Imagine for a second sitting in a dimly lit speakeasy. An old-school jazz tune playing softly in the background, a crystal-clear glass cradling a smooth, amber liquid in your hand. 

There’s a story in that glass, a tale that goes back to a time of war and struggle when cocktails were more than just a fun beverage—they were a symbol of resilience, an escape from reality, and sometimes, a bitter-sweet toast to the ones who didn’t come back.

Our fascination with cocktails has never waned, but did you know that some of our most beloved cocktails came into existence in the grueling times of war? From World War I through Prohibition and onto World War II, humans found solace, hope, and, occasionally, a dash of much-needed liquid courage in these concoctions.