He was the first celebrity bartender and at his best, thomas made the same wages as the vice president of the. The book collects and codifies what was then an oral tradition of recipes from the early days of cocktails, including some of his own creations. It was given to me by a small time bartender, youve probably never heard of, charlie ainsbury in around 20052006. Wondrich, a writer and cocktail historian, recently updated and repackaged the book, adding new historical findings and expanding the recipe section for todays bartender. First published in 1862, thomass short book was the first ever printed guide to mixing cocktails. Because of his pioneering work in popularizing cocktails across the united. A descendent of eggnog, the tom and jerry was created sometime in the early 19th century, most likely in new england.
The classic guide to cocktails by jerry thomas, giuseppe. The cocktail book, first published in 1900, is the earliest book devoted purely to the art of the cocktail. How to mix drinks or the bon vivants companion by jerry thomas is regularly considered the grandaddy of all cocktail books. Dec 15, 2016 the tom and jerry is a family tradition for me. Apr 08, 2015 the bartenders guide, or how to mix drinks by jerry thomas. From absinthe cocktail to whiskey smash, a salute in stories and drinks to professor jerry thomas, pioneer of the american bar by david wondrich goodreads author 4. Aug 29, 2017 its all about the classic threeingredient cocktail in this forthcoming book from highly knowledgeable and highly opinionated drinks expert for the new york times, robert simonson. The book includes an extensively researched biography of jerry thomas, as well as the majority of thomas cocktails, taken directly from his books and adapted to modernday measurement methods ie.
To publicize the book and the play, egan introduced a variation of eggnog by adding 1. Thomas was a flashy showman, who toured the united states as a. Thomas may well have served this recipe to the actual prince of wales. But just because old tom is rooted in the past, know that that style of gin is no. In 1862 thomas finished the bartenders guide alternately titled how to mix drinks or the bonvivants companion, the first cocktail book ever published in the united states. Jerry thomas wrote the bartenders guide, which is also titled how to mix drinks, and the bonvivants companion.
We do not propose to persuade any man to drink, for instance, a punch, or a julep, or a cocktail. Written in 1887, jerry thomass seminal bartenders manual is the definitive guide to cocktails for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike. He has been the jupiter olympus of the bar at the metropolitan hotel in this city. Sep 25, 2014 in 1876, the recipe for the tom collins appeared in jerry thomass cocktail book. Aug 07, 2009 outside of his love of the handlebar mustache, he is credited for writing the first modern cocktail book.
In numerous accounts, professor jerry thomas claims its conception in 1847, having been quoted as naming it after himself and two small white mice he kept as pets called, of course, tom and jerry. A natural showman, thomas toured the united states as a celebrity bartender, paving the way for others to follow suit. While a very nice drink, i think it could actually be further improved by either reducing or omitting entirely the. This is the most complete first edition a reprint of the very first 1862 edition of jerry thomas bartenders guide how to mix drinks or a bon vivants companion. In 1862, thomas finished the bartenders guide alternately titled how to mix drinks or the bonvivants companion, the first drink book ever published in the. Free shipping custom cocktail recipe book journal cocktail party recipe book personalized recipe book gift for bar tender name on cover transientbooks 5 out of. In fact, its first run printing in 1862 seems to, at least historically, put it as the first cocktail book to be published in.
May 14, 20 day 6 whiskey cocktail the bartenders guide. It is considered the first cocktail book, and this reproduction is based on the first published edition. The entire book feels like a good blend of writing, recipes, and artsy photographs to draw people into the world of tiki. Have ready thirty quarts of cold water that has boiled. Although gin, the base of the cocktail, is often categorized as a warmweather drink, the tom collins is pleasantly versatile, and no doubt about it, fun to talk about. The book was first published in 2007 and was the first cocktail book to win a james beard award. The first important date is 1862 when the first american cocktail book appeared. It seems like every niche or industry has a handful of holy grail books out there. David wondrich is the author of the james beard awardwinning book imbibe. The first version, published in 2007, received a james beard award for its rich dive into the life and work of jerry thomas, a bartender credited with popularizing cocktails in the mid1800s. Best cocktail books 75 books meet your next favorite book.
He has travelled europe and america in search of all that is recondite in this branch of the spirit art. The museum is dedicated to the history of wines and spirits with a beautiful collection of old bottles from around the world and vintage cocktail books. With a status equivalent to any of todays celebrity chefs, his death made front page news in his home of new york and his life story continues to impress. This drink recipe book is probably the most famous bartenders and cocktail. Harry craddock is one of the bestknown bartenders and was even immortalised in wax at madame. Read about the first celebrity bartender, jerry thomas, and why hes still. The first bartending superstar long, long before tom cruise was shaking up drinks in cocktail, jerry thomas was making theatre behind the bar. Written by the grandfather of mixology jerry thomas, the bartenders guide was the beginning of what would become a popular genre in the world of books. What are the best vintage cocktail books tasting table. For the perfection of this education, the name, alone, of jerry thomas is a sufficient guarantee. The improved cocktail is a jerry thomas creation, and the improved whiskey cocktail was further popularized if you can call it that by david wondrich, columnist for esquire and author of imbibe. The bartenders guide or how to mix drinks by jerry thomas.
Jerry thomas has 29 books on goodreads with 734 ratings. Vintage spirits and forgotten cocktails by ted haigh dr cocktail yoshi onishi, bar manager at tokyo bird in sydney speaks of vintage spirits and forgotten cocktails by ted haigh dr cocktail. In fact, its first run printing in 1862 seems to, at least historically. The best cocktail books for the home bartender best products. A new biography brings to life jerry thomas, the first bartender to publish a drink book in the united states.
Indeed, hundreds of people walk by this place daily and only a handful knows that they are passing in front of one of the most original places where to have a drink in the eternal city. Thomas october 30, 1830 december 15, 1885 was an american bartender who owned and operated saloons in new york city. Any holiday get together that occurs this time of the year includes my uncle whipping up a batch of tom and jerry batter and quietly slipping a coffee cup full of this freshly mixed cocktail into your hand. For thirty years including the prohibition, it was a staple of wellstocked bars, although originals are now extremely rare.
The bartender who started it all the new york times. Professor jerry thomas first celebrity bartender 22nd august 2017 whilst the english may have pioneered the notion of mixing drinks, it was in america during the nineteenth century that creativity really started to blossom and the gilded age of mixed drinks began. Thomas was the godfather of flair bartending, the spiritual ancestor of tom cruise in cocktail, the author of the worlds first surviving cocktail book, and a new york. This concise history of the best classic cocktails is organized by style of drink and variations, with over 75 delicious cocktail recipes, gorgeous fullcolor. Professor jerry thomas first celebrity bartender whiskey club. Thomas stearns eliot was born in st louis, missouri, in 1888. Page 33 in twenty quarts of french brandy put the peels of thirty lemons and thirty oranges, pared so thin that not the least of the white is left. Books by jerry thomas author of the bartenders guide. On december 15, 1885, the front page of the new york paper, the world, announced the death of the man many consider the founding father of modern bartending.
Written in 1887, jerry thomas s seminal bartenders manual is the definitive guide to cocktails for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike. Jerry thomass most popular book is the bartenders guide. Salty dog cocktail grapefruit juice is a relatively common ingredient in cocktails, with the perennial favourite being the greyhound, but the paloma is better. This drink recipe book is probably the most famous bartenders and cocktail book of all times, and it was the first real cocktail book ever published in the united states. How to make a tom and jerry drink our everyday life. Cocktail writer david wondrich has written a book about jerry thomas entitled imbibe. That either shows how amazing the book itself is, or how bad my bartender friends are. Sep 01, 2003 the book splits each category of cocktails into chapters and lists the ingredients you will need to make them as well as the needed bar tools if you are a more advanced cocktail maker. Egan invented the cocktail in order to increase popularity for his book and for the play written after it, and named it tom and jerry like his characters. This book is a perfect gift for a film and cocktail lover. Oct 20, 2015 harriet leigh, venue manager at archie rose bar in sydney says, its not the best book, but by far the book that had the most profound effect on me was dale degroffs the craft of the cocktail.
He was the first celebrity bartender and at his best, thomas made the same wages as the vice president of the time. In 1876, the recipe for the tom collins appeared in jerry thomass cocktail book. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. In 1862, thomas published how to mix drinks, or the bonvivants companion, the worlds first bartending guide and one that modern mixologists reviving classic cocktails look to for inspiration. Using old tom gin makes classic cocktails like the tom collins and the garrick club punch taste as close as possible to their original forms when gin likely tasted close to the old tom variety. Unlike a screwdriver, the greyhound isnt nearly as sweet and even has a pleasant bitterness that is imparted by the grapefruit juice.
The comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails here 6. Unabridged text of the jerry thomas 1862 bartenders guide, offered here for chump change. Cocktails for the history books the new york times. Outside of his love of the handlebar mustache, he is credited for writing the first modern cocktail book. Really well laid out and the illustrations are wonderful and theres so many drinks in there that i wouldnt have necessarily associated with a film so its made me go back and rewatch the film to spot them. The first known cocktail manual of any regard is jerry thomass book of 1862. First appearing in jerry thomass 1862 how to mix drinks, the japanese cocktail is accompanied with no explanation of its namesake, nor do its ingredients lead one to. The first american cocktail book was published in 1862. Before london dry rose to prominence, the slightly sweeter old tom is thought to have been the standard formula for gin. The first drinks book in the english language to contain recipes for cocktails, the bartenders guide or how to mix drinks by jerry the professor thomas. Regarding cocktails is one of the best cocktail books for beginners. This is the online access to the euvs vintage cocktail books. Thomas was the godfather of flair bartending, the spiritual ancestor of tom cruise in cocktail, the author of the worlds first surviving cocktail book, and a new york icon, too.
About 100 recipes litter the chapters, culled from thomas book and modern bartenders alike. The book in question is life in london, or the day and night scenes of jerry hawthorn esq. A buyers guide to vintage cocktail books serious eats. This incredibly insightful book really helped build my repertoire of cocktails and working out how they used. The drinks name is a reference to egans book, life in london, or the day and night scenes of jerry hawthorn esq. Jerry thomas to whom the famous savoy cocktail book is dedicated presents 236 recipes for social drinks apart from water and those of the breakfast and. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. From absinthe cocktail to whiskey smash, a salute in stories and drinks to professor jerry thomas, pioneer of the american bar and the new book punch. Flipping through the first known cocktail book printed before prohibition is like stepping back in time, and its remarkable just how serious and impressive americas cocktail options were during the golden age. Best cocktail recipe books to try at home london evening. All in all a very handy cocktail book, it has helped me learn a wider range of cocktails and taught me some new tricks which is great as i work as a bartender. A collection of cocktail world figures lined up saturday at the manhattan cocktail classic, the annual new york drinks convention, to shoot down some sacred cows many a preprohibition libation has been glorified in recent years as the cocktail demimonde began to resurrect and lionize the drinks of days gone by. Its known variously as the bartenders guide, how to mix drinks, and the bonvivants companion.
This collection, in a beautiful new edition, allows a modern audience to rediscover the joy of classic cocktails. How to mix drinks first edition jerry thomas bauman rare books. Thomas was a flashy showman, who toured the united states as a highlypaid celebrity bartender and pioneered the way for others. Thats a good indicator that this book will be from the view point of experience and not just another cocktail book rip off. This 1862 edition includes a manual for the manufacture of cordials, liquors, fancy syrups, etc.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of other books appeared in the decades between thomass and the enactment of prohibition. Consisting of a rich batter of beaten eggs, sugar and spices, the tom and jerry cocktail was traditionally created in large batches to serve a. The 11 best cocktail books of 2020, according to experts. Jun 02, 20 may 14, 20 day 6 whiskey cocktail the bartenders guide. Oct 30, 2008 this is the most complete first edition a reprint of the very first 1862 edition of jerry thomas bartenders guide how to mix drinks or a bon vivants companion. Harry craddock is one of the bestknown bartenders and was even immortalised in wax at madame tussauds. It is the cocktail book i lend out the most and never get back. Its all about the classic threeingredient cocktail in this forthcoming book from highly knowledgeable and highly opinionated. Between them they have 16 years of bartending experience. The history of cocktails and cocktail books is an interesting one. Jerry thomas bartenders guide cocktails wiki fandom. In rome jerry thomas project is as underground as a cocktail bar can get.
The book splits each category of cocktails into chapters and lists the ingredients you will need to make them as well as the needed bar tools if you are a more advanced cocktail maker. Consisting of a rich batter of beaten eggs, sugar and spices, the tom and jerry cocktail was traditionally created in large batches to serve a crowd, but its easily scaled down for two to share. Banana daquiri up close and personal 1996 tally atwater michelle pfeiffer. He has travelled europe and america in search of all that is recondite in this. The popularizer of cocktails in the united states, jerry thomas is also known for his flashy style and showmanship i strongly. The mountain top bar in st thomas, us virgin islands, claims to be the home of the banana daiquiri, proudly serving it to this day in a popular stopoff point for tourists that take excursions to the mountain for its stunning views over the caribbean coastline. Its believed that thomas named the cocktail in honor of the rumored storytelling man. Rome jerry thomas project bar great cocktail selection. Thomas, described as the father of american mixology, provides the reader with clear and engaging instructions on how to mix a range of popular and more obscure cocktails, with recipes from america. In 2010, boehm translated japanese barman kazuo uyedas book, cocktail technique, into english and flew the author to new york to hold a seminar on his famed shaking style. He moved to england in 1914 and published his first book of poems in 1917. It is considered the first cocktail book, and this reproduction is. Highly recommended if youre a fan of tiki or cocktails in general. A classic cocktail, the tom and jerry was created by professor jerry thomas, one of the founding fathers of cocktail mixology.