Food & Drink The 15 Most Influential Bartenders of the Last Century

Ivy Mix

When you’re at your favorite cocktail bar, sipping on a perfectly crafted Manhattan, it may not occur to you just how many people you have to thank for that drink. While most classic cocktails can be traced back to Jerry Thomas, the ur-American bartender, and his seminal recipe book The Bon Vivant’s Companion, there have been many pioneering figures that have shaped our drinking culture in the last century. Here are 15 of the most influential bartenders that shaped the way we drink today. Jerry Thomas Not only was Jerry Thomas one of the most famous and well paid American bartenders in the mid-1800s (at $100 a week, his salary was more than that of the vice president), he is also considered the father of modern mixology. Why He’s Important:

Mr. Thomas wrote the first official cocktail book in history: 1862’s How to Mix Drinks (aka The Bon Vivant's Companion). Without his tome, we would not have many of the original classic cocktail recipes, including the Smash, the Cobbler, Sours or the Tom Collins. Thomas also pioneered flair bartending. He was known for his flashy bar equipment and ornate jewelry, and would juggle bottles and tins. Without his penchant for formal wear and excess, the immaculately dressed, vested bartender may have never existed. Charles H. Baker While not a bartender per se, Charles H. Baker was one of the first and most grandiose food and cocktail writers of the last century. On his travels, he collected some of the most influential cocktail recipes from around the world. Why He’s Important:

At the height of his career, Baker wrote columns for Esquire, Town & Country and Gourmet. In 1939, he published a two-volume collection of his writings titled The Gentleman's Companion. Volume One pertained to “exotic cookery” while Volume Two was a collection of his cocktail prose and recipes titled the Exotic Drinking Book. In 1951, Baker published The South American Gentleman's Companion, a poetic travelogue chronicling the author’s drinking journeys through the South American continent. Without Baker, we wouldn’t have his creative waxings about cocktails, the authors inspired by them or classic cocktails such as the Colonial Cooler, the Remember the Maine, and the Jimmie Roosevelt—a mixture of Champagne, Cognac, and Chartreuse that’s a staple on the cocktail menu at the Pegu Club in New York (more on that later). Ada Coleman Ada Coleman was one of only two female head bartenders at the Savoy American Bar in London, a position which she held for 23 years (from 1903-1926). Why She’s Important:

One of the premiere mixologists in London at the turn of the century, Coleman is best known for her Hanky Panky cocktail, which she created for actor Sir Charles Hawtrey. It’s one of the first documented cocktails to use the bracingly bitter amaro, Fernet Branca, as a main ingredient. Coleman also trained her successor, Harry Craddock (see below) who, in turn, immortalized many of her signature cocktail recipes (including the Hanky Panky) in his book. Harry Craddock Harry Craddock was a British bartender that headed the Savoy American Bar in London from 1926 to 1934 after doing a stint behind the stick in America. Why He’s Important:

Craddock revolutionized the cocktail scene in London with an ingredient he found in American bars: Ice. As a bartender, Craddock singlehandedly made the the Savoy American Bar the number one cocktail destination for London high society. While behind the stick, he served royalty, Winston Churchill and countless celebrities, debutantes and movie stars. In 1930, he published The Savoy Cocktail Book, which would become his greatest legacy and contribution to modern day cocktailing. With over 700 recipes, the book is one of the greatest cocktail tomes ever written. Without it, we wouldn’t have the Corpse Revivercocktails, the definitive Dry Martini or, his signature drink, The White Lady.

A post shared by Don The Beachcomber (@donthebeachcomberhb) on Dec 28, 2016 at 6:13pm PST

Ernest “Donn the Beachcomber” Gantt Donn Beach, nee Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, is an American bartender and the father of all things tiki. Why He’s Important:

In 1934, Ernest Gantt launched The Beachcomber in Los Angeles, a 24-seat cocktail lounge inspired by the auteur’s island hopping adventures. On the menu, Gantt featured signature concoctions unlike any others. His layered, multi-ingredient cocktails called for fresh juices, homemade syrups and rums. Wildly successful, the bar was nationalized by the end of World War II, not only kickstarting the tiki movement, but an entire subculture of dress, cuisine and cocktailing. Some of Beach’s most famous libations that live on today include the Zombie, the Pearl Diver and the Three Dots and a Dash. Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron An influential American bartender that rose to tiki infamy on the coattails of Donn the Beachcomber. Like Beach, Vic had a nationalized tiki bar and restaurant chain from the 1930s to the ‘50s during the golden era of tiki. Why He’s Important:

While many tikiphiles argue over which cocktails Bergeron lifted from his competitor, Beach, one thing is for certain: Trader Vic and his cocktail legacy are integral to the evolution of tiki. Credited with one of the greatest cocktails known to man, the Mai Tai, and one of the booziest cocktails of all time, the party-sized Scorpion Bowl, Victor Bergeron also compiled one of the first official tiki tomes in 1946, Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink. Dale DeGroff Also known as King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff is an American mixologist and author who rose to prominence in the late ‘80s at the Rainbow Room in New York’s Rockefeller Center. Why He’s Important:

An actor-turned-barman, Dale DeGroff’s inspiration came from Jerry Thomas’s book, A Bartender’s Guide. In an age when sour mix and artificial ingredients reigned supreme, DeGroff used his position at the Rainbow Room to restore the classic cocktail to its rightful state. His method was simple but revolutionary at the time: He taught himself and his staff traditional cocktail techniques and used high quality spirits and fresh juices and ingredients behind the bar. Since his rise to fame, DeGroff has published two books, including the modern classic, The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, and created some seriously delicious pimento bitters.



A post shared by BarSmarts (@barsmarts) on Apr 13, 2017 at 10:47pm PDT

David Wondrich A Jedi-level cocktail nerd and author specializing in obscure cocktail history and modern spirits. Why He’s Important:

Wondrich’s first book, Imbibe!, helped renew interest in Jerry Thomas, earned a place on every cocktail obsessive’s bookshelf and ultimately earned Wondrich a James Beard Award in 2007. It was the first time a cocktail book had ever won the prestigious award. With his second book Punch, Wondrich singlehandedly restored America’s faith in the bygone drink of our founding fathers. Sasha Petraske An American mixologist that founded and helmed the infamous New York City cocktail bar, Milk & Honey. Why He’s Important:

When Petraske opened Milk & Honey in 1999 he was, unknowingly, continuing in the footsteps of Dale DeGroff and revolutionizing modern mixology. He stressed the importance of hospitality and service, and insisted his staff use jiggers. He formulated cocktail recipes with precise measurements that could easily be replicated. With his menus, Petraske’s pioneered the “less is more” philosophy of drinks—the majority of his cocktails featured just three ingredients. But the true sign of his lasting influence lies in his original staff, many of whom have gone on to start their own industry-changing endeavors. Audrey Saunders An American mixologist whose pioneering cocktail lounge, The Pegu Club, was a catalyst for the cocktail revolution of the early aughts in New York. Why She’s Important:

As an apprentice of Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders is a classic cocktail purist. After a stint as the head bartender at the celebrated Bemelmans Bar inside the Carlyle Hotel, she opened up her own cocktail lounge, The Pegu Club. At her bar, Saunders took Milk & Honey’s dedication to craft and quality and made it accessible to the masses. Dedicating her career to rescuing classic cocktails from obscurity—including many of Charles H. Baker’s tipples and the Pegu Club cocktail (for which her bar is named)—Saunders’s bar has become one of the top cocktail destinations in the world.

A post shared by Cocktail Magic (@cocktailmagic) on Jan 26, 2016 at 3:22pm PST