These celebrations mark the dates in 1806 when the word cocktail was first defined in print. On the 6th of May, 1806, the Balance an Columbia repository published a politcal article that mentioned the cocktail, and on the 13th of May 1806, they published the first ever definition of the word.

World Cocktail Week is about celebrating the history and delight of well made cocktails, and 2010 will be no different. This year 1806 will be presenting the history of the Martini in one month.

For four weeks in the month of May 1806 will showcase the evolution of this remarkable cocktail from the earliest mentions, to the most modern molecular interpretation.

Week 1 includes:
1884 Martinez No 1. Sweet Italian Vermouth stirred with Tanqueray Gin and served very wet with an orange twist and a cherry.

1887 Martinez No 2. Vermouth, aromatic bitters, maraschino brandy, loads of Hayman's Old Tom Gin, all served with a slice of lemon.
1888 The First Martini Equal parts gin and vermouth, but with a little Irish whiskey added to mimic the flavour of the barrel aged late 1800s Dutch Genever that was commonly used.

1896 The Marguerite The first recipe to specify dry Gin and dry vermouth, specifically Plymouth Dry Gin, and French Dry Vermouth. Made with a dash of orange bitters and a two to one ratio, this is the first dry Martini.

Week 2 includes:
1903 Gibson Tanqueray London Dry Gin with Noily Prat Dry French Vermouth, served with either a cherry or a pickled cocktail onion.

1917 Dri Mart Ini The most popular drink in America! Three to one Plymouth Gin and French Vermouth, served with a dash of Orange Bitters and an olive.

1933 FDR’s Dirty Martini Prohibition ends and the first dirty Martini is served. Two to one Plymouth gin with Noilly Prat and olive brine. Served up with an olive and a twist of lemon peel.

1944 Montgomery Martini One of the most famous dry, Dry Martinis. Tanqueray Gin in a ten to one ratio with Noilly Prat, served up with a lemon twist.

Week 3 includes:
1945 The Churchill First pour a load of gin into a boston glass, then glance around the room at a bottle of dry vermouth, Winston considered this quite enough Vermouth for him. Stir the gin with ice, and pour into a martini glass. Garnished with an olive.

1953 Vesper Martini ‘Shaken, not Stirred’ Tanquerary Gin, Smirnoff Black and Lillet Blanc garnished with a twist of lemon peel.

1960 Imperial Martini Gin with sweet vermouth and maraschiono delicious! Garnished with an orange twist.

1970 Flame of Love Dean Martin’s flamed, not shaken, Martini. Lots of vodka, stirred with dry sherry and flamed orange peel. A modern classic.

Week 4's final installment includes:
1980 The Chocolate Martini Honey vodka stirred with Mozart Black chocolate liqueur, and a hint of vanilla rum. Deceptive, complex and very tasty.

1990 The Apple Martini NA!! Not a martini, not even a new drink, just an Apple Sour served in a Martini style triangular “bucket” of a cocktail glass. Vodka with apple liqueur, apple juice, fresh lime and a hint of sugar.

2000 Luxury 24 The birth of super premium vodka and gin. Hendricks, Beefeater 24, Tanqueray 10, or Grey Goose, Belvedere, all the luxury spirits with their own matched garnishes, served up with a whisper of vermouth.

2010 Better Living Through Chemicals 28 This is a molecular extravagance that serves four cocktails at once... Merlin Jerebine created this unusual Martini experience, and what a way to end a month of the history of the Martini! But what is it? Start with a well stirred Tanqueray 10 Martini, and add three tasting powders. Each powder will combine with the gin to re-create a classic gin cocktail experience inside your mouth. This is a molecular re-examination of how flavour can be delivered, and how surprise will augment the experience of a great Martini. You can take all your re-constructed olives, your vermouth fairy floss, and your citrus spray aromatic gimmicks, this experience is unique, unusual and almost impossible to describe in one neat paragraph. So order one, and taste a hint of what the future will bring as classic cocktails, and classic bartending, combine with the latest ideas about gastronomy to, dare I say it, improve the King Of Cocktails, the Martini!

Over the course of the month customers will be able to follow the Martini from the very start, right through to today. $1 from each martini sold will be donated to the Museum of the American Cocktail.

The Orchestra Bar

When this building was erected, the room, directly below the main stage, was designed as an orchestra pit. This idea was abandoned and the space became a speakeasy style actors only bar. Continuing this speakeasy tradition we have rejuvenated the Orchestra Bar as a celebration of the greatest moments from the Prohibition era, 1919 to 1933.

Prohibition was a time of great social change. It was also a time when bartending was illegal, good booze was hard to find, and most of America gladly drank some of the most innovative drinks ever to grace the lips of man.

We have collected the best cocktails from the time and combined them with some earlier European classics to present the 1806 homage to Prohibition.

The Orchestra bar is open Friday and Saturday from 7pm and is available as a private space which can seat up to 35 complete with its own bar.

Learn how to make great cocktails at 1806:

All training is now conducted by Sebastian Reaburn and Stacy Field

Complete Bartending Course at 1806

For any student who wants to take their passion for cocktails to the next level, whether beginner or budding expert, this course is the perfect overview of all things cocktails. This 5 day course is conducted at 1806 Cocktail Bar, a fully functional, modern cocktail bar and training facility. As well as taking students through the basics of bartending and customer service, we educate our participants in all the components of modern cocktails.

Click here to download a training booking form

Complete Cocktails Book & DVD by Sebastian Reaburn

On Sale now at 1806 and all leading book stores @ $25rrp

Tales of the Cocktail Blog from New Orlean's
Every year Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans hosts one of the worlds largest cocktail events. Four days of seminars, tastings, forums, dinners, workshops and all things cocktail related.

Having won the coveted Best Cocktail List in the World at last years event, Sebastian is heading over there to cover the event for all of us enjoying the beautiful Melbourne winter.

So, to keep the lazy devil working while over there, the 1806 team have insisted that Seb send back regular reports, photos, links and news about the trip.

For all of you out there who want to keep in touch with the newest global cocktail trends, and follow Seb's trans-American cocktail road trip that takes him from Miami, to San Juan, New Orleans, and New York. He will be keeping us all up to speed on the best bars, best drinks, best drinkers and of course any new products, check out - Seb's New Orlean's Blog for daily updates!

1806 pays homage to 'Prohibition' Introducing The Orchestra Pit Basement Bar at 1806.

When the building was erected, this room, directly below the main stage, was designed as an orchestra pit. The musicians would be assembled around the room, and the conductor would stand with his or her head protruding up through the floor above so that they could view the action and direct the orchestra accordingly. Very quickly this idea was abandoned and the space became a speakeasy style 'actors only bar'. For many years the Orchestra Pit was a late night hang out for any actors performing in Melbourne. Following the speakeasy past we have rejuvenated the Orchestra Pit bar as a celebration of the great, and terrible, moments from the noble experiment that was Prohibition, which stretched from 1919 to 1933.

We have collected the best beverages from the time and combined them with some earlier European classics to present a very unique "Orchestra Pit Menu." for you to enjoy.

'Deconstructing Cocktails' or 'How to Mix Great Drinks at Home'

‘Deconstructing Cocktails’ is all about understanding what makes a cocktail a cocktail, how to create and serve the perfect Martini, and how to open up your liquor cabinet and make a great tasting cocktail from whatever you happen to find!

1806 takes ‘students’ through a series of different classic and modern cocktails to show how they are related. We break down the quintessential recipes and explore how each spirit can be matched to complimentary flavours.

‘Deconstructing Cocktails’ is a four hour practical session where ‘students’ will be required to make and drink a variety of cocktails. We run the sessions from 1pm till 5.30pm on Saturdays.

The classes are bookings only, they consist of less than twelve ‘students’, and require a $50 deposit before the day.

We serve alcohol responsibly, and recommend not driving to the session!

The classes cost $170.00 per head, and all students receive a certificate of completion and printed notes of all recipes and history.

Looking for a gift idea, ask us about our Gift Certificate option by emailing us @ drinks@1806.com.au

Click here to download a training booking form

Business details:
Mixology Management Pty. Ltd. - Trading as Eighteen-0-Six
ABN: 14 120 227 232
Provider No. 21969