Cars have captured the imagination since they first appeared.  

Cars have captured the imagination since the beginning. In 1885 Karl Benz developed and built the first internal-combustion engine car. The following year he received a patient and he has captured imagination ever since.  From car racing to the Army Jeep to the variations of the Batmobile, autos have been a topic of fascination.  Of course, in honor of it – men named cocktails after them as a double tribute to the toys they love. So here is a way to rev up with these Cadillac cocktails.

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The Cadillac Margarita

While the margarita had been around for ages, the go go 80s meant things had to be bigger, better and flashier.  Chain restaurants began adding Cadillac margarita to their menus with substitutions including higher-end tequilas and Grand Marnier. They floored the gas petal on sales and now appear in even the swankiest cocktail lounges.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces El Tesoro Blanco Tequila
• 1/2 ounce Naranja Licor de Naranja
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce agave syrup
• 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier, to float

Create

• Rub the rim of a double Old Fashioned glass with a lime wedge, and dip a quarter of the glass in salt to coat. Set aside
• Combine all ingredients except the Grand Marnier in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 25 seconds
• Double-strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the prepared glass over fresh ice
• Float Grand Marnier on top

Sidecar

The OG of car cocktails. This one was created in Paris during World War I. Who doesn’t speeding with a bit of danger? An American army captain named it after the motorcycle sidecar. Since then, it has been an alcohol companion many an evening.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces cognac
• 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: orange twist

Create

• Coat the rim of a coupe glass with sugar, if desired, and set aside
• Add the cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled
• Strain into the prepared glass
• Garnish with an orange twist

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The Rolls Royce

What grand automobile has been more associated with glamour, style and money but the Rolls Royce. While the developer of this cocktail is a bit unclear, it first appeared in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.  While not as popular as the Cadillac, it is a gin lover’s treat.

Ingredients

• 2½ oz gin
• ½ oz dry vermouth
• ½ oz sweet vermouth
• heavy teaspoon Bénédictine
• 1 dash orange bitters – optional
• lemon peel for garnish

Create

• Chill a mixing glass
• Combine ingredients in glass and fill with ice
• Stir for 18-25 seconds  
• Strain into a chilled coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. 
• Squeen the juice from the lemon peel and garnish

The Monte Carlo

While the first Gran Prix was in Le Mans, Monte Carlo gave it an international glamour. Grabbing headlines and car aficionados all gathered in the tiny principality with automobiles, beautiful women and the azure sea.  In the later 1930s, this cocktail sprang to life playing tribute to the race. This is not to confused with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• 1/2 ounce Benedictine
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Create

• Add rye whiskey, Benedictine and bitters into a mixing glass with ice
• Stir for about 30 seconds until well-chilled.
• Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube.