The Bartender's Guide: Bon-Vivant's Companion

By Jerry Thomas and Christian Schultz

About Jerry Thomas Jeremiah "Jerry" P. Thomas (ca. 1830 - 1885) is considered by many to be the forefather of US mixology. He is said to have worked as a bartender from a young age, until at some point, he was seized by a thirst for adventure and travel, signed on as a sailor, followed the call of gold and tried his luck as a gold miner in California. He does not seem to have been particularly successful, because shortly after his arrival he was forced to earn his living again as a bartender and entertainer. In 1851, he returned to New York to open his first own bar below Barnum's American Museum at the age of just 21. He then succumbed to the wanderlust once again, working as a bar manager and manager in hotels and saloons all over the US and taking an extended trip through Europe to familiarize himself with the drinking culture of the old continent. Jerry Thomas was known for his self-promotion and his ingenious way of mixing cocktails, which earned him the nickname "The Professor" and eventually ensured that he found himself among New York City's most famous personalities and even became known throughout the country. He was considered an extroverted entertainer who liked to wear flashy jewellery and entertain his guests with showmanship, magic tricks and juggling bottles. It was presumably during his time in San Francisco that the "Blue Blazer" was created, which soon became his signature drink. Thomas was also a passionate art collector, so that his second bar on Broadway, opened between 1866 and 1869, resembled a mixture of bar, art gallery and cabinet of curiosities. In the 1880s, Jerry Thomas speculated on the New York Stock Exchange and was on the brink of financial ruin. In order to survive, he was forced to close his bar on Broadway and sell most of his art collection, some of which was valuable. Afterwards, he tried several times to get back on his feet and ventured into various new openings. In his mid-fifties, Jerry Thomas died suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving behind a wife and two daughters. Obituaries of the dazzling and popular New York bartender appeared across the country. The Heritage In 1862, Jerry Thomas finished work on his How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon Vivant's Companion, believed to be the first book of its kind ever published in the US. It included a collection of traditional recipes from the United States and Europe as well as some of his own creations. The book was revised and reprinted by him several times in the years to come. The last edition was published in 1887, two years after Jerry Thomas' death. The work triggered a veritable wave of similar publications, many of which were clearly influenced by Thomas' book and in some cases even took over whole passages almost word for word. It was only during Prohibition in the USA (1919 - 1933) that Jerry Thomas and his life's work were gradually forgotten, and it would take until the 1980s for it to be rediscovered by another famous New York bartender, Dale DeGroff. Since then, facsimile reissues or modern adaptations have appeared time and again. About the present edition Original editions of this remarkable work, which is often referred to as the "bible of bartenders", are naturally very difficult to obtain and expensive. Often, old editions were simply copied and sold for new editions, and the quality visibly suffered: individual pages were scanned crookedly, whole passages are only poorly legible or not legible at all. With this new publication of the 1862-edition, which is far more extensive than later editions, Jerry Thomas' book finally receives a new, tidy robe that is as close as possible to the original edition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1792094973
• ISBN13: 9781792094972
• Release Date: December 2018
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"