Schmidt, William

Fancy Drinks and Popular Beverages, by the Only William

Bethesda, MD: IRLY Books, 2006. Reprint Edition. Trade paperback. 155 pages, wraps, index. Reprint of the 1896 edition, originally published by Dick & Fitzgerald, New York. From the mythic Age of Cocktails comes a 19th century text on the high art of mixology. William "The Only William" Schmidt was renowned for his outstanding personality and ability to invent drinks on the spot for a savvy clientele who sought his expertise. He introduces the practice of mixing drinks by first reminding us why we drink, then goes on to explain how we ought to conduct ourselves. The Only William: godfather of modern mixology. If we look a little more deeply into Schmidt’s life, though, it doesn’t seem quite so odd. A German immigrant who sailed over a couple years after the Civil War, he worked in Chicago for a time and then came to New York. There, in a ramshackle bar next to the Brooklyn Bridge, a reporter from The New York Sun discovered him. For the next 16 years, he was the most famous bartender in America. Any man lucky enough to try one of his elaborate, carefully thought-out concoctions walked away convinced. Schmidt may have been a bit odd, but he was the first bartender to gain renown for inventing his own drinks: the first “bar chef.” However you feel about that, his achievement stands. Contains directions and recipes for 519 drinks, in the categories mixed drinks, liquors and ratafias, punches, bowls, kaltschalen, extra drinks, and fruit wines. Condition: as new condition.

Keywords: Fancy Drinks, Alcoholic Drinks, Alcoholic Beverages, Mixed Drinks, Liquors, Ratafias, Punches, Kaltscha Wines

ISBN: 0976626551

[Book #42646]

Price: $15.00