This cocktail first appeared in the “Cafe Royal Cocktail Book” published in 1937 in London. Its creator is unknown, though the assumption is that it was created by an American seeking refuge in London from Prohibition. This is because the name, “Lion’s Tail,” is likely related to the British saying, “twisting the lion’s tail,” which means to provoke the British, as their royal coat of arms features a lion.

The Lion’s Tail is lesser known because one of its defining ingredients was considered obsolete for upwards of 20 years. The drink features ‘allspice dram’; a Jamaican Rum based liqueur invented in the 1850s made with allspice berries. It is very popular in Tiki-bartending as a way to transform a bright and summery cocktail into one perfect for autumn and winter. In the 1980s, the liqueur was almost impossible to come by; exportation to the U.S. was stopped until 2008 when Haus Alpenz began importing St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram from Austria.