Ada Coleman (1875–1966) was head bartender at the Savoy Hotel in London for 23 years, one of only three women to have held that position. While working at the Savoy, she invented the "hanky panky", a distinctive variation on the sweet martini cocktail.
Ada Coleman bartending at the Savoy, circa 1920
New Year's Eve at the Savoy Hotel 1907
The hanky panky cocktail
A bartender is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but also occasionally at private parties. Bartenders also usually maintain the supplies and inventory for the bar. As well as serving beer and wine, a bartender can generally also mix classic cocktails such as a Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, and Mojito.
Bartender, Skyline Hotel Malmö, 1992
Ada Coleman bartending at the Savoy Hotel in London, circa 1920
A bartender serving customers at a bar in Jyväskylä, Finland, 1961
Cocktails