THE BAR-TENDER'S GUIDE OR HOW TO MIX ALL KINDS OF PLAIN AND FANCY DRINKS; Containing clear and reliable directions for mixing all the beverages used in the United States, together with the most popular British, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish Recipes; embracing punches, juleps, cobblers, etc. etc., in endless variety.
Danbury, Connecticut: Behrens Publishing Company, [1862] 1887. Third Edition, Softcover. Pamphlet, 7.25 x 4.50. Sunning and discoloration to top and spine edges, and spine paper covering missing an inch, at top and at bottom. Probably the third printing of Thomas's bartender's Guide. First published by Fitzgerald and Dick in 1862, after which publication changed to Fitzgerald, followed by Behrens. Some say this edition is revised, even though not marked as such, but there were copies out there which had been so marked.
The author was appropriately called "The Father of Modern Mixology",not only owning and operating saloons and tending bar at some of the finest U.S. hotels, but writing about sundry recipes for drinks which had the effect of essentially elevating the stature of the bartender to that a thoroughly respectable professional.
(NOTE: Sorry: my Martini Shaker NOT included). Good. Item #84633
"...Of the three folklores of how it was invented, my favorite is the story of the Occidental Hotel. During the Gold Rush, a miner from Sierra Nevada struck it rich. At the time, he was accustomed to drinking the “Martinez,” a drink of Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, Luxardo maraschino liqueur and bitters that [is believed to have] originated in Martinez, California. This miner headed to San Francisco, straight to the Occidental Hotel in search of a libation. To make the drink more to his taste, he asked the bartender to cut the Luxardo and switch from Angostura to orange bitters. Jerry Thomas’ The Bar-Tender’s Guide (1862) was one of the first publications of that story,” says Kudra..." (Maggie Spicer, in an interview with Michael Kudra, principle bartender at Quince, located at Jackson Square in San Francisco: Edible San Francisco, Winter 2020).
An earlier (1862) version of this same book, written twenty-five years previous, was "the first drink book ever published in the United States" "The book collected and codified what was then an oral tradition of recipes from the early days of cocktails, including some of his own creations; the guide laid down the principles for formulating mixed drinks of all categories. He would update it several times in his lifetime to include new drinks that he discovered or created" (Wikipedia, quoting several New York Times articles). In one of those same NYT articles, William Grimes ("The Bartender Who Started It All"), wrote: His mixing of the "Martinez", which recipe was first published in this, the 1887 edition of his guide, has sometimes been viewed as a precursor to the modern martini. Essentially the ingredients are the same.
Price: $650.00