Harry Schraemli
There was one man who worked tirelessly to bring American cocktail culture to Switzerland, Harry Schraemli.
With a long career in the hospitality industry (at 26 he was the youngest hotel manager of his time), he also wrote passionately about food and drink. Most notable is his Das Grosse Lehrbuch der Bar (“The Big Bar Manual”) first published in the 1940s, which became the standard book for Swiss hospitality students learning mixology and bartending.
In the book, Schraemli lays out everything you need for the smooth handling of a bar—an inventory of correct glasses, suggestions for modest food offerings, what to look for in barmen and barmaids, how to stock a wine cellar, a selection of toasts in English, descriptions of pretty much every bottled drink that existed at the time, and recipes for all standard cocktails, plus a few of his own creations.
