AREA — The Victorian Society in America-Northern New Jersey Chapter (VSA-NNJ) will hold its next meeting on Monday, January 15, beginning at 7 p.m. The featured program that evening will be “The History of Cocktails,” presented by Mac McParland.

The meeting will take place at the Montclair Women’s Club, located at 82 Union Street, Montclair. This venue is handicap-accessible. Parking is available behind the building and on the street. The program is free for members and $10 for guests.

Mr. McParland will discuss the first cocktail of the 1800s and the evolution of cocktails through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Attendees will hear about some of the key figures in cocktail history, including contributions by Professor Jerry Thomas, Jennie Churchill and Mrs. Julius Walsh — the woman credited with the invention of the “cocktail party.” They also will learn the origin of the “Tiki Bar” and the drinks favored by Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.

For more information, contact christinapmayer@gmail.com or (973) 886-9956 or visit www.vsa-nnj.com.