Curious Facts

Everything below is in the book — each one links straight to the page it comes from.

1. The poker advice is deliberately terrible. From Gratuitous Advice: "When you unexpectedly pick up three aces look intensely indifferent and hum a popular air." Also: "Never play with friends." Read it in the book →
2. The title page is a cast list. Rules of poker BY THE BANKER, recipes BY MANY FRIENDS, toasts FROM EVERYWHERE, mixed drinks BY THE BAR-FAN — a gift book crediting its saloon. Read it in the book →
3. A toast hides among the cocktails. After the Manhattan recipe: "Here's to woman, the cherry in the cocktail of life." Read it in the book →
4. The 1907 Dry Martini is on record. Two dashes orange bitters, one dash Curaçao, one-third jigger French Vermouth, two-thirds jigger dry gin — a martini from before the martini went dry and plain. Read it in the book →
5. Regent's Punch starts with a quarter pound of tea. Stansberry's recipe steeps fine green tea in cold water for six hours before the punch bowl ever sees fruit — tea as the backbone of a Gilded Age punch. Read it in the book →
6. High-ball ice is measured in eggs. "Place a piece of clear ice size of an egg in a high-ball glass" — the egg being the standard unit of pre-refrigeration bartending. Read it in the book →
7. Lobster Newburg attends the card party. A cup and a half of boiled lobster, yolks, cream and half a cup of sherry — chafing-dish grandeur filed between poker rules and cigars. Read it in the book →
8. One punch promises delusions of the presidency. Taken in reasonable moderation, "the humble gentleman is transformed into a financial giant… it even inspires aspirations for presidential honors." The recipe starts with a gallon of Catawba wine. Read it in the book →
9. The sandwich chapter allows shortcuts. No cooking facilities? "Potted game, chicken or ham, of the best makes, may be satisfactorily used" — with catsup, horseradish, mustard, pimolas and paprika standing by. Read it in the book →