In 1862, Jerry Thomas published a recipe book for drinks that is arguably the most famous and widely read bartender’s cocktail book ever written. Known most often as “Jerry Thomas’ Bartender’s Guide: or How to Mix Drinks” it was the first drink recipe book published in the United States. Thomas codified what had been an oral tradition of recipes from the earliest days of the use of distilled spirits and established a new, standardized form for many famous drinks still enjoyed to this day, as well as others whose popularity has faded. Thomas added some of his own creations and included guiding principles for making drinks of all sorts, such as punches, smashes, sours, toddies, and slings. The first edition of the book contained recipes for such drinks as eggnog, the mint julep, the daisy, the locomotive, the corpse-reviver, the eye-opener, and many, many more. The guide also directs both professional and amateur drink mixers on how to make and use simple syrups, cordials, and liquors. “Jerry Thomas’ Bartender’s Guide” is an essential addition to the library of everyone who makes drinks for a living or those who wish to impress their friends with a perfectly mixed or little-known cocktail.
