1862 Bar Tender's Guide price $1.50 by Jerry Thomas

PREFACE.

Bank of England,a small drinking saloon that had been set «p "by a peripatetic ^\jnorican, at the door of which was placcd a board covered with.thc unique titles of the American mixed drinks supposed to bo pre pared within that limited establishment. Tho "Connecticut eye-open ers" and "Alabama fog-cutters," together with tho "lightning-smashes" and the "thunderbolt-cocktails," created a piofound sensation in tho crowd assembled to peruse tho Sectarian bill of faro, if they did not produce custom. It struck us, then, that a list of all the social drinks —the composite beverages, if wo may call tbera so—of America, would really bo one of tho curiosities of jovial literature; and that if it was combined with a catalogue of tho mixtures common to other nations, and made practically useful by tho addition of a concise description of the various processes for "brewing" each, it would bo a "blessing to mankind-" There would be no excuse for imbibing,with such a book at hand,tho "villainous compounds" of bar-keeping Goths and Vandals, who know no more of the amenities of bon vivant oxistonco than a Hot tentot can know of the hoitguet of champagne. "There's philosophy," says Father Tom in tho drama,"even in a jug of punch." "Wo claim the credit of "philosophy teaching by example," then,to no ordinary extent in tho composition of this volume; for our index cxliibits tho title of eighty-six diiTorcnt kinds of punches,together with a universe of cobblers,juleps,bitters, cups,slings,shrubs, Ac.,each and all of which the reader is carefully educated how to concoct in tho choicest manner. For tho perfection of this education, tho namo, alone, of J«mjThomas is a sufScient guarantee. Ho has travelled Europe and America in search of all that is recondite in this brancli of tho spirit art. 'He has been tho Jupiter Olympus of the bar at the Metropolitan Hotel in this city. He was tho presiding deity at tho Planter's House, St. Louis. Ho has been tho proprietor of one of tho most recherche saloons in Hew Orleans as well as in Now York. His very namo issynonymous in the lexicon of mixed drinks, with all that is rare and original. To the "Wine Press," edited by F. S. Cozzens, Esq., we are indebted for the cppposition of several valuable punches, and among them wo may particularize the celebrated "Nuremburgh," and tho equally famous "Philadelphia Fish House" punch. The rest wo owe to tho inspiration of J^ry Tfiomas himself, and as he is as inexorable as tho Modes and Persians in his principle that no excellent drink can be made out of any thing but excellent materials, we q^ceive that we are safe in assert ing that whatever may be prepared after his instructions will be able to speak eloquently for itself. "Good wine needs no bush," Shakespeare tells us and over one of Jerry's mixtures eulogy is quite as redundant.