Cocktails With Celebrity Names: Meet the People Who Inspired What’s in Your Favorite Drink

Believe it or not, countless famous names have been immortalized in cocktails. These named beverages have histories that reflect the legacy, personality, or cultural moment inspired by their namesake celebrities, carrying stories and timeless charm that you may not realize inspired your favorite drink, alcoholic or otherwise.

Some drinks have clear and obvious ties to their namesakes. Others are either playful, tributes, or even marketing ploys decades in the making. Each of these cocktails spans decades and miles, making their way around the world to celebrate whoever they were named after. Is your favorite mixed drink tied to celebrity success, or is it representative of their failure? Now's the time to find out.

To bring you this list of drinks with famous inspirations, 24/7 Tempo cross-referenced multiple cocktail history sources, then dove into the origins and context of each drink. Let's learn more about the celebrities and eras these cocktails are forever connected to now.

This post was updated on July 30th, 2025, to reflect additional information.

This drink is thought to be named for the famous bartender, Troy Alexander, as popular literature indicates that he is the one to come up with the drink. The earliest iterations of the drink relied on gin to produce the alcoholic effect of the drink. However, more modern versions of the drink are delightfully creamy and instead use brandy as the alcoholic focus of the glass.

There are many stories for how this drink got its name and where it came from. So, its history isn't entirely clear as to what parts were fact and fiction. However, this famous drink and its famous namesake aren't going anywhere in our culture any time soon.

Perhaps one of the most famous named mixed drinks in the world, the Bloody Mary is another drink with a history so extensive that it can be hard to pinpoint an exact person as the namesake. There are several running stories that tell how the Bloody Mary got its name. The most repeated story is that the drink is named for Queen Mary I of England who was often referred to as "Bloody Mary."

Another popular story for the origins of this drink states that there may have been a famous waitress named Mary around the time that the drink was first conceptualized and she took the namesake. Yet another theory states that the cocktail was named for the girlfriend of a bar patron who performed a cabaret known as "Bucket of Blood."

This cocktail is nice, and it's easy to guess who it was named after: former President Barack Obama. The drink is a classy gin cocktail mixed with pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and either serrano pepper or Thai chili. The resulting drink is both refreshing and with a sharp kick that's sure to impress even the most picky drinkers. The serrano pepper or Thai chili might sound a bit daunting for drinkers unaccustomed to the kick of capsaicin in their drinks. However, it's an excellent addition to an otherwise very sweet drink that might be a bit too saccharine on its own. The pepper gives it the perfect depth of flavor for any table.

This drink once went by a different name but was renamed in popular culture due to how much Bill Murray enjoyed a glass. "Murricane" is the name often given to Bill Murray on set due to his well-known and documented mood swings when recording or performing. The drink itself has little to do with Bill Murray or his tenuous mood beyond simply being a drink of preference for the star. It combines Bulliet bourbon liquor with a St. Germain elderflower liqueur. Other ingredients that one can add to this cocktail include watermelon chunks, lemon juice, and basil leaves. The unique choice of ingredients can leave some people feeling wary, but the drink promises a refreshing and crisp taste that's not too sweet or sour.

It should go without saying that the Charlie Chaplin was named for the famous silent movie star who shares its name. The drink was conceptualized in New York's famous Waldorf-Astoria and named for the most famous silent film star of the time to drive sales and get the drink out there through word of mouth. The cocktail is made of equal parts sloe gin, lime juice, and apricot brandy. Sloe gin isn't just a type of gin. It's a unique product that uses the sloe fruit to produce a gin-based liqueur. It's possible to use regular gin in a Charlie Chaplin. However, sloe gin has a unique flavor profile that will be lost if not used in the drink.

Unlike many of the drinks on this list, the naming of this drink after the famous New York governor Eliot Spritzer was unlikely to be meant as a compliment. The drink has a unique flavor profile that only caters to a specific clientèle. It's made of pinot grigio white wine mixed with Chambord, soda water, a twist of lime, and a bit of serrano pepper, giving it a kick with a unique and distinct flavor profile that can't be easily recreated by other alcoholic drink mixes. Whether you like it or hate it, there's no doubt that the Eliot Spritzer will leave a strong taste in your mouth and an impression that will last you a lifetime.

This drink is more modern than most of the other options on the list. It is named after famous basketball star Lebron James and uses the Leblon alcohol as its primary spirit. Users who can't get their hands on branded Leblon can use any other cachaca liquor or even a white rum to achieve the primary effects of the drink. However, the best and most authentic flavor profile will come from using the correct alcohols named on the recipe. The full recipe uses two parts cachaca, one part watermelon juice, and one part freshly squeezed orange juice. To finish the drink off, add a garnish of chipotle-infused agave nectar to top it off.

The actor Will Rogers made his name as an on-screen cowboy. He also left behind a legacy of a unique gin cocktail that's somewhat similar to a gin martini. The Will Rogers cocktail uses gin, vermouth, orange juice, and curacao to produce a unique and delicious flavor profile. As you can see from the ingredients, it's quite similar to the gin martini but is a bit less intense in comparison. This can make the Will Rogers the perfect drink for someone who wants a gin martini turned down a notch or two.

A drink that's as unique as its name is the Rimbaud's Left Hand, which was developed in honor of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. The namesake comes from how Rimbaud was once shot in the hand by his lover. Unlike the simple drinks of the list, the Rimbaud's Left Hand pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. The drink uses absinthe, Benedictine, Aperol, pineapple juice, lemon juice, an egg white, and rosewater. Compared to some of the drinks on this list, it's quite in-depth and can take quite some time to make. However, those who invest the time will experience a delightful and charming drink that is every bit as unique and unusual as its namesake.

Spiders aren't the only thing named after David Bowie. The late singer also has a cocktail named for him! Legend has it that Bowie invented the drink before quitting drinking personally, and the rest is history. The drink is as vibrant and unusual as the man who was purported to be its creator, combining a unique list of ingredients for a refreshing and unusual taste that could be daunting for some. The drink uses chocolate liquor and bourbon. The recipe states that one should pour the chocolate liquor, New Deal Puddle Chocolate Liquor, to be exact, into a mixing glass with bourbon and mix them. Then, pour the drink over ice or into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

The nickname "Sailor Jerry" was bestowed upon the American tattoo artist, Norman Keith Collins, who became famous for doing sailor tattoos. The Sailor Jerry cocktail is similar to a rum and Coke, but the ratio of rum to Coke, using rum named for Sailor Jerry himself, is different to give the drinker a chance to appreciate and enjoy the flavor of the rum without the Coke drowning the flavors out. To make a Sailor Jerry cocktail, one should mix Sailor Jerry rum with their cola of choice. However, instead of a one-to-one ratio, those looking to experience the Sailor Jerry cocktail should use two parts rum with one part cola to reduce the impact of the cola on the drink.

Former silver screen actor Douglas Fairbanks is one of the many famous people who have a drink named after them. His drink is a variation of the classic martini, making it palatable to all kinds of drinkers. However, its making is more specific than some of the options on the list, which have more malleable ingredient lists. Instead, the Douglas Fairbanks cocktail must be made with French vermouth and Plymouth gin. Then, it's crucial to garnish the drink with both lemon peel and orange peel to bring out the correct flavor notes in the glass.

The origins of the Gibson cocktail are strongly debated amongst liquor scholars as the exact origins remain unknown. There are many stories about how the Gibson cocktail came to be. The most popular and widely accepted story states that Charles Dana Gibson was the first person to invent the cocktail, leading to it being named after him. This story states that Gibson gave a bartender instructions on how to create the drink, and the rest of the story is history. Another story suggests that Walter D. K. Gibson created the drink first. The drink is essentially just a gin martini, made with 2.5 ounces of gin and 0.5 ounces of dry vermouth, but the exact ratio can be changed to suit the desires of the drinker. The biggest difference between a gin martini and a Gibson is that the Gibson uses cocktail olives instead of regular olives as the garnish.

It might be surprising to learn that the margarita isn't just a ubiquitous drink, but rather it was named after someone. The margarita cocktail was initially thought to be named after the daughter of a German ambassador, Margarita Heinkel. The story goes that the bartender at the Hussong Cantina did some experimentation with ingredients and came up with the margarita drink we know today for Miss Heinkel. However, there are an equal number of stories that don't involve Margarita Heinkel at all. The truth of the origins of the margarita may remain a mystery forever, lost to the annals of time.

Named for the 19th-century London fashion designer, the Beau Brummel cocktail is sure to wow just about anyone who drinks it, though not always in a good way. The Beau Brummel has a unique flavor due to its unusual ingredient list, which can turn off some drinkers who prefer a more standard taste and flavor profile.

The main ingredients of the Beau Brummel cocktail are bourbon, Prunella (a type of plum liqueur), orange juice, and sugar. It is definitely a drink that will leave a big impression whether you like it or hate it, that's for sure! The brave can drink this at home or at a bar, but it's among the most famous drinks named for famous people in part due to its unusual ingredients.

While it doesn't carry his direct name, the Bipolar Cocktail is actually named after Mel Gibson (surprising no one who knows his story.) The drink was created in the Oak Room in New York and was named for Mel Gibson's tendency to go on massive drunken rants.

Like the Eliot Spritzer, it's not totally clear whether naming this drink after Gibson was a compliment or a dig at his behavior. However, the name stuck, and the drink will be associated with Gibson for a long time. The drink uses vodka and gin mixed with vermouth, club soda, and a splash of onion juice and served on the rocks. The drink also suffers from a dated-sounding name since modern denizens of the world tend to shy away from describing unsavory behavior with clinical terms like "bipolar" to reduce the stigmatization of mental health issues.

This cocktail is named after the Scottish hero Robert Roy MacGregor. MacGregor famously took the name Rob Roy as his moniker, leading to the famous drink being named after him for his exploits. The cocktail was developed at the turn of the 20th century and was created for the premier of the operetta based on the story of Rob Roy. Following along with Roy's Scottish heritage, the primary ingredient of the drink is Scotch. The scotch is mixed with sweet vermouth and Angosutra bitters, then, it's shaken over ice and served.

Actress Ginger Rogers was a big hit on the silver screen, and her fame brought about an equally popular drink that continues to be enjoyed by people worldwide as a part of Rogers' legacy. The drink uses gin, ginger ale, mint, lemon juice, and ginger. Fresh ginger is most often used. However, in a pinch, ginger syrup is an accessible substitute for fresh. Like many older drinks, the exact recipe has changed over time and may be adapted to fit certain drinkers' needs. However, the main components of the recipe have remained the same over the years.

While it may sound, at first, as though this drink is actually named for the movie or video game franchise "Tomb Raider," the drink is actually named after the actress, Angelina Jolie, who played the titular tomb raider, Lara Croft in the movie. The cocktail was created at a Cambodian bar called Red Piano when Jolie was filming Tomb Raider in the country. The drink remains an attraction to partake in at the Red Piano and in Cambodia in general. It consists of vodka, Malibu rum, pineapple juice, and soda water.

This drink is named for the prominent burlesque dancer, Dita Von Teese, often referred to as the Queen of Burlesque. Not only is Von Teese the namesake of the drink. She is also said to have invented it herself. The striking purple color of the drink is sure to turn heads. It uses Cointreau, lemon juice, apple juice, and monin violet syrup, which gives the drink its striking purple color. The drink should be shaken over ice and strained into a cocktail glass before serving. Monin violet syrup isn't the most common or easily accessible ingredient. However, you can't make this drink without it as it's this syrup that gives the drink its distinctive purple color.

This drink is famous because both its alcoholic and virgin versions are named for someone. The alcholic version is named the John Daly, while the virgin version of the drink is named the Arnold Palmer. Both drinks are named after famous golfers. The drink uses lemonade and iced tea. However, the John Daly version uses some vodka while the Arnold Palmer stays virgin. Some versions of the John Daly also use triple sec to deepen the flavor profile.

This cocktail is every bit as simple as it is delicious. The Bellini got its humble start at Harry's Bar in Venice sometime in the 1930s. The drink uses peach puree at the bottom of the glass, topped with prosecco or any other sparkling white wine. Some recipes call for other juices and wines to be added to the drink. However, it can be made with just peach puree and wine and still be authentic and delicious.

The most surprising thing about the Jean Harlow cocktail is just how strong it is. This cocktail has a kick that shouldn't be taken lightly, made up of equal parts light rum and vermouth and garnished with a lemon peel. While Harlow might have been the picture of feminine grace, her drink is by no means "girly" or "weak." A few of these will put even heavy drinkers on the ground if they're not careful.

This drink is unique and special because it was first developed during Prohibition in the United States, when alcohol was illegal and had moved into an underground black market. The drink is complex and has a deep flavor profile, made up of maraschino liqueur, grenadine, white rum, and pineapple juice. The drink might sound light and easy to drink, but the alcohol content is sneakily high and a few of these will have you acting funny for a few hours.