WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE COCKTAIL RING?

ORIGINS OF THE COCKTAIL DRINK

Before diving into the origins of the cocktail ring, it is worth defining the origin of the cocktail drink itself. The latter was born in the United States in 1920 with the prohibition. Indeed, faced with the ban on the sale of alcohol, clandestine distilleries began to appear. The latter sold cheap bootleg alcohol to clandestine bars called speakeasies. This smuggled alcohol was of poor quality and taste, so bartenders mixed it with ingredients which sole purpose was to mask its taste. The cocktail drink was invented.

SPEAKASIES AND FLAPPER GIRLS

The speakeasies – which take their name from the need to speak quietly for confidentiality purposes– were mainly frequented by men. Only the Flapper girls, independent and emancipated, also frequented these bars. Wearing short hair and dressed in the latest fashions, they smoke, wore makeup, and drank alcohol. To avoid confusion about their marital status, they began to wear rings far from the codes of engagement rings. Thus, the hand that held the cocktail was adorned with colorful and imposing rings. A sign of opulence and excess in line with the values of the Flapper, with its almost militant rebellious spirit.

THE COCKTAIL RING TODAY

With time, prohibition and speakeasies disappeared but the cocktail ring remained and became a ceremonial ring for events, parties… and cocktails. It can be a ring set with a single imposing stone or a ring set with multiple colored gems.

Because of its origins, the cocktail ring is typically worn on the right hand to avoid confusion with engagement and wedding rings. In general, it is worn alone because it attracts all the attention, but it can also be worn with thin and discreet rings, especially on the little finger.