Jerry’s Kids: The Life, Drinks, and Legacy of Professor Jerry Thomas

Posted on June 2, 2008
Filed Under Erik Ellestad | 1 Comment

This is the first post by Erik Ellestad, a San Francisco based cocktail enthusiast. He publishes the food and drink blog, The Underhill-Lounge.

It’s hard to know exactly where to start when discussing the gentlemen who will be speaking on the panel titled, “Jerry’s Kids: The Life, Drinks and Legacy of Professor Jerry Thomas .”

Starting alphabetically, with Ted Haigh, whose book “Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails” jump started a lot of folks interest in classic cocktails, continuing with Brian Rea who has worked for 60 years in the bar industry at such places as the “21″ and “400″ clubs in New York and is currently developing the Barchives Library, and finally concluding with David Wondrich whose books include “Esquire Drinks”, “Killer Cocktails”, and most recently the astounding, “Imbibe!”.

But, really, the name that looms largest of all is that of the legendary Jerry Thomas, himself.

Re-reading Dale DeGroff’s introduction to “Imbibe!” Dave’s book about Jerry Thomas’ life and drinks, it seems like in many ways the current renaissance of using fresh ingredients and juices can almost be entirely attributed to Jerry Thomas’ influence.

As Dale tells it, in 1985 he was asked by a restauranteur to create a “classic bar” at restaurant Aurora. The book the restauranteur hoped Dale would base this classic bar on was none other than Jerry Thomas’ “How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon Vivant’s Companion”. After succeeding at Aurora, Dale carried those practices forward to his tenure at the Rainbow Room where he would influence a whole new generation of young bartenders and bar goers with these ideas.

But, as during his life, Jerry Thomas’ star has risen and fallen as fashion in bartending and drinks have changed.

From the 1940s to the 1960s “Dry” was the word. The Dry Gin or Vodka Martini was the drink of sophisticates and Jerry Thomas’ exotic creations using Fruit Juice and other elaborate components were looked down upon as either childish or garish.

One of the more fascinating articles I’ve run across is this San Francisco Chronicle column written on the 100^th Anniversary of the publication of Jerry Thomas’ Book.

THE MAN WHO RUINED BOOZING, Charles McCabe, Nov. 21, 1962.

Containing scorching passages like, “He was the most famous bartender in America, but he knew nothing about the pleasures of alcohol. As Don Juan almost certainly knew nothing about the pleasures of love.” And “He did to booze what today’s hairdressers do to the beauty of women, most of whom now look as if they are wearing something to conceal a brain tumor.” The column is an interesting look into the attitudes of certain drinkers of that time.

Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy the odd exotic creation or bowl of punch, attitudes have changed, to a certain extent, in recent years. Thanks to the ongoing cocktail renaissance in America, spearheaded by bar professionals and writers, “Martinez” is no longer a dirty word and Jerry Thomas has regained much of his rightful stature as the “Jupiter Olympus of the Bar”.

Jerry’s Kids: The Life, Drinks and Legacy of Professor Jerry Thomas takes place Friday, July 18th, from 10:30 AM until 12:00 PM. Tickets may be purchased here.