Lion’s Tail

Born from the roaring 1920s, the Lion’s Tail is a distinctly bold cocktail with a quirky tale. 

The Lion’s Tail made its publication premiere in a 1937 London cocktail book entitled, “The Cafe Royal Cocktail Book,” but had already gained a provocative reputation in the United States about two decades prior. Being a Prohibition-born cocktail already comes with some notoriety, sure, but the Lion’s Tail’s bad boy reputation really came down to one snarky detail – its name. 

The phrase “twisting the lion’s tail” is not a super common saying these days, but a century-or-so ago it was all the rage. By definition, the phrase means provoking someone powerful in a way that could cause trouble. It could refer to anything or anyone, but back in the day it was usually applied to provoking a country – specifically the United Kingdom. So why pick on just the Brits? Well for starters, the British coat of arms features a lion, so it was an easy shot. But besides that, the origin is a bit unclear. For the Americans at the time, it just seemed like habit. 

So with a name filled with rebellious and mischievous vibes, the Lion’s Tail’s ingredients had to follow suit. The cocktail begins easily enough with bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters. You might be fooled into thinking this was a Whiskey Sour, if it wasn’t then followed by equal parts lime juice and Allspice Dram. Also known as “pimento dram,” Allspice Dram was a wildly popular ingredient during the Tiki boom of the 1950s – 1980s. Its rum base and spiced ingredients helped give Tiki cocktails that signature, warming kick. But how on earth did it end up in a cocktail 30 years before the Tiki boom? Who knows. 

The Lion’s Tail may have been ahead of its time with ingredient choices, and behind its time with American anti-British sentiments, but all together it’s perfectly timed for any occasion.