The Home Bartender’s Guide and Song Book

During Prohibition in the United States, many cocktail books were published—private ownership of alcohol and drinking it at home with family and friends were not prohibited. Against this backdrop, "The Home Bartender's Guide and Song Book" stands out for its humor and creative approach. Authors present themselves as reckless drunks who know hundreds of types of drinks, from bar classics to oddities like the Baby Fingers and the Tom and Jerry.
In some ways, the book is an educational stand-up comedy about drinking and the mischief that ensues. Readers are encouraged not only to drink but also to sing drinking songs, the lyrics to which are included. They are also encouraged to giggle at the amusing illustrations, some of which, admittedly, haven't stood the test of time. However, in 1930, the public was unlikely to be bothered by the image of a black waiter with calloused hands running away from a frying pan flying after him.