Cocktails, by "Jimmy" Late of Ciro's London.
Philadelphia: David McKay Company, [1930].
Small octavo (17 x 12 cm.), 96 pages. FIRST EDITION, simultaneous with a Montreal Printing by the American News Co. A handsomely designed bar manual. The identity of "Jimmy" remains elusive, but some have suggested he may be Jimmy Charters, of Deauville and Monte Carlo, but the trail runs cold quickly. Ciro's London, not to be confused with the Hollywood Ciro's, was one of London's great society club/restaurants, with tycoons and celebrities in the audience and a non-stop floor show and dancing until dawn. During the early years of the Great War, the American Bar there was presided over by the same Harry who went on to fame with Harry's Bar in Paris. This little book is straightforward, a short preface and then an alphabetical presentation of cocktail recipes. The Pegu Club makes an early appearance here, and I've become partial to the Isle of Pines (rum, grapefruit juice, sugar to taste). Internally clean and sound; some light erasure shadow to front endpaper. Gilt-titled and decorated on textured black cloth over yellow cloth, titled in black on the spine. Spine lightly soiled, otherwise fine. Lacking the scarce dust jacket. [OCLC locates twelve copies of this printing, and just one of the Montreal printing].
Price: $250.00