Learn English – When did ‘virgin’ start referring to non-alcoholic drinks

historyusagevocabulary

Since there have been so many virginity questions here lately, I have another one. As a former bartender-type, I often hear the term virgin, when relating to non-alcoholic drinks. Unfortunately, search engines are overwhelmed by click-bait slideshows like "20 virgin drinks that will rock your world" and "25 bar terms you need to know!"

EDIT: some additional research:

Upon having further time to research, I discovered these early usages:

Out West – Google Books

It refers to Mah-que-be, a

secret brew of herbs which is supposed to fortify..against snake poison

In the Quarterly Review of Literature , 1964

now sweet words went to their heads like a virgin drink of spirits

Doesn't really answer my question, however

I can see a relation between a virgin (usually referring—albeit not exclusively—to young children) and non-alcoholic drinks, but I ask:

What is the history of the relationship between virgin and non-alcoholic?

Best Answer

It may be an extension of Virgin Mary, which is straight tomato juice (as opposed to a Bloody Mary, which has vodka). OED cites usages going back to the mid-1970s, under its entry for virgin:

Virgin Mary n. [after Bloody Mary n.] chiefly U.S. a glass of tomato juice

1976 W. Goldman Magic ii. 90 Some girl wanted a Virgin Mary. The waiter nodded.

1977 J. Philips Five Roads to Death i. 11 A waitress approached the table. ‘A Virgin Mary... A Bloody Mary without the vodka.’

1981 T. Heald Murder at Moose Jaw ix. 103 Crombie ordered himself a straight tomato juice with..Worcester. The Colonel did not, Bognor noted with approval, refer to the drink as ‘a Virgin Mary’.

Once a Virgin Mary had been established (as a pun of sorts) from Bloody Mary, it's not hard to imagine how, say, virgin daiquiri would have followed.

I don't know if the term goes back further than that.

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