The History Of The Ginger Rogers Drink

Whether it's tart and fruity, bitter and boozy, or astringent and sweet, the key to a good cocktail that will impress your guests is balanced, complementary flavors. Within the enormous catalog of alcoholic beverages that exists, the Ginger Rogers stands out for perfectly striking that balance in each spritzy sip. Part Moscow mule, part refreshing mojito, and part French 75, the Ginger Rogers combines gin, mint, lime, ginger beer, and ginger syrup for a spicy kick, all poured over ice and served in a highball glass. It's remarkably bright and the perfect anytime cocktail, with ingredients that most bars should have on hand (save for the ginger syrup, but a good ginger beer can help make up for that).

The Ginger Rogers is named after the iconic actress and dancer who appeared opposite Fred Astaire in 10 highly successful films throughout the 1930's and 40's. The cocktail named in her honor didn't actually come into being until 1995 when bartender Marcovaldo Dionysos created it. When he helped open award-winning Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco, he brought the Ginger Rogers recipe with him. It eventually became one of their best-selling cocktails, and still maintains a spot on the menu today. 

As Dionysos told Tasting Table, "the inspiration was a drink called the Favorite Cocktail, from the book "Drinks" by Jacques Straub (1914)." As he explains, " The recipe called for imported ginger ale, but all I had was a weak can of Schwepps or some such, so I punched up the ginger with ginger syrup. It was the ginger element that stood out, so that led to the name. Otherwise, it seemed like a gin Mojito, and I took to describing the Ginger Rogers "like a Mojito, but backwards and in high heels."

This is a reference to a famous quote from governor Ann Richards during her speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention when she said, "Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels." 

Award-winning dancer and actress Ginger Rogers was born in Missouri in 1911. She began her career as a performer when she was just a child, so by the time she appeared in a film alongside Fred Astaire for the first time at just 22 years-old, she was already a pro. Her legacy as one of Hollywood's brightest stars not only inspired the sparkly and refreshing cocktail but also a flavor of Ben and Jerry's called "Fred & Ginger."