Approved Cocktails

In 1937, William J. Tarling head bartender at the Café Royal in Piccadilly, London, and member of the UKBG's council under president Harry Craddock compiled recipes from London's top bartenders to create the Café Royal Cocktail Book.

The Café Royal Cocktail Book, illustrated and printed in color was an elegant book intended to raise funds for a bartending charity. Approved Cocktails was born at the same time because the UKBG also wanted to create a working book with tightly standardized recipes to be used behind every reputable bar. Their reasons are best presented in the words of legendary restaurateur Giovanni Quaglino who had opened his namesake London restaurant in 1929:

"At first sight this may not appear to be anything out of the ordinary, but when one realizes that at last our Bartenders, who mix the correct recipes, can definitely prove this to any doubting customer, and that the duplication of names can now be avoided by reference to the index, we all ought to be grateful for the removal of two grievances'the doubt as to the correct recipe and the duplication of titles."

This was the first known attempt to standardize formulas and to control the naming of drinks'two issues bartenders still face today.

“ London: Pall Mall, 1937 ”