The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book (Classic Cocktail Books series)

From pre–Civil War bartending to the night clubs of the 1940s, these bar books document the trends and mores of their respective eras. Beginning with the first known recipe book compiled for those seeking to serve sophisticated beverages, through the birth of many of the 21st century's drink standards and the tales of those who consumed them, these drink guides provide an insider's glimpse into the excess and splendor of the pre- and post-Prohibition eras.
Based on the actual bar book used by the Waldorf-Astoria prior to Prohibition, this collection of cocktails serves up more than 350 recipes. In addition to documenting the origin of many cocktails and mixed drinks still commonplace today, the book chronicles the background of their creation and the antics of some of the cronies—Buffalo Bill Cody and Bat Masterson, among others—who were regulars at the bar.