Horse’s Neck – IBA

The Horse's Neck began in the United States as a non-alcoholic soda-fountain drink, documented from at least the 1890s, made simply of ginger ale, ice, and a long curling strip of lemon peel whose shape gave the drink its name. By the 1910s, bartenders were adding brandy or bourbon to create a "horse's neck with a kick" or "stiff horse's neck," and this spirited version gradually became the standard cocktail recipe. The original soft-drink form persisted for decades, reportedly a favorite of Franklin D. Roosevelt and still served in parts of upstate New York into the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The cocktail later found a strong following far from its American origins: it became especially popular in the wardrooms of the British Royal Navy during the 1960s, where it displaced the pink gin as officers' preferred drink and was served ready-mixed at cocktail parties. It had already appeared in film by then, including a 1930s George Formby comedy. The International Bartenders Association recognizes it as an official cocktail among its Contemporary Classics, typically made with cognac or bourbon and ginger ale.