Where does the word "cocktail" come from? Who invented it? We explore these questions and the backstories of two drinks from America's early days as a nation: The Mint Julep and the Sazerac. (Special thanks to Joe Gitter and Yiorgos Tsivranidis for their voice acting in this episode.)

Try making our Mint Julep and Sazerac recipes at home!

Further Reading:

"A Brief History of Bitters" Smithsonian Magazine by Peter Smith

Difford's Guide for Discerning Drinkers

Drink & Learn

"The Ice King was a Tudor" Wall Street Journal by Eric Felten

Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice - Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin

"NEW ORLEANS: A TIMELINE OF ECONOMIC HISTORY" Tulane University by Richard Campanella

The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (Edited by David Wondrich & Noah Rothbaum)

Travels of four years and a half in the United States of America by John Davis

Whenham Great Pond by John C. Phillips from The Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts

"Who Is the Real Father of the Cocktail?" The Daily Beast by Philip Greene

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This week, we kick off Proof's first-ever miniseries. Episode 1 explores how we got to our modern cocktail renaissance. Why were cocktails in the 90s and early 2000s shells of the well-crafted drinks we see today? It took a renegade group of bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts to resurrect drinks from the cocktail's heyday. Hosted by Cook's Country Editor-in-Chief Toni Tipton-Martin, and reported by Proof's managing producer, Yumi Araki.

Looking for a new cocktail shaker? We've tested over a dozen types to find the best options that will fit your home bar.

Further Reading:

A Proper Drink by Robert Simonson

Difford's Guide for Discerning Drinkers

Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice - Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin

Straight Up or On the Rocks - The Story of the American Cocktail by William Grimes

Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up - Ted Saucier

"The born-in-Detroit cocktail that has spawned countless variations," Washington Post by M. Carrie Allan

The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Think Like a Master Mixologist by Dale DeGroff

The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (Edited by David Wondrich & Noah Rothbaum)

Special thanks to the following recording studios:

Brooklyn Podcasting Studio

Signature Sound Studios

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Even before the Stone Age, our ancestors were thinking about what happens when we combine one flavor with another, both in the primordial kitchen and behind the prehistoric bar. Fast-forward to today, and the carefully crafted cocktail is all around us. But what if we told you it wasn’t always this way?

Welcome to Proof's first-ever miniseries: 100 Proof: The Journey of the American Cocktail. Over six episodes, we’ll look at the rise and fall--and subsequent resurgence--of the American cocktail, and contemplate what forces led to our modern cocktail renaissance. We'll also share some recipes along the way. Hosted by Cook's Country Editor-In-Chief Toni Tipton-Martin, and reported by Proof's managing producer, Yumi Araki.

Episode 1 drops May 23.

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