We've all heard of cocktail names that make us inwardly (or maybe even outwardly) giggle. But how do these iconic drinks get their equally iconic names?
No two stories are the same. In many cases, there are multiple stories for the same drink. Regardless, the lore and legend behind cocktail names can be intriguing, fascinating, hilarious, and sometimes even mildly offensive.
The Pornstar Martini is a modern classic invented by Douglas Ankrah at London's Townhouse Bar in the early 2000s. It's said the name came from Ankrah himself, as he thought it would be a drink that a porn star would order.
The shot is layered with coffee liqueur on the bottom, Irish creme liqueur in the middle, and Canadian whiskey as a float on the top. No one knows the origin of the name, but it's become known as Alaska's state drink.
The Chuck Norris shot is cherry vodka dropped into 3-4 oz of an energy drink. Optionally, you can also add a dash of your favorite hot sauce. According to Liquor Laboratory, the name comes from the drink being “smooth like a pistol with the impact of a shotgun.”
Another layered shot with a saucy name, the Slippery Nipple, hit the scene in the 80s when everyone was naming their cocktails and shots something risque. (Think Sex on the Beach, Fuzzy Navels, the Buttery Nipple).
All you need to do is look at this shot, and you'll know where the moniker came from. With coffee liqueur at the bottom and then melon liqueur layered over the top – appetizing isn't exactly the word that comes to mind upon first inspection.