Not much is known about William J. Tarling, which is pretty surprising when you consider he wrote a highly regarded book, founded two important associations, and worked alongside a big name like his fellow countryman Harry Craddock. Tarling is a legend in British mixology, yet his life remains largely undocumented.
William J. Tarling: Who Was He, Really?
Let’s start with the basics. Tarling was born in 1904 and died in 1998, though the exact days and months are a bit of a mystery. The “J” in his name stands for James, but his friends called him Billy.
There’s very little information about his early years. The first mentions of him pop up when he was already a bartender. He cut his teeth in several London bars and quickly made a name for himself, landing the prestigious role of head bartender at Café Royal in London by 1930.
That same year, Harry Craddock released The Savoy Cocktail Book” which became a cornerstone of London’s cocktail culture. The two knew each other well, both operating at the top of their game at two of the city’s institutions. So, in 1933, they joined forces and founded the UK Bartenders Guild (UKBG).
The Associations Founded by Tarling
The UK Bartenders Guild (UKBG) prides itself on being the oldest bartender association in the world that’s still running today. Its main goals were, and still are, to provide professional training, set standards for the British bar scene, and compile a collection of official recipes.
While Craddock took on the role of president, Tarling threw himself into creating a recipe book that would be a benchmark for the profession. This book, Approved Drinks, was published in 1937.
Tarling became the president of the UKBG in 1951, the same year the British guild helped launch the International Bartenders Association (IBA) along with counterparts from Denmark, Italy, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Tarling also took up the mantle as the IBA’s first president that year.
William J. Tarling’s Rare Book
But we skipped an important step. Let’s go back to 1937 when William J. Tarling published the Café Royal Cocktail Book. It featured some recipes from Approved Drinks, others he penned himself, and even more that he gathered from his contemporaries.
The result? A snapshot of mixology between the two world wars, captured by one of the industry’s key figures. It included some recipes that were being published for the first time, like the 20th Century and the Picador (which some consider a precursor to the Margarita).
The Café Royal Cocktail Book also had some of the earliest documented tequila and vodka recipes, and several references to absinthe, which had been largely ignored in previous publications.
All of this would have been great if the publisher (UKBG) hadn’t printed only about a thousand copies and then stopped. No second or third edition ever followed, which soon made the Café Royal Cocktail Book an incredibly rare find. Those who read it raved about it, while others were left envious – until 2008, when UKBG decided to release a facsimile edition, finally bringing Tarling’s work back into the spotlight.
His Later Years
Jump back to 1951. Alongside founding the IBA and becoming its first president, William J. Tarling moved with his family to the spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. There, he took up a position behind the bar at the Prince of Wales Hotel, naturally as the head bartender.
At some point, he retired, though the exact date is unclear. From then on, his life is pretty much a blank page. Eventually, in 1998, he passed away, leaving a profound legacy for bartenders around the world.
Image courtesy of Cocktail Kingdom Library
