Back in December, here on this site, I first learned, from Martin, about Julian Anderson, a bartender who worked at The Montana Club in Helena, Montana, and only the second Black bartender to author a cocktail book, “Julian’s Recipes,” in 1919. I’ve been digging ever since, and the result is this article for Punch.
A few things that didn’t make it into the article: Anderson’s wise observations about how people used to drink before Prohibition, and how they did afterwards; the fact that Julian’s son, Harry, burned down the Montana club in 1903 and the club still retained Anderson as bartender (by all accounted he was much treasured by the club members); and that Anderson was mysteriously shot by an unknown assailant in 1920, but survived and went back to work soon after.
Prohibition went into effect in Montana early, in 1918. Sill, Anderson’s book came out in 1919, before national Prohibition. I wonder, does this make “Julian’s Recipes” the last cocktail book by an American bartender published before Prohibition?
The club, fyi, still stands. But it became a co-op in 1918. There’s still a restaurant and bar inside, but you can go in. And the rathskeller and banquet hall are the same as they were in 1903 and are available for rental.