The swizzle—an 18th-century cocktail—is a timeless summertime sipper…

No one knows for sure exactly when the swizzle was invented. However, the first mention in print is in the 1788 book A Classical Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue, which predates the first mention of the term ‘cocktail’ as a drink—not the horse— by ten years. Similar to Planter’s Punch, the ingredients of the drink, hailing from the British West Indies, are simple: rum, citrus, sweetener, spice and crushed ice. What requires a bit more finesse is sourcing the proper swizzling stick and knowing how to use it.

Paul McGee

“You see bartenders shaking and stirring drinks all day long; but, you don’t see swizzling that often. When you stick that branch in the glass and start whirling it between your hands, people stop what they’re doing and pay attention.”
– Paul McGee, co-owner of Three Dots and a Dash bar and Lost Lake, Chicago’s newest tiki bar

Paul McGee Mixing Cocktails

Historically, a five-pronged stick snapped from the allspice bush or Quararibea Turbinata tree—known to islanders as the swizzlestick tree—was used to stir ingredients. Frederick Albion Ober’s 1920 book, A Guide to the West Indies, Bermuda and Panama, describes the technique: “[It] is revolved rapidly between the palms of the hands and, through the combined action of the motion and a peculiar saponaceous quality of the cambium layer of the twigs, produces a delicious froth.”

Travel through the West Indies sampling swizzles and you’ll notice distinct variations on the booze, bitters, and ice combination. For example, the Rum Swizzle— Bermuda’s national drink—utilizes pineapple juice, orange juice and grenadine; Queen’s Park Swizzle, hailing from Trinidad, is with mint and lime juice; and the Martinique Swizzle adds French flair with pastis.

However, in today’s creative craft cocktail era, the refreshing tipple is no longer confined to its rum-based roots. Bartenders across the globe are mixing it up—literally.

Here are three of Paul McGee’s favorite ways to shake up the classic swizzle this summer:

Tequila Swizzle

Tequila Swizzle

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Corazon Blanco (or Reposado) Tequila
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Cane Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Pok Pok Tamarind Vinegar
• 8 drops Bittermen’s Hellfire Shrub
• 6 large Mint Leaves
• 6 large Pineapple Chunks
• Large Mint Bouquet, for Garnish

Preparation: Muddle mint and pineapple. Add remaining ingredients. Pour crushed ice to fill 2.3 of a collins glass, plunge swizzle stick into the glass a few times. Top off glass with more crushed ice, swizzle 15 seconds, and garnish with a large bouquet of mint.

Bourbon Swizzle

Bourbon Swizzle

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Evan Williams Bonded Bourbon
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
• 1/4 oz. BG Reynolds Cinnamon Syrup
• 1/4 oz. BG Reynolds Don’s Spices
• Sprig of Mint
• Grated Nutmeg

Preparation: Add all ingredients and fill glass with crushed ice. Swizzle ingredients lightly. Fill glass with ice, swizzle 15 seconds, and top with freshly grated nutmeg and a sprig of mint.

Gin Swizzle

Gin Swizzle

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Junipero Gin
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Cane Syrup
• 3 oz. Coconut Water
• 4 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Lime Wheel or Mint, for Garnish

Preparation: Add all ingredients and fill glass 2/3 full of crushed ice. Plunge swizzle in a few times to stir ingredients. Top of glass with ice and swizzle 15 seconds. Garnish with lime wheel or sprig of mint.