Drink To That

The Cocktail Grifter's Ascent To The Mount Olympus Of Bars

William T. Boothby, nicknamed “Cocktail” Boothby, rose from a colorful early career to dominate San Francisco’s bar scene in the late 1800s and authored the seminal guide ‘Cocktail Boothby’s American Bartender’ in 1891. His flamboyant self‑promotion and political connections helped him secure high‑profile posts, culminating in his stewardship of the Palace Hotel’s Pied Piper bar. After the 1906 earthquake destroyed his original plates, Boothby issued revised editions that preserved many classic recipes. He kept serving alcohol through Prohibition until his 1922 arrest, and his 1930 funeral attracted over a hundred bartender peers.