Art of Cocktails : By the Legendary Bartender at the Ritz

This volume is the ultimate bartender’s manual—a delightful concoction of vintage cocktails with Art Deco style and glamour.

Originally self-published in 1936 and offered only to a select group of Meier’s friends and favorite guests, this edition is enhanced by stylish, vintage-inspired illustrations.

With over 300 recipes, this is Meier’s personal mixology bible. While all the classics are here, it includes many of Meier’s own creations such as the Bees Knees (a gin sour where honey replaces simple syrup) and the Seapea Fizz (created for Cole Porter, whose initials provided its name).

Also included are all manner of libations—sours, toddies, flips, egg nogs, slings, fizzes, coolers, rickeys, juleps, punches, and some nonalcoholic drinks—as well as extensive coverage of wines, eaux de vies, and even stylish sandwiches. Laced throughout are Meier’s wit and wisdom, life lessons, etiquette, and invaluable advice on a range of topics from horseracing to how to help with a snakebite.

A fixture of Parisian nightlife, Meier was especially popular with US expats and visitors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Noël Coward, and Cole Porter. He even served passionate martini aficionado Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Frank Meier honed his craft in New York before fleeing Prohibition to tend bar at the Ritz Paris in 1921 until his death in 1947. Along the way, he became a celebrated icon living by the motto “to be a barman is to be a chemist and a psychologist.” Philippe Collin is a journalist, historian, and the author of France Inter’s successful historical podcasts. Delius is a French cartoonist in the ligne claire style and an enthusiast of Streamline Moderne and Bauhaus design.