Author: Tarling, William J
Title: Cafe Royal Cocktail Book (Association Copy)
Description: Pall Mall Ltd. (ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION), 1937. Hardcover. Coronation edition 1937. This copy belonged to AJ Arnold, a junior barman at the American Bar in the Cafe Royal in 1940. The head barman at the time was the author Tarling. With associated ephemera as listed below. Blue gilt boards; not paginated; line drawings/cartoons. This was the first public presentation of the incredible work of the UKBG, the United Kingdom Bartenders' Guild. This group invented some of the most tasty & innovative cocktail recipes ever known, and most of them have never been produced in the Western Hemisphere. This group set the pace for European cocktail bartending during American Prohibition, giving the expat Yank a home (or at least a libation) away from home. This rare and excellent 1937 tome (Internet Cocktail Database) Section one covers cocktails and takes up the bulk of the book (more than 200 pages). Section Two: Other Drinks. Section Three: Index to names of cocktails whose vast number [more than 2000] prevents inclusion of recipes in this book. Section Four: Glossary. Readers are advised that the recipe for any cocktail listed in part three can be obtained from The United Kingdom Bartenders Guild 1/- per recipe. Together with ephemera including a correspondence between Arnold and the General Manager of the Cafe Royal in 1998, Paul Bigwood. Comprising 1) A handwritten 4 page draft of a letter sent by Arnold to Bigwood offering the book to the Hotel for their archives. He records that he purchased the book when joining the staff of the Cafe Royal as a junior member of the American Cocktail Bar in 1940.The head barman at that time was Bill Tarling (the author of the book) and he records the names and fates of the four other bartenders, including himself. Anecdotes include Arnold spilling a cocktail whilst shaking it and drenching Augustus John; . the sad fate of two of his fellow barmen; the bar was always packed to capacity; he started work at 9am and caught the last tube train home. and enjoyed every minute, several interesting anecdotes of the clientelle and he records that the whole bar team were sacked when a new General Manager was appointed. 2 ) A reply from Bigwood offering to accept the book and compensate with £30. 3) A photocopy of a handwritten reply from Arnold to Bigwood. reflecting that he was selling his birthright and he wishes to recind the offer of donation 4) Acknowledgement from the General Manager's PA in returning the book to Arnold 5) A newspaper cutting about the Cafe Royal on closure in 1998 .The book is without d/w and has been well used - as one would expect. The boards are worn and the gilt faded. Gutters cracked but the book remains tight and complete - though two corners on early leaves have been torn away (2cmx1cm) but well away from text. There are one or two pencil annotations in the text and a signed recipe on the rear endpapers and a list of cocktails on the rear endpaper. With the associtaed ephemera a unique copy of a rare book. See scans and email for more. . Good

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