“Anyone who can remember the eighties didn’t experience it,” said the great Falco (real name Johann “Hans” Hölzel, born February 19, 1957 in Vienna, died February 6, 1998) about his musically probably most successful decade. For many of those involved, the reason for this may have been the drinks that they approved for his hits like “Rock Me Amadeus”. But which ones were they again? Well, if you can’t remember it 100 percent, this article with four iconic drinks of the 80’s will help you get started.
What unites many cocktails and drinks of the eighties are their partly slippery names. The Kir Royal is no exception: if you don’t know that it’s a French aperitif, you might think it’s a sinful pleasure establishment. According to the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the Kir Royal consists of 90 milliliters of champagne and ten milliliters of crème de cassis. The preparation is very easy, because cocktail shaker
Janet Jackson made the nipple flasher really famous in 2004 at the Superbowl. It is not known whether the musician got the inspiration from the “Slippery Nipple” or even drank one beforehand. What can be said, however, is that the name of the shot was a good 30 years ahead of its time. The layering of the various spirits and the syrup makes it an eye-catcher. According to Diffordsguide, all you need is sambuca, cream liqueur and pomegranate syrup. First pour some syrup into the pin, followed by the sambuca. This is followed by the Baileys. For the benefit.
While Kir Royal and Slippery Nippel survived the test of time rather poorly, the Long Island Iced Tea is still very popular today. Two bartenders are arguing about its origins: Robert “Rosebud” Butt claims that he mixed the cocktail for the first time in 1972 at “Oak Beach In” in Long Island (New York). Another story goes that Long Island Iced Tea was invented by an “Old Man Bishop” in the USA during Prohibition (1920s). Not a real 80’s drink, then, but like Falco, it enjoyed great popularity throughout the decade and beyond.
Today, however, there is agreement on the recipe. According to the IBA, a Long Island Iced Tea contains 15 milliliters each of vodka, tequila, white rum, gin and cointreau. This is joined by 30 milliliters of lime juice and 20 milliliters of sugar syrup. Put all of this in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well before pouring it into a crystal glass. Only then does cola come onto the mixture – the Long Island Iced Tea is ready.
Finally, an iconic pick-me-up shot of the eighties: the B 52. If the party lasted longer than the body wanted, then as now, only caffeine helped. This is exactly what the B 52 provided to the party community 40 years ago. According to Diffordsguide, the B 52s include a half-shot coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua, a third-shot cream liqueur, and cognac-orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, in that exact order. As with the Slippery Nipple, layers are created from the different spirits. If the name sounds familiar to you, that’s because the B 52 was the forerunner of the B 53, B 54 and B 55.
Sources: International Bartenders Organisation, Diffords Guide
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