The word "cocktail" originated in the late 18th century as a vernacular expression meaning "a drink with a base spirit mixed with other ingredients" and was used specifically to denote a type of whiskey cocktail. A cocktail is traditionally an alcoholic mixed drink that contains one or more types of liquor (such as gin, vodka, tequila, brandy) and usually some form of sugar or sweetener (like honey or saccharin), water, and various herbs and spices (such as cinnamon).
