FIRST ‘CORONATION’ EDITION OF CAFÉ ROYAL COCKTAIL BOOK WITH RARE ALEX JARDINE VARIANT DUST JACKET TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER AT KEYS
A 1937 first ‘Coronation’ edition of the Café Royal Cocktail Book, featuring a rare variant dust jacket featuring a classic design by Alex Jardine is set to go under the hammer in Keys Auctioneers and Valuers two day August Books & Ephemera Sale.
The book contains a huge collection of cocktail recipes compiled by William J Tarling, who was head bartender at the Café Royal, and president of the then recently-formed United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild.
Considered both at the time and in later years as an essential guide to cocktails, the book contains some of the earliest recipes using tequila and vodka. It was illustrated by Frederic Carter. The book had only one printing, although a facsimile edition was released in 2008.
The Café Royal, in London’s Regent Street, was founded in 1865 by French wine merchant Daniel Nicholas Thévenon (who anglicised his name to Daniel Nichols). Closed for renovation 2008, it reopened as a five star hotel in 2012.
The book has a pre-sale estimate of £500-£600. Keys’ two day Books & Ephemera Sale takes place online at bid.keysauctions.co.uk on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th August.