Who is Willard?

[ThinkingBartender]

Does anyone know any details of who exactly Willard was? Or if he published a book on drinks or cocktails?

Travels in North America, by Charles Augustus Murray, 1839

"...the immortal Willard (who kept the bar of the City-hotel in New York for many years) was allowed to be the first master of this art in the known world. The name of this remarkable personage is familiar to every American, and to every foreigner who has visited the States during the thirty years; I have heard many calculations of the number of mint juleps that he has been known to compound in one day, and of the immense profits resulting to the hotel from his celebrity; but not having written them down at the moment, I will not venture on a vague statement here. His memory was yet more surprising than his skill at concoction; of the hundreds and thousands who went in to enjoy practical demonstration of the latter, he never forgot a face, or a name if once mentioned; even although the individual were absent for years, he could at once address him as though he had been introduced but yesterday."

Recollections of a Lifetime, by Samuel Griswold Goodrich, 1856

My lodgings were at the City Hotel, situated on the western side of Broadway, between Thames and Cedar streets - the space being now occupied by warehouses. It was then the Astor House of New York, being kept by a model landlord, whose name was Jennings, with a model barkeeper by the name of Willard. The latter was said never to sleep - night ot day - for at all hours he was at his post, and never forgot a customer, even after an absence of twenty years.

Webtender Wiki entry on Willard

Cheers!

George

Edited January 26, 2007 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[dietsch]

This doesn't directly answer either of your questions, but it's a nifty little passage that tells you a bit more about the history of the hotel and its proprietors, and it doesn't appear to be cited in that wiki:

9.  THE  CITY  HOTEL

      Until the opening of the Astor House in 1836, the City Hotel was the most famous in the city; and it did not lose its prestige entirely until 1850, when it was torn down and replaced by a block of stores. In 1828, the building with lots, taking up the whole block between Thames and Liberty streets, was sold at public auction for $123,000; in 1833 it was damaged by fire. The hotel was famous not only for its excellent fare and service, but more especially for the banquets that were held there and for the distinguished men who were entertained. During the War of 1812, on the twenty-sixth of December of that year, a great banquet, at which five hundred gentlemen sat down, was given to the victorious naval commanders, Decatur, Hull, and Jones. Later, others were similarly honored. On May 30, 1832, upon Irving's return from abroad, he was tendered a banquet with Philip Hone in the chair. The latter describes it as "a regular Knickerbocker affair."  On February 18, 1842, during the first visit of Charles Dickens to this country he was entertained at dinner at the City Hotel, with Washington Irving in the chair as toastmaster. There were no clubs in those early days; but the leading hotels, the City and Washington Hall, had their own coteries of evening visitors who gathered for social intercourse and for discussion of affairs in which they were interested. On June 17, 1836 Colonel "Nick" Saltus as president formed the Union Club, the first organization of its kind in the city, and quarters were engaged at 343 Broadway as a club-house, which was opened June 1, 1837. The Boreel building occupies the site of the old hotel at 115 Broadway, and upon its front an appropriate tablet has been placed by the Holland Society.

      The City Hotel was conducted by Willard and Jennings, the former of whom was the general factotum of the establishment, while the latter looked after the provender and liquid refreshments, these latter being of incomparable quality and so famous that when the hotel was dismantled the bottles remaining in the cellar were sold at fabulous prices. Willard was never seen anywhere except in the hotel; he was a man of cheerful disposition and indefatigable energy and was possessed of so wonderful a memory that he remembered every traveller who had ever stopped at the hotel; and if the same guest were to visit the hotel again, Willard could at once greet him by name, tell where he was from, his business, and the room he had occupied. There is a well authenticated anecdote that when Billy Niblo moved from Pine Street and opened his suburban "Garden" many of his old customers were invited to be present at the opening. Willard neither accepted nor declined the invitation; and on the appointed evening a number of the bon vivants of the town waited upon him to escort him to Niblo's. After bustling about and looking into all sorts of places for a while, he announced to his friends that he could not accompany them as he had no hat, and that some one had taken an old beaver which had been lying about for years and which he claimed was his. A hat was procured from Charles St. John, the celebrated hatter, whose place was directly opposite, and the party sallied forth with the best-known man in the city, who, strange to relate, would have been compelled to ask his way if he had gone more than a block from the City Hotel.

Here's the source for that passage.

Finally, some illustrations of City Hotel and its environs:

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/oldnewyork/Icons/boy20.jpg

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/oldnewyork/Icons/boy20a.jpg

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/oldnewyork/Icons/boy21.jpg

[Splificator]

Along with Cato Alexander, Mr. Willard--aka "the Napoleon of the Bar" was America's first celebrity bartender. He's featured prominently in my forthcoming book, so I won't say more. But he rocked.

[ThinkingBartender]

Along with Cato Alexander, Mr. Willard--aka "the Napoleon of the Bar" was America's first celebrity bartender. He's featured prominently in my forthcoming book, so I won't say more. But he rocked.

←

Dave: I hope you have Willard's christian name in that book of yours.

As the City Hotel was pulled down in 1850, and a person by the name of Henry Willard opened a Willard's Hotel in Washington around that time, I am thinking that possibly maybe it is the same Willard. Then Willard's Hotels started popping up in a few different cities, surmised from further trawlings for information. An interesting fact is that the founder of Marriot Hotels was a J. Willard- Marriot. Hmmm. Connection? Hmmm.

Whats the title of your forthcoming book then David?

Cheers!

George

[ThinkingBartender]

Along with Cato Alexander, Mr. Willard--aka "the Napoleon of the Bar" was America's first celebrity bartender. He's featured prominently in my forthcoming book, so I won't say more. But he rocked.

←

David,

Is Cato Alexander detailed in your book David?

And in this same forthcoming best-seller, is there any mention of the bartenders of Boston, and what they were up to in the mid-1800s? A much circulated bar card from a saloon in Boston makes me salivate in a way that Jerry Thomas' bare bones recipes do not.

Do bar books/ manuals etc, that were never published in their own right ever come to the surface? For example, a distant relative looks through some old things and found Great-great-great-grand-pappy's secret cocktail journal.

Cheers!

George

[ThinkingBartender]

Michael,

Thanks for the City Hotel excerpt, that is a good story about Willard.

Cheers!

George

[Splificator]

The Willard of the City Hotel and the Willard of the Willard Hotel were two different people, although some sources say that they were related.

The name of the book is "Imbibe!" (like the magazine, but with a lengthy subtitle) and it's due in the fall. All will be revealed then.

Ok, maybe not all, but as much as I've been able to squeeze between the covers of a book. Plus recipes.

[JerseyRED]

The name of the book is "Imbibe!" (like the magazine, but with a lengthy subtitle) and it's due in the fall.

←

Just in time for Christmas!

I'm looking forward to it.

Rich

[ThinkingBartender]

Is it just me, or are there more references to Willard than there are to Jerry Thomas, in old books? Jerry Thomas hardly musters up any historical references of note, yet Willard, without publishing a single book, and being referred to as the first master of the Mint Julep is all but forgotten. This is tragic, I look forward to David's newest book (I may even buy it!-)

I have a theory on Willard's phenomenal memory, is it possible that Willard made use of a detailed book entry system of hotel guests, and when repeat clients arrived, a quick look through the records would allow Willard to see what room they stayed in, topics of interest etc.

A hotel and a restaurant, where I worked, both used to keep records of clients, so they would feel like they were more than just another guest, fooling them into believing that the hotel actually remembered them 5 years ago (even if most of the staff had moved on).

Cheers!

George