Some names shape the way an entire industry approaches its past.

David Wondrich is very much one of them: spirits columnist for Esquire for sixteen years, he’s the author of essential books such as Imbibe! - his biography of Jerry Thomas, which helped reignite interest in 19th-century classics - and Punch, to name just two. And here’s some good news for this fall: on Thursday, September 10, he’ll be at Harry's New York Bar in Paris. For this event, all industry professionals and members of the media are invited. (Just say you’re with Jigger Daily 😉)

He’ll be there to launch his latest book, The Great History of Cocktails (Dunod), a comic-book-style journey through five centuries of cocktail history - from the punch bowl to the Dry Martini - illustrated by Dean Kotz and translated into French by François Monti, himself the author of 101 Cocktails and El gran libro del vermut, a definitive book on vermouth.

On the agenda

Starting at 2:30 p.m., David Wondrich, fresh off receiving the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at Tales of the Cocktail, will talk about his work and sign copies of the books available on-site. And if you already have copies of Imbibe! or Punch on your shelf, this is also the perfect time to bring them along for an autograph!

Then, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., David will step behind the bar to mix a few cocktails - including the Sidecar and the White Lady - in partnership with Maison Ferrand. That partnership is no accident: the historian is a longtime friend of Alexandre Gabriel and has collaborated with him many times, including on Ferrand Dry Curaçao, Ferrand Cognac 1840, Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple, and Planteray OFTD, which he helped blend alongside five other team members - all of whose portraits appear on the label.

It promises to be a great afternoon. See you there?

Event details