Are these Worthing’s favourite cocktails? Bar owners have their say on World Cocktail Day

World Cocktail Day marks the publication date of the first definition of a cocktail on May 13, 1806.

In response to a reader’s question, New York tabloid The Balance and Columbian Repository defined a cocktail as “a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters”.

A cocktail, as we know it, is used to refer to a drink that contains two or more ingredients, at least one of which is alcoholic – and has become a staple of a night out with dedicated cocktail bars and specialist mixologists and cocktail bartenders.

Igor Beaulieu owns one of Worthing’s most popular cocktail bars, the Rocking Horse, in Brighton Road.

He said the Rocking Horse was the first bar in the town to introduce the pornstar martini – the cocktail he believes remains customers’ favourite.

So much so that the Rocking Horse is developing a new recipé for its reopening on Tuesday (May 18).

Instead of the passion fruit being added to the drink, as is traditional, caramelised passion fruit will be served alongside the drink with a spoon.

“We’re always experimenting and working on something new and we thought this was a good chance to do something unique,” said Igor.

But another bar owner in Worthing thinks he has found a rival to the pornstar martini’s crown.

Alex Elsden-Smith part owns Jungle nightclub in Chatsworth Road with the owner of Manuka bar Ben Thompson.

Alex said the pornstar martini has been an enduring favourite of their customers, but a new cocktail they had developed could be a gamechanger.

Her Name Was Rio is a slushy cocktail with ingredients not too dissimilar to a pornstar martini, made of tropical juice drink Rio, Absolut Mango vodka, Passion fruit, apricot liquer and lime juice.

The ingredients are left to freeze into a slushy mixture, Alex said, before being served back in the original Rio can with a straw, passion fruit garnish and some mint leaves.

Alex said Her Name Was Rio has proven to be incredibly popular, particularly at the Manuka pop-up concession stand on the seafront during hot weather.

Monday (May 17) marks the next phase of the reopening after lockdown and all of Worthing’s local bars, pubs and restaurants will need the public’s help to get back on their feet.

What better way to support them than with a delicious cocktail?