| Jerry Thomas | |
 Thomas mixing his signature drink: The Blue Blazer
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| Born | 1830 Sackets Harbor, New York, USA |
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| Died | December 15, 1885 New York City, New York, USA |
| Occupation | bartender |
Jeremiah (Jerry) P. Sackets Harbor is a Village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A bartender ( barman, barkeeper, barmaid, mixologist, tapster among other names serves Beverages Thomas (1830 – December 15, 1885) was an American bartender; because of his pioneering work in popularizing cocktails across the United States, he is considered "the father of American mixology. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A bartender ( barman, barkeeper, barmaid, mixologist, tapster among other names serves Beverages A cocktail is a style of Mixed drink. Originally a mixture of distilled spirits, Sugar, Water, and Bitters, the word has gradually "[1] In addition to writing the seminal work on cocktails, his creativity and showmanship established the image of the bartender as a creative professional. [2] As such, he was often nicknamed "Professor" Jerry Thomas.
Thomas was born in 1830 in Sackets Harbor, New York. Sackets Harbor is a Village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. [2] He learned bartending in New Haven, Connecticut before sailing for California during its mid-1800s Gold Rush. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California [3] While in California he worked as a bartender, gold prospector and minstrel show manager. Gold prospecting is the act of going equipped to find Gold in rocks or in stream beds with a view to exploiting that discovery The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits variety acts dancing, and Music, [2] He moved back to New York City in 1851, where he opened a saloon below Barnum's American Museum; it would be the first of four saloons he would run in New York City over his lifetime. The City of New York Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street in New York City from 1841 to 1865 After a time running his first bar he went on the road for several years, working as the head bartender at hotels and saloons in St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Illinois, San Francisco, California, Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana At one point he toured Europe, carrying along a set of solid-silver bar tools. Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen [3] He was well known for his showmanship as a bartender: he developed elaborate and flashy techniques of mixing cocktails, sometimes while juggling bottles, cups and mixers. He often wore flashy jewelry and had bar tools and cups embellished with precious stones and metals. At the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, Thomas was earning $100 a week—more than the Vice President of the United States. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death [2]
In 1862 Thomas finished The Bar-Tender’s Guide (alternately titled How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion), the first drink book ever published in the United States. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday The book collected and codified what was then an oral tradition of recipes from the early days of cocktails, including some of his own creations; the guide laid down the principles for formulating mixed drinks of all categories. He would update it several times in his lifetime to include new drinks that he found or created. [2][4] The first edition of the guide included the first written recipes of such cocktails as the Brandy Daisy, Fizz, Flip, Sour and variations of the earliest form of mixed drink, Punch. The Brandy Daisy is a Cocktail which first gained popularity in the late 19th century A Fizz is a traditional family of Mixed drinks It is variation on the older Sours family A Flip is a class of Mixed drinks. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the term was first used in 1695 to describe a mixture of beer rum and sugar heated with a red-hot A sour is a traditional family of Mixed drinks. Common examples of sours are the Margarita and the Sidecar. Punch is a general term for any of a wide assortment of Mixed drinks, either soft or alcoholic, generally containing Fruit or fruit juice
Thomas' signature drink, the Blue Blazer, was developed at the El Dorado gambling saloon in San Francisco. For the professional wrestler known as The Blue Blazer see Owen Hart. The drink involves lighting whiskey afire and passing it back and forth between two mixing glasses, creating an arc of flame. [2][5] Thomas continued to develop new drinks throughout his life. [6] His development of the "Martinez", which first appeared in the 1887 edition of his guide, has sometimes been viewed as a precursor to the modern martini (though the two do not share many common traits). The martini is a Cocktail made with Gin and dry white Vermouth or sweet red Vermouth. [2] Thomas claimed to have invented the Tom and Jerry and did much to popularize it in the United States, however the history of the drink predated him. A Tom and Jerry is a traditional Christmas time Cocktail in the United States. [6]
Upon returning to New York City, he became head bartender at the Metropolitan hotel before opening his most famous bar on Broadway, between 21st and 22nd Streets, in 1866. Broadway, as the name implies is a wide avenue in New York City. [3] Thomas was one of the first to display the work of Thomas Nast, and in his famous saloon he hung caricatures of the political and theatrical figures; one notable drawing, now lost, was of Thomas "in nine tippling postures colossally". Thomas Nast ( September 27, 1840 – December 7, 1902) was a famous German-American Caricaturist and Editorial cartoonist A caricature is either a Portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness or in literature a description The saloon also included funhouse mirrors. A house of mirrors or hall of mirrors is a traditional attraction at Funfairs (carnivals and Amusement parks The basic concept behind a house of mirrors This historic bar is currently a Restoration Hardware. Restoration Hardware is an American furniture chain of home furnishings bath fixtures and bathware functional and decorative hardware and related merchandise [2]
Thomas himself was an active man about town. He was a flashy dresser fond of kid gloves and a gold Parisian watch. He enjoyed going to bare-knuckle prize fights, and was an art collector. See also Bare-knuckle for other uses Bare-knuckle boxing (also known as bare-knuckle, prizefighting, or fisticuffs Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, A Museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions Education, Research He enjoyed traveling. By middle age he was married and had two daughters. Always a good sport, he was one of the lighter members of the Fat Men’s Association at 205 pounds. [2] He also had a side interest in gourds; at one point in the late 1870s, Thomas sat as president of The Gourd Club after producing the largest specimen. This article refers to the Dried fruit shell For the alternative country musical group of a similar name see The Gourds. [7]
Towards the end of his life, Thomas tried speculating on Wall Street, but bad judgments rendered him broke. Speculation, in a financial context is making an investment that increases the overall risk in a portfolio Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. He had to sell his successful saloon and auction off his considerable art collection; he tried opening a new bar but was unable to maintain the level of popularity as his more famous location. [6] He died in New York City of apoplexy in 1885 at the age of 55. [3] His death was marked by substantial obituaries across the United States. [2] In their obituary, The New York Times noted Thomas was "at one time better known to club men and men about town than any other bartender in this city, and he was very popular among all classes. "[6]
References
- ^ Pete Wells, Frost on the Sun: Summertime Cocktails, New York Times, June 21, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j William Grimes, The Bartender Who Started It All, New York Times, October 31, 2007.
- ^ a b c d William Grimes, CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Shaken, Stirred or Mixed, The Gilded Age Lives Again, New York Times, March 26, 2003.
- ^ John Hodgman, All Shaken Up, New York Times, October 17, 2004.
- ^ Recipe: Blue Blazer, New York Times, October 31, 2007.
- ^ a b c d IN AND ABOUT THE CITY; A NOTED SALOON KEEPER DEAD., New York Times, December 16, 1885.
- ^ The Gourd Club, New York Times, May 10, 1878.
External link
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Thomas, Jerry |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Father of American Mixology |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1830 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sackets Harbor, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 15, 1885 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New York City, New York |
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