The Artistry of Mixing Drinks (1934): By Frank Meier, Ritz Bar, Paris;1934 Reprint, Hardcover

Vintage cocktail recipes for the modern bartending enthusiast

Compiled by the mysterious and mightily talented Frank Meier, who could be found behind the bar at the Paris Ritz in his trademark white jacket from 1921 to 1947, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks is a one-of-a-kind drink book. Nearly as famous for his sharp wit as he was for his delicious and well-balanced cocktails, Meier honed his skills working for Harry Craddock in New York before moving to the Paris Ritz where he mixed drinks for such icons as Franklin Roosevelt, Noel Coward, Hemingway, and Cole Porter.

Filled with decades of hard-earned mixological wisdom, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks reflects the seriousness with which Frank Meier executed his craft. It contains over 300 cocktail and mixed drink recipes, many of which were concocted by the author himself, as well as a chapter with sandwich recipes (and drink pairings), a chapter on wines and how to serve them, useful measurement conversion charts, and a chapter on how to properly clean and maintain bar supplies.

In Meier's own words, to be a bartender is to be "a chemist, a physiologist, and a psychologist" all at once. To this end, he addresses several topics of interest to any respectable, globe-trotting polymath. These areas include prescriptions for illnesses, first aid instructions in case of drowning, sunstroke, poisonous snake bites, and other calamities; wind pressure charts; basic physics and geometry formulas; and a brief history of horse racing.

A truly comprehensive guide for the sophisticated drinker, this high-quality reprint of The Artistry of Mixing Drinks is a refreshing dose of Golden-age wisdom for the modern cocktail lover.