What Exactly Is A Disco Drink?

While dance music pumped through club speakers, bartenders slid some groovy drinks across American bars in the 1970s. New York City's The Loft welcomed customers in flared trousers and platform shoes, and cocktails named with double entendres not only garnered smirks, but landed in the 1977 Jones' Complete Bar Guide. These colorful drinks with curious names contained both old recipes that witnessed something of a revival in this wild decade and new cocktails that were specifically created and embellished for joyous club goers.

Saturday Night Fever accompanied drink orders such as the Slow Screw and the Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Cold Hard Wall with a Kiss, cocktails that merged the classic Sloe Gin Fizz with a Screwdriver cocktail to create a crossover beverage with several possible order variations. Drink recipes like the Cuba Libre, Blue Hawaiian cocktail, Tom Collins, and the Harvey Wallbanger, a drink first made in the 1950s, found new favor among thirsty dancers, while other inventive recipes played off pop trends, like the scotch-based Godfather, a cocktail named for the 1972 film "The Godfather." Neon-green beverages made with Midori, a brightly colored melon liqueur, also lit up tables. The umbrella term "disco drinks" has come to define these options. Bartenders pushed ingredient ratios to the limit when making disco cocktails, and sugary drinks often blurred the line between beverage and dessert. The palates of patrons were captured, however, and many of the drinks, like the creamy green Grasshopper cocktail, still grace cocktail menus.  

Though many items from the 70s may have been left behind, disco drinks can still be found. Ingredients like Drambuie, Galliano, creme de cacao, amaretto, and cream are splashed into shakers to create smooth, wild drinks that cater to both a sweet tooth and a good time. Though pre-made mixers and frozen juice from concentrate were used to make cocktails, and tropical-themed ingredients garnished drinks, some bartenders have put a more modern spin on disco drinks by upgrading recipes with freshly made juices and more tastefully-placed drink garnishes.

For those interested in reliving their heyday and want to experience disco drinks in an environment reminiscent of a bygone era, themed establishments continue to crank out tunes and mix up 70s-inspired drinks. In New York City, Joyface — which once famously housed a water bed that was pierced by stilettos — offers the usual antics one might expect: music, dancing, costumes, games like Twister, and, of course, a disco ball. For those unable to recall the name of some of the questionable drinks served in disco clubs, a bowl filled with liquor-labeled keychains lets patrons randomly choose what kind of drink the bartender will be making. Unlike some fashions and trends, certain recipes aren't meant to stay in the past.