The word cocktail has a long and colorful history, with various theories on its origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the word cocktail is from an 1806 issue of the Balance and Columbian Repository, an Ohio newspaper. The article mentions a drink called a “cock-tail” that was made with brandy, whiskey, and bitters.

One popular theory is that the word cocktail is derived from the French word cockier, meaning “to strut.” This theory suggests that the drink was …