledge that she has to provide, please be sure to watch this awesome video: