The Neat History of Mr. Boston’s Little Red Book
To call Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender’s Guide simply a condensed encyclopedia of cocktails it to misunderstand its singular contribution to cocktail culture.
When Irwin “Red” Benjamin and Hyman C. Berkowitz founded the Old Mr. Boston Distillery, they quickly became renowned for selling high-quality cordials and collectable bottles, but arguably their greatest concoction was what was then called The Old Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartender’s Guide.
Published in the early days after the repeal of Prohibition, the tidy red-covered book became the must-have “Cocktail Bible†for bartenders everywhere and the cocktail adventurer in all of us.
The novelty of Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender’s Guide was pooling the expertise of four crusty Boston bartenders for an amalgam of authority on ingredients, spirits, and the proper service of cocktails ensuring each and every recipe was actually bartender-tested, making it an actual “Official†bartender’s guide.
85 years strong, Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide still resides on bars all over the world, offering cocktail recipes, party planning tips, and historical tidbits.
Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide enters the digital age, with more than 10,500 recipes meticulously sourced from 1935 -2012 editions, each representing the evolution of the cocktail and underscoring the legacy of Mr. Boston’s little red book as an indispensable index and preserves the traditions and recipes that forever define cocktail culture.
Understand cocktail creation as inspired by the iconic Mr. Boston Bar Guide with our Cocktail Basics tasting.
Events
🎯Good Times and Goodbyes A House Guest Send-Off Featuring our Dive Ba...
As a part of Tales of the Cocktail... After a week of high-proof hospitality, big reveals, and even bigger nights—Friday at the Sazerac House is all about the soft landings and strong pours. Whether you're catching one last connection or just need to return our extra house key, we’re throwing the kind of farewell party that feels less like a goodbye and more like “when are we doing this again?” Welcome to Good Times & Goodbyes, a come-as-you-are celebration of service-industry soul, New Orleans meets Chicago bar culture, and the divey, delicious end-of-the-week energy that makes you want to move in forever. On the 4th floor - in the cozy, sun-drenched Guest Room - Sazerac teams up with Best Intentions to serve ice-cold cocktails and Benny’s Beef to offer heavenly Chicago Beef. You’ve never been this taken care of at a friend’s house. Until next year… [Click to read more]
Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection Tasting Experience
Step inside one of the Sazerac House’s intimate speakeasies for a rare and immersive tasting experience featuring the Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection, Series 1. This exclusive collection showcases five expressions recreated to reflect the styles of whiskey legally produced during Prohibition, when Buffalo Trace was one of the few distilleries permitted to operate for medicinal purposes. Guided by our expert bourbon stewards, guests will explore the history of the Prohibition era and its impact on American whiskey culture, all while enjoying a curated tasting of the complete series.
Walking with Whiskey
Join our distillery team for an in-depth journey through the whiskey making process. From grain to bottle, you'll walk through the steps of making Sazerac Rye Whiskey and conclude with a Sazerac Rye Cocktail Demo.
Here’s to classic cocktails and those destined to be.
