The Savoy Cocktail Book: Just in Time For New Years' Eve!
"Being in the main a complete compendium of
the Cocktails, Rickeys, Daisies, Slings,
Shrubs, Smashes, Fizzes, juleps, Cobblers,
Fixes, and other drinks known and vastly
appreciated in this year of grace 1930."
Hey book lovers! I took a long (very long) break from blogging to finish my MFA. But I’m back! And I have lots of biblio-centric stories to share! Since we’re approaching the holidays, I thought I’d share the story of one of my favorite cocktail cookbooks, The Savoy Cocktail Book! Our story begins with a guy named Harry.
Harry Craddock was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 1876. He moved to the U.S. in 1897, where he worked at several prominent hotel bars, such as the Hoffman House, the Holland House, and The Knickerbocker Hotel, becoming a citizen in short order. During that time, he gained a reputation as one of New York’s best bartenders and even claims to have shaken the last legal cocktail before U.S. Prohibition.
Mr. Craddock wasn’t about to stick around for prohibition. He packed up shop and returned to London, where he was picked up by London’s most famous (to this day) hotel: The Savoy.
The Savoy is located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London. It was built by impresario (similar to a producer nowadays) Richard D’Oyly Carte with profits from his opera endeavors. The hotel was the first of its kind when it opened in 1889, flaunting many up-and-coming innovations like electric lights, elevators, and hot water, among other things. In the 1920s, Carte insisted on continuing to lead the race for modernization by adding air conditioning, telephones in every room, sound-proofed windows, and 24-hour room service. The reputation was that of elegance, luxury, and gourmet dining. The champagne flowed at The Savoy when New York shuttered its bars.
Enter our hero Harry Craddock, he’s already invented the Old Fashioned. It’s 1923, and with his help as head bartender, The Savoy Hotel’s American Bar will become the first in London to serve cocktails. The stories that the bar could tell must be remarkable indeed!
The Savoy Cocktail Book was designed by Gilbert Rumbold, whose biographical details are complicated to come by (feel free to comment if you have any references!). However, in 1930, he partnered with Craddock to create the beautiful art nouveau-styled collection of hundreds of cocktail recipes (and some brief sections on wines).
The timing was perfect, as Hollywood had used prohibition as inspiration for many films that glamorized the cocktail. This popularization of cocktails was due to the lack of beer and wine during U.S. Prohibition. The illustrations reflect the times at the hotel, a Wodehousian fantasy of the upper-class imbibing while attended by chauffeurs, slender women in furs, and an abundance of ads for Booth’s gin (likely a patron of the project). The book has one of my favorite covers, with bold lines and a gilt lightning bolt of liquor charging down the frame of a green silhouette.
The Savoy Cocktail Book wasn't just a book of recipes. It chronicled the many famous characters Craddock encountered as a bartender at the Savoy. Craddock was also one of the founders of the United Kingdom Bartenders Guild, which established industry standards for drinks and service that elevated the profession high above that of the Western saloon. Craddock would go on to invent several other cocktails, notably the “White Lady,” but his legacy was mostly forgotten, and after his death in 1963, he was buried in a pauper’s grave.
So, this holiday season, why not grab a copy of The Savoy Cocktail Book and raise a glass to one of the pioneers of the hospitality industry? Check out the photo I took of the first edition. It came to me to catalog while working for Tavistock Books in Alameda, California. However, if you can’t afford the five to ten thousand dollar price tag for the fine first edition, you can still snag a later edition/printing online (the cheapest I found with the famous cover design retailed for around $395). I can’t wait to mix up one of Craddock's concoctions this New Year's Eve. Cheers!
Harry Craddock was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 1876. He moved to the U.S. in 1897, where he worked at several prominent hotel bars, such as the Hoffman House, the Holland House, and The Knickerbocker Hotel, becoming a citizen in short order. During that time, he gained a reputation as one of New York’s best bartenders and even claims to have shaken the last legal cocktail before U.S. Prohibition.
Mr. Craddock wasn’t about to stick around for prohibition. He packed up shop and returned to London, where he was picked up by London’s most famous (to this day) hotel: The Savoy.
The Savoy is located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London. It was built by impresario (similar to a producer nowadays) Richard D’Oyly Carte with profits from his opera endeavors. The hotel was the first of its kind when it opened in 1889, flaunting many up-and-coming innovations like electric lights, elevators, and hot water, among other things. In the 1920s, Carte insisted on continuing to lead the race for modernization by adding air conditioning, telephones in every room, sound-proofed windows, and 24-hour room service. The reputation was that of elegance, luxury, and gourmet dining. The champagne flowed at The Savoy when New York shuttered its bars.
Enter our hero Harry Craddock, he’s already invented the Old Fashioned. It’s 1923, and with his help as head bartender, The Savoy Hotel’s American Bar will become the first in London to serve cocktails. The stories that the bar could tell must be remarkable indeed!
The Savoy Cocktail Book was designed by Gilbert Rumbold, whose biographical details are complicated to come by (feel free to comment if you have any references!). However, in 1930, he partnered with Craddock to create the beautiful art nouveau-styled collection of hundreds of cocktail recipes (and some brief sections on wines).
The timing was perfect, as Hollywood had used prohibition as inspiration for many films that glamorized the cocktail. This popularization of cocktails was due to the lack of beer and wine during U.S. Prohibition. The illustrations reflect the times at the hotel, a Wodehousian fantasy of the upper-class imbibing while attended by chauffeurs, slender women in furs, and an abundance of ads for Booth’s gin (likely a patron of the project). The book has one of my favorite covers, with bold lines and a gilt lightning bolt of liquor charging down the frame of a green silhouette.
The Savoy Cocktail Book wasn't just a book of recipes. It chronicled the many famous characters Craddock encountered as a bartender at the Savoy. Craddock was also one of the founders of the United Kingdom Bartenders Guild, which established industry standards for drinks and service that elevated the profession high above that of the Western saloon. Craddock would go on to invent several other cocktails, notably the “White Lady,” but his legacy was mostly forgotten, and after his death in 1963, he was buried in a pauper’s grave.
So, this holiday season, why not grab a copy of The Savoy Cocktail Book and raise a glass to one of the pioneers of the hospitality industry? Check out the photo I took of the first edition. It came to me to catalog while working for Tavistock Books in Alameda, California. However, if you can’t afford the five to ten thousand dollar price tag for the fine first edition, you can still snag a later edition/printing online (the cheapest I found with the famous cover design retailed for around $395). I can’t wait to mix up one of Craddock's concoctions this New Year's Eve. Cheers!
(Enjoy some photos I took from cataloging this beautiful book. I worked on the first edition, inscribed by Craddock himself!)
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