Cocktail Culture

The earliest use in print of the term “cock-tail” for a mixed drink is said to have been in a 1798 London newspaper, though the term at the time was understood to be for a horse with its tail cut short to indicate it was of mixed breed. In the United States, one Jerry Thomas of Connecticut is considered the father of bartending for recording cocktail recipes. Whatever the origin, wine, spirits, and mixed drinks make for conviviality, which can inspire artisans to create beautiful objects for said fun and artists to document the goings-on that such fun can wreak. Cocktail Culture surveys a range of fine and decorative arts derived from this celebratory tradition. Included are a champagne pitcher produced by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co., wine glasses by Tiffany, and paintings and works on paper by Juan Gris, Charles Sheeler, and Saul Steinberg, among others.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.