[1] In 1898 Democratic political czar Martin M. Lomasney hoped to capture a seat in the state's legislature, the General Court of Massachusetts.

The story goes that the drink was created to honor his election, and the city's Ward 8 which historically delivered him a winning margin.

[2] In 1915 the Santa Clara Company registered "Ward 8" as a trademark with the United States Patent Office claiming use since November 1912 [3] and published a notice that they would prosecute any infringement.

[4] During prohibition the Daily Boston Globe reported that the drink was believed to have originated at the "old" and abandoned Quincy House.

One story reports that it originated in New York in an area known for political corruption, and another that the cocktail is a traditional drink of the Scots Guards.