The early decades of the twentieth century saw some taxing times, what with there being a world war and all, but that still didn’t stop people from flocking to the Shepheard’s hotel to bask in its elegance. Located in Cairo, Egypt this hotel was famous for its extravagance. It was so famous that in 1942 […]
The Suffering Bastard Read More »
In 1860 a man entered the now historical halls of Richmond’s Exchange Hotel, a popular spot in America’s Southern state. The tourist was bearded, stately, and elaborately clothed for the tender age of 19. The truth was, the man was no mere man. He was Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, and he was about
While the career of Jerry Thomas was flying high and it seemed his fanciful tales of self-aggrandisement would filter through the populace untarnished, it became abundantly clear that the inventor of the first Tom and Jerry was about to have a competitor. That man was Harry Johnson. At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be
Who Threw the First Punch? Read More »
In 1861 a young German was employed on a ship meant to sail around the world. Unfortunately, his trip was cut short. This wasn’t due to any stormy seas. While working on the vessel the fifteen-year-old broke his arm, which meant he was no longer useful to his employer. Thanks to the absence of labour
The Trouble With Harry Read More »
Allow me to introduce you to Lola. Who was a dancer. A dancer who could not sing, or act, and was terrible at ballet. A dancer who took a few lessons in Spain because, I don’t exactly know why, I guess she liked the way the Spanish danced. Truthfully though, Lola was not a good
Her Name Was Lola, She Was a Dancer… Read More »
Of all the bartenders nearing the end of the 19th century, William Schmidt (yes, another William) seems to be written about in the press the most. Many refer to him as the second greatest bartender of his time. The first being Jerry Thomas of course. I’d say that isn’t such a bad level of status
This post is not about a whale. Unlike some of my other posts, it is also not about a William. This entry is about an Englishman named Sir Thomas Davey. Through the years of 1813 to 1817, Sir Thomas Davey served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, the Australian island that is now called Tasmania.
If you know anything about cocktail history, chances are you have heard of Mr. Jerry Thomas, aka the ‘Professor’, aka the ‘Father of Mixology’. In case you don’t know, Jerry Thomas is perhaps most famous for publishing the first known collection of cocktail and punch recipes. Entitled A Bartender’s Guide (followed by a bunch of other
Sir? Your Pants Are on Fire Read More »