The Cocktails of Covent Garden: What’s in a name?

Palm Court is renowned not only for its mouth-watering French cuisine, but also for an array of pre-theatre tipples. Classics like the Paloma and the Mojito often roll off the tongue – but where do their names come from? In this article, we break down the names of some of the iconic cocktails you can find at Palm Court! 

The Paloma  

The Paloma is a tequila-based cocktail balanced with lime and grapefruit juice. Hailing from Mexico, the origin of the name ‘Paloma’ is debated. Some suspect that the name of the cocktail comes from the Spanish for grapefruit ‘pomelo’, but others believe the name comes from the Spanish for dove ‘La Paloma’, due to the drink’s soft white colour. We prefer the latter (it's much more romantic).   

The Mojito  

The Mojito – a Cuban classic,  is made with white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water, and mint. Much like the Paloma, the origin of ‘Mojito’ is debated – the most widely accepted theories are that it comes from; the Spanish word “mojadito” (meaning “slightly wet”) or the Cuban lime-based seasoning “mojo”. 

The French 75 

The French 75 is a sparkling cocktail made using gin, lemon juice, champagne and sugar syrup. The name of this drink is the least debated and can be traced back with ease. The 75 is named after the French 75-millimeter light field gun used during WWI. Supposedly, the kick of the French 75 is comparable to being hit with a bullet! 

The Bellini 

The Bellini, another sparkling cocktail, is made by combining prosecco with peach puree. The drink rivals the Paloma for most romantic origins; it's speculated that the drink's characteristic sunset shade reminded the bartender of the striking paintings by 15th-century artist Giovani Bellini.