There is no one answer to the question of when cocktails were invented. The first definition of the word “cocktail” was in 1806, and it was defined as a drink made of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. But there is evidence of people mixing drinks before that, so it’s hard to say for sure when cocktails were actually invented.

What we do know is that cocktails have a long and varied history. They’ve been used as a way to celebrate, …