THE DICTIONARY DEFINES a bartender as a person who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar.  The word was first used in America sometime during the 1830’s.  When we think of bartenders, we envision characters played by Nicholas Colasanto,Ted Lange, Woody Harrelson, and Bryan Brown.  Some of us even have a favorite real life bartender whose image comes to mind when you hear the word bartender, but who is the bartender who influenced these fictional and non-fictional bartenders?  His name is Jeremiah P. Thomas.

Jeremiah P. Thomas was born on December 15, 1830 in Sackets Harbor, New York and he is considered by most to be the Father of American Mixology.  He learned his craft in New Haven, Connecticut as a 16 year-old apprentice in 1846.  He then sailed to California as a merchant marine during the Gold Rush.  While in California, he developed his skills as a bartender and bar manager before moving to New York City in 1851.  During this time, he opened the first of four saloons that he’d run in New York during his life.  He also worked as head bartender at hotels and saloons in New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Charleston, and San Francisco.  He even traveled to Europe.

Jerry, or The Professor, as he was known, was well known for his showmanship.  He owned a set of solid-silver bar tools which he used to develop elaborate and flashy techniques for mixing cocktails.  Sometimes, he was known to juggle bottles, cups, glasses, and mixing containers.  He wore flashy jewelry and had his cups and bar tools embellished with precious stones and metals.  While working at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, Jerry earned $100 per week.  At the time, this was more than what was earned by the Vice President of the United States.

Recently, I mentioned Jerry’s book, The Bar-Tender’s Guide, in a post.  This is the first bartending book ever published in the United States.  It was a collection of recipes that had been, until the time of publication, passed on orally.  The book also included original recipes and it discussed the principles for fabricating cocktails in all categories.

As I mentioned earlier, Jerry was known for his flare.  His signature drink, the Blue Blazer, was developed while working at the El Dorado saloon in San Francisco.  It is made by setting whisky ablaze and passing it back and forth between two mixing glasses, creating an arc of flame.  I’d love to do this at a bar, but sadly, it’s illegal to set drinks ablaze in bars in Virginia.  Among Jerry’s other creations was a drink called the Martinez, which first appeared in the 1887 edition of his famous book.  Many mistakenly refer to this drink as the precursor to what we know as the modern martini.  The 1887 edition lists the ingredients as Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, a dash of maraschino, bitters, a slice of lemon and two dashes of gum syrup.  Clearly, this is closer to a manhattan than a martini, since a martini has gin and dry vermouth garnished with an olive.

What is most remarkable about Mr. Thomas is that his life spanned the three great ages of cocktails: the archaic, the baroque, and the classic.  He was born in 1830 when Americans were enjoying punches, toddies and slings.  During his prime as a bartender, he was in the middle of the period when bartenders used an incomprehensible array of ingredients and styles to make drinks.  At the time of his death he was witness to the introduction of modern cocktails such as the martini and the manhattan.

In addition to being the father of bartending, Jerry was a husband, a father, a traveler, a gambler, a prize-fight fan, and an art collector.  He was one of the first to display the work of Thomas Nast in his saloon.  For the Thomas Nast impaired, Nast was a caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who is considered to be the Father of the American Cartoon.  Sadly, his famous drawing of Jerry Thomas in nine tippling postures colossally has been lost.

In 1885, Jerry Thomas died from what was described at the time as apoplexy.  He was 55 years old.  By then, he was pretty well known around the country.  This was evidenced by the striking number of obituaries that appeared in newspapers from New York to San Francisco.  The New York Times noted that Thomas was at one time better known to club men and men about town than any other bartender in this city, and he was popular among all classes.  That says it all.

So, there you have it — Jeremiah P. Thomas, shaken and stirred.  Keep in mind that the person you just read about died nearly 125 years ago, yet his influence can still be seen today.  Any bartender who flips bottles, sets drinks ablaze, or makes fancy drinks is emulating the style of a man who was born when Andrew Jackson was president.  He was admired and respected by everyone and he changed the way we chronicle, categorize, and create drinks.  So, the next time you’re in a bar and you hear a bartender talking about his latest creation, ask him if he’s heard of Jerry Thomas.  He most likely hasn’t, but now you have the ability to enlighten him.  As always, when drinking concoctions from the 1887 edition of The Bar-Tender’s Guide or any other bar manual, please drink responsibly!!!