After he anointed himself the definitive expert in American bar tending, he appointed himself as a California Congressman by convincing local bar and brothel owners to allow him to run unopposed. After winning a one-dog race, he would refer to himself as “The Honorable William T. Boothby” for the rest of his life. During Prohibition, he was busted for operating a speakeasy and retired from the industry.
When he died in 1930, just three years before the repeal of Prohibition, his funeral attracted hundreds of his fellow bartenders, many of which were shaped by his embodiment of the showman and knowledge passed along multiple editions of his book.
Recipe
You Will Need:
2 oz Cleveland Underground Black Cherry Wood Finished Rye Whiskey
1 oz Noilly Pratt Amber Vermouth*
2 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters**
2 Dashes Full Measure Aromatic Bitters **
1/2 oz Brut Champagne***
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Directions:
- Fill a coupe glass with ice and top with water. Set aside to chill
- Fill a mixing tin with ice and add the Black Cherry Wood Finished Rye Whiskey, Vermouth, and bitters.
- Stir to serving temperature
- Discard the ice water from the glass and strain the cocktail into it.
- Slowly top with the champagne
- Garnish with cherry