LAS VEGAS, /PRNewswire/ -- The Martini outshines all other cocktails, reigning as the quintessential American drink of the 20th century, a recent Anchor Hocking survey found. Prepared with just the right amounts of gin or vodka and served in a long-stemmed glass known universally as the symbol of the cocktail, the Martini is an object of veneration for cocktail lovers across the nation.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary and the centennial celebration of Las Vegas, leading glassware company Anchor Hocking commissioned a survey of the nation's bartenders to determine the most popular drinks of the past century. Members of the United States Bartenders Guild, an association of some of the nation's best mixologists, gave top honors to the Martini.

"The view from behind the bar tells us that the Martini is adored by Americans more than any other cocktail," says Tony Abou-Ganim, a renowned mixologist. "Martini lovers may argue over the merits of vodka versus gin, olives versus onions, but they all agree that the emblematic martini glass, elegant in its design and classic in its simplicity, is the only way to serve a perfect Martini."

The survey also reveals 10 additional cocktails that define each of the decades between 1900 and 2000. "Each decade has its own particular taste, its signature drink and glass," Abou-Ganim said. "We found it is just as important to serve a cocktail in an appropriate glass as it is to make it with the right ingredients. Presentation is key, not just for bartenders but for anyone who mixes drinks. Since the shape and style of a glass can affect the taste of a drink, it's important to serve cocktails in appropriate barware," he noted.

Here are the survey winners for the top drinks of the past century along with the perfect glassware complement for serving each drink. For fun, we have included major milestones of each decade.
 

                                Drink of the Century

  Martini served in Anchor Hocking's Celebrate Martini glass
 

                                1900-1910

  Drink: Old Fashioned served in the elegant Essex glass

  Milestones: Wilbur brothers take flight, Henry Ford makes the Model T,  Cubism emerges, Anchor Hocking founded in Lancaster, Ohio
 

                                1910-1920

  Drink: Singapore Sling served in the curvaceous Marbeya stem glass

  Milestones: Einstein's theory of relativity, E=MC2, steel invented

 

                                1920-1930

  Drink: Bloody Mary served in the bold and beautiful Oxford glass

  Milestones: Charles Lindberg's solo flight, penicillin discovered, the Jazz Age
 

                                1930-1940

  Drink: Manhattan served in the Caprice glass, the epitome of style and sophistication

  Milestones: Great Depression, golden age of radio, Swing music emerges, Art Deco at its peak
 

                                1940-1950

  Drink: Mai Tai served in the striking Martinique glass

  Milestones: World War II, the Cold War, the NBA begins play

 

                                1950-1960

  Drink: Vodka Martini served in an elegant Cut martini glass

  Milestones: Sputnik, rock and roll, the Beatnik generation

 

                                1960-1970

  Drink: Whiskey Sour served in the Excellency Footed High Ball, a glass on its own pedestal

  Milestones: The Beatles, Muhammad Ali, 007, Woodstock, Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream," the lunar landing

 

                                1970-1980

  Drink: Long Island Iced Tea served in the Refresher glass, which says it all

  Milestones: The Sexual Revolution, detente, "Jaws," Microsoft founded

 

                                1980-1990

  Drink: Sex on the Beach served in the suave Soho High Ball glass

  Milestones: Yuppies, Apple Macintosh, cable TV, Hip Hop goes mainstream

 

                                1990-2000

  Drink: Cosmopolitan served in the Hollywood Martini glass

  Milestones: Launch of the World Wide Web, the threat of Y2K, Nelson Mandela freed

 

                        Worst Drink of the Century

  Brain Hemorrhage served in a Shooter

 

The Anchor Hocking "Drinks of the Century" survey polled 150 members of the United States Bartenders Guild, the exclusive U.S. affiliate to the International Bartender's Association.

To learn more about how to make and serve the top drinks of the century, visit http://www.drinksofthecentury.com/.