The Stinger cocktail was originated around 1890 and may have been derived from two cocktails found in William Schmidt’s 1892 The Flowing Bowl.

1) The Judge – 3 dashes of gum, 1/3 of crème de menthe, 2/3 of brandy, shaken and served into a cocktail glass.

2) The Paymaster – 2/3 of crème de menthe, 1/3 of brandy, a drop of bitter and garnished with lemon peel.

However, was in Jacques-Straub’s 1914 Drinks that the cocktail appears as the Stinger as we know today.

The Stinger was not initially seen as a cocktail but rather a digestif. Known as an upper-class drink and was a popular drink during American Prohibition, for crème de menthe could mask the taste of the inferior-quality brandies then available.

The Stinger’s popularity in New York City was so great that legends attributed the cocktail’s genesis to famous millionaire Reginald Vanderbilt. It was further claimed that the Stinger was Vanderbilt’s favourite cocktail and he was a keen cocktail maker.