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Cocktail Boothby's American Bartender: The New Anchor Distilling Edition

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Winner of two National Best Book Awards!

"If one had to pick a single name to stand as dean to the whole tribe of San Francisco bartenders, it would be the Honorable William T. Boothby, head bartender at the Palace Hotel and author of one of the most useful bartender's guides of the golden age of American drinking. This exceedingly scarce little volume is a surpassingly sound effort, full of well-considered recipes with a real West Coast flavor." -David Wondrich, author of Imbibe!

"The bartending community is rejoicing! The new Anchor Distilling Edition of Cocktail Boothby's American Bar-Tender, based on the 1891 edition, is available. Boothby's first edition, mostly lost in the 1906 fire and earthquake, is reproduced with the original cover art that graced the wall of the Parker House at the corner of Stockton and Geary streets. What makes this new edition most special is the extensive foreword by Fritz Maytag and David Burkhart, followed by eight pages of rare photos and illustrations called the Boothby Scrapbook. At the back of the book are reprints of handwritten and typed recipes found in two rare copies of Boothby's book that may reflect his work on later editions; these notes may represent new information for historians and bartenders alike. What an amazing find." -Dale DeGroff, author of The Essential Cocktail

Born in San Francisco in 1862, William T. "Cocktail" Boothby was the city by the bay's premier pre-Prohibition mixologist. His bartending artistry was on display at the Palace Hotel, where his repertoire ranged from historic gold-rush libations to his signature drink, the Boothby Cocktail. In 1891, Cocktail Bill published this fascinating guide, overflowing with uniquely San Franciscan drink recipes and practical advice for the 19th-century bartender. Many copies of this important book were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, and only a few survive today. Anchor Distilling is proud to present the first modern edition of Cocktail Boothby's American Bartender . From a rare first edition at the California Historical Society, its hundreds of recipes are as delectable today as they were well over a century ago. This new Anchor Distilling edition is a complete and meticulous reproduction of William T. Boothby's original, including his Ten Commandments for the Bartender. It also includes dozens of never-before-published recipes, newly discovered photographs and biographical material, and an insightful new foreword by Anchor Distilling's Fritz Maytag and David Burkhart. And of course the original recipe for the San Francisco the Boothby Cocktail. Featuring hundreds of drink recipes and dozens of full-color illustrations and photographs. Cheers!

152 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2009

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Profile Image for Nadja.
22 reviews3 followers
August 24, 2012
A lot of the recipes are things like "Set bottle in front of customer. Serve with ice water." It's more fun as a curiosity than a good recipe book but I still love it.
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