Jerry Thomas (bartender)

Jerry Thomas
Thomas mixing his signature drink: The Blue Blazer
Born	October 30, 1830 Sackets Harbor, New York, USA
Died	December 15, 1885 New York City, New York, USA
Occupation	bartender

Jeremiah (Jerry) P. Thomas (October 30, 1830 – December 15, 1885) was an American bartender who owned and operated saloons in New York City. Because of his pioneering work in popularizing cocktails across the United States as well, he is considered "the father of American mixology." In addition to writing the work on cocktails, Thomas displayed creativity and showmanship while preparing drinks and established the image of the bartender as a creative professional. As such, he was often nicknamed "Professor" Jerry Thomas.

Thomas was born about 1830 in Sackets Harbor, New York. (His 1885 obituary in the New York Times said 1832.) As a young man, he learned bartending in New Haven, Connecticut before sailing for California during its mid-19th century Gold Rush. While in California, Thomas worked as a bartender, gold prospector and minstrel show manager. According to his 1885 obituary, he was left some money by his father, which helped in these travels.

Thomas moved back to the East Coast in 1851, settling in New York City. He opened a saloon below Barnum's American Museum; it would be the first of four saloons he would run in New York City over his lifetime. After running this first bar, Thomas went on the road for several years, working as the head bartender at hotels and saloons in St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California; Charleston, South Carolina; and New Orleans, Louisiana. At one point he toured Europe, carrying along a set of solid-silver bar tools. He was well known for his showmanship as a bartender: he developed elaborate and flashy techniques of mixing cocktails, sometimes while juggling bottles, cups and mixers. He often wore flashy jewelry and had his bar tools and cups embellished with precious stones and metals. At the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, Thomas was earning $100 a week—more than the Vice President of the United States.