#ReadThis #Waldorf=Astoria #TheWaldorfAstoriaBarBook by #FrankCaiafa @HandleBarsNYC
It's Friday, readers!
It's a LONG WEEKEND!
KNOW WHY WE'RE WRITING IN PEACOCK BLUE???
...because we found someone who KNOWS it is Waldorf=Astoria!
If you don't know the equals sign is there, you are seriously misinformed.
We are told we take excellent notes, even when Peachy is imbibing during a review, and it is quite likely she actually had many contents of this book in past years when it was actually possible to go there.
WE LOVED REVIEWING PEACOCK ALLEY, THE BULL AND BEAR AND OSCARS AND ALL THREE WERE PEACHY'S PICKS.
We are extremely upset when a Peachy's Pick closes and when this triple crown closed, we were beyond upset....Sadly, the Waldorf=Astoria now makes us cry our eyes out today and we cannot discuss its demise because we absolutely have nothing nice to say...and you know when we have nothing nice to say, we cannot type.
What does not make us cry our eyes out is the enduring quality of The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, which is a must for your library, your bar and a great gift too. By Frank Caiafa, it is one of the best encyclopedias you will want to read. Who reads encyclopedias? We do, when they are great like this one is. THIS IS COCKTAIL HISTORY. This book has wide appeal.
For everyone that asks what Peachy does with a degree in American History from Boston College, here's your answer. This is a quintessential book on American History: do you know until unfortunate President Obama wouldn't go, all past US Presidents from Hoover on up stayed at the Waldorf=Astoria? We believe there is an underground passage....we would like to see it someday.
It is key to read the entire book when you are NOT drinking so you absorb it and make a game plan.
Did you know about the fish pool? Can you imagine catching your dinner! (p. 10) There are several PEACHY drinks, starting with the Peach Bitters on p. 32, Peach Brandy on p. 49...and obviously, even better than the Peachy parts is the MANHATTAN on p. 222.
Although the content is top-notch, the grammar in this book needs improvement and whomever edited it did Frank a disservice. If we edited it, we would have told him in our proofreading services:
p. 9 no FEWER than 10 bartenders
p.12 FEWER than 2 years
What can we say. Not everyone knows Rennie McQuilkin but we are forever grateful that we do; Chrishaunda do you agree with our corrections? We know bloopers are ingrained in you, too. (and we know you have a good pink bubbly story!)
Finally, a mocktail book might be a good follow up, Frank.
The Waldorf=Astoria Bar Book is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
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Frank Caiafa was the bar manager of the highly celebrated Peacock Alley and La Chine restaurants at The Waldorf Astoria from 2005 until its recent closure. His inventive use of house-made infusions, liqueurs and fresh ingredients was a torchbearer for cocktail culture in NYC. Caiafa’s hospitality consulting and management enterprise, Handle Bars NYC/Global Inc., has been called upon for its expertise in projects both nationally and abroad. His topical writing and personal recipes have been published in the New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, and Time Out New York, among other publications.
