The knickerbocker cocktail is another great drink from professor Jerry Thomas appearing in his 1862 The Bartender’s Guide.

The drink appears later in the English mixologist William Terrington’s 1869 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks with exactly the same recipe as in the professor’s book.

Later in Harry Johnson’s 1882 New and Improved Bartender’s Manual, the recipe appears with the addition of pineapple and orange slices which also Harry Craddock comes to confirm in his 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.

The name comes originally from the form of baggy trousers rolled up just below the knees, particularly popular in the 19th century.

Throughout history, the Dutch settler ‘Knickerbocker’ character became synonymous with New York City. It was one of the city’s most popular symbols of the 19th and early 20th centuries; therefore it is not surprising that a cocktail bears the name around this time.