5 Vintage Cocktails No One Drinks Anymore

While there is a definite list of classic cocktails that must be mastered by any practicing bartender, a more obscure line up of vintage cocktail recipes have been relegated to lovers of boozy history and those in the know. Some cocktails poured in the 1800s didn't quite find the buzzy favor other drinks like Manhattans and negronis did, and the recipes eventually fell off menus. Determined appreciators of bold flavors and classic recipes have reimagined some of these old timers for more modern palates, however, and some of the original recipes have been poured at themed parties and specialty establishments.

Whether you're looking to host a retro bash or are simply yearning for a taste of nostalgia, you have a slew of cocktails to peruse and start slinging. Plus, not only do many of these older cocktails pack serious punch, they often have interesting origin stories, were named to poke fun at politics, or were developed in honor of then-current events. We have compiled a shortlist should you want to revisit a forgotten classic or two.

Served in a coupe glass, the recipe to make an Eve's Apple appears in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: Prohibition Centennial Edition: From the 1920 Pick-Me-Up to the Zombie and Beyond. This drink calls for equal parts of each ingredient, making the cocktail fairly easy to master. Applejack, Swedish Punsch, and fresh grapefruit juice are shaken with ice and strained. 

Once sipped during long journeys, Swedish Punsch can be thought of as a derivative of arrack, the spirit made from rice and sugar cane that became the drink of choice for many weary sailors. The punsch is rich in flavor, helping even novice bartenders produce great drinks. When combined with applejack — brandy that has been distilled from hard cider — and lightened with citrus juice, you have a significant sipper ready to nurse. While other Eve-named drinks have been poured, their tastes likened to an apple daiquiri, an Eve's Apple cocktail is a boozer that delivers a refreshing zing.

The retro snowball was first poured in the 1940s, but it wasn't until the 1970s that this polarizing cocktail made the rounds in social circles. These foamy drinks sometimes still appear around the holidays, but the called-for ingredients — an egg-yolk-based liqueur called Advocaat and lemonade — aren't exactly instinctual ingredients for at-home bartenders to reach for. Snowball cocktails are shaken and strained, and before serving, a single ice cube is added to the glass alongside a squeeze of lemon, resulting in a fizzy concoction that is garnished with a slice of lime. 

Advocaat, a Dutch liqueur, has mysterious origins, with some speculation that 17th century settlers started making the stuff with egg yolk, sugar, and rum since avocados were difficult to come by. Advocaat, the Dutch word for lawyer, is also rumored to have been dubbed the drink of choice for lawyers who needed to coat their throats before speaking in public. While a snowball can be made strictly with lime juice or cordial, Advocaat, and sparkling lemonade, we hear that the trick to keeping the cocktail from becoming sweetly insufferable is including a half shot of brandy and using fresh lime juice to make the recipe.

The Army & Navy was penned in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks published in 1948, but the author, David Embury, certainly didn't give the cocktail a warm recommendation. This 1930s cocktail was also mentioned in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book and is rumored to have been sipped both at football games between the U.S. military and naval academies and at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C..

Initially, one part lemon juice and one part orgeat almond syrup was mixed with two parts gin. Embury described the result as "horrible." He offered his own version with an adjusted ratio that took away some of the orgeat and added aromatic bitters. His recommendation is rounder in taste, yet still nutty in flavor. Other bartenders have further manipulated ingredients by curbing the gin, lemon juice, and orgeat concoction with not only Angostura bitters but also a few drops of saline solution. If the ingredients sound similar to a gin sour, you're not mistaken, but this cocktail replaces simple syrup with the almond orgeat. The Army & Navy is shaken, strained, and served in a glass with a lemon twist and when properly executed, could make a modern-day comeback.

For moments when you want a drink in your hand that doesn't promise a boozy wall, a low-alcohol shim can be just the ticket. Such is the case with the Diplomat, a drink that was first published in the 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them by Robert Vermeire. It was written as Diplomate at the time, as French diplomats were said to have a particular affinity for the libation.

Made with dry and sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur, the cocktail order can be customized according to the preferences of the drinker. Modern versions may also include a dash of Angostura bitters to round out the tasting profile of the tipple. The fortified vermouth is balanced by the sweetness of the maraschino liqueur, and should you start sipping, you may find yourself going back for a second. Shaken and strained Diplomats can be presented with either an orange zest or Luxardo maraschino cherry garnish. 

While the Diplomat offers a lighter drink to nurse, the Twelve Mile Limit certainly makes up for it. This Prohibition-era cocktail is one of several that made a mockery out of anti-alcohol laws passed during the time. Originally, legislature dictated that not only was alcohol illegal on American soil but also as far out as three miles from the coast. Yet after revelers took it upon themselves to boat offshore to meet those passing out booze in the water, the mandated distance was legally extended to 12 miles. 

Yes, there is also a Three Mile Limit cocktail which is similar to the Twelve Mile Cocktail except the Twelve Mile also includes rye whiskey to the already potent mix of rum and brandy. Grenadine and fresh lemon juice help round out this kicker, and when served garnished with a lemon twist, the pretty potion can look deceiving. Modern variations of the drink play with the rum varieties and whiskey labels used to make the recipe, bringing unique tasting notes to a beverage that warrants slow, easy sips. 

The Bijou is bold, and the herbaceous flavor profile this cocktail leads with can be divisive. While some drinkers appreciate the richness of this tipple, others disdainfully push this glass off to the side. Though the Bijou had its time in the spotlight, it eventually fell out of favor, surpassed by Manhattans and martinis, with a few devotees hanging onto the recipe and dedicated to preserving this literal taste of history. Yet there's no ignoring that a drink that first appeared in Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual published in 1900 and somehow managed to remain known deserves attention. 

This drink is one of the first cocktails to have ever been poured at a bar, with some historians estimating its origins can be traced back to the 1860s. Johnson called this drink Bijou, French for jewel, because each ingredient could be likened to the color of a precious stone — diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Traditionally made with gin, sweet vermouth, green chartreuse, and a splash of orange bitters, the ratio of ingredients can be adjusted to suit preferential palates, accommodating for those who appreciate a complex, smooth sipper and those who would rather taste something more dry, subtle, and straightforward.