First published 150 years ago, Jerry Thomas's Original Cocktail Guide marks the first time today's classics were set down in print. From old standards to mixes invented by Thomas himself (including Thomas's signature drink, the Blue Blazer, which involves lighting whiskey and passing it back and forth between two mixing glasses, creating an arc of flame), the book contains guides for mixing drinks of all categories - including sours, fizzes and highballs. Along with instructions on using various bartending tools, from jiggers to ponies and beyond and a glossary to help all bon vivants remember their demijohns from their drachms, this is a nostalgic and delicious homage to a drinking era that is gone but not forgotten.