A music genre whose name comes from the drink (surprise, surprise).
The genre was born in the middle of the 1950s, grew strong with the increased popularity of home audio and stereo systems especially as it utilized it to the fullest, and started to fade toward the 1960s, only to come back to life every now and then.
The sound is jazzy, but is often somewhat more innovative in its choice of instruments than ordinary jazz. (The theremin is often heard in cocktail, as is the sitar and other "exotic" instruments.) Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the sound is a movement towards tribal music, with bongo drums utilizing the full stereo spectrum.
An incomplete and sure-to-be-revised list of artists crazy enough that they claim to play, or that have been accused of playing, cocktail music:
*) Verified as working as of 2002-05-15. This is not a metanode. The above are examples of artists of the genre for reference purposes only. The indication of existing writeups is purely for your convenience. It is a bonus, not a purpose.