I found my White Whale… now what?
1940s – 1990s (a guess) Pre-internet out of print Las Vegas bartender book with endless drink variants.
It’s unreal, it’s as good as I remember, and can I republish a book lost to time for no profit?
A few pages of photos to show variant cocktails, etc. I just cannot imagine how long this guy worked, cribbed notes on shift, learned from *his old timers*. I mean this has to go back to post WW2 1940s?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5ta2NHJvZdnxfdwP7
So the original thread was here, and sorta the start of my journey:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bartenders/comments/miofde/my_white_whale_the_unofficial_las_vegas/
I found my old pal, he’s “just” a golf pro now and not barkeeping, but had the book. He sent it to me to reprint and rebind for him, and I can do what I want with it. I think it’s probably updated til 1990-1995 or so? It’s a total guess, tho. It would be fun to brainstorm all the 2000-2020 new cocktails vs classic reboots or modern variations.
The search terms of the book name: “The Drinks of Las Vegas and the USA”, the business: “Bartender Plus”, the “send a SASE” Vegas address, or original seller’s name “Joseph Cassaro” [edit: this is the address, not a name. I realize the only name is “Bartender Plus”] appear nowhere online (in reference to Vegas bartending). However, whenever this was printed might have 70 years longer in rights to the author or family. There’s a few pages missing at the front, the binding is brittle to totally broken, but it’s in great shape. This was a labor of love from an old timer… it’s margins and type is definitely a typewriter.
I’ve ZERO desire to profit vs getting “old timer experience” out in the post-internet age. Amazing this doesn’t exist anywhere. I assume I could reprint and rebind at *my cost*, not sell for a profit but for my cost at no profit? Or just digitize and send out to the world?
And factually, I don’t even know if bartending is at this point anymore… needing to know everything vs your signature cocktail or classics, etc. I know some would think this is absurd, and unnecessary. I just think it’s really really really cool, and I am really excited. If not functional, at least a history lesson of ephemera and experience to revel in. =)
But I am not sure what’s next?
