Joseph "Joe" Gilmore (19 May 1922 – 18 December 2015)^[1] was a renowned bartender and famous mixologist during the 20th century. He was Head Barman at TheSavoy Hotel's American Bar from 1954 to 1976 and is recognised as the creator of numerous cocktails to mark special events and important guests, a longstanding tradition at the American Bar. Gilmore's most famous creations include Moonwalk, Link-Up, The Corpse Reviver, Lorraine, and Missouri Mule.

Joseph Patrick Gilmore was born on 19 May 1922 inBelfast,Northern Ireland to John Gilmore, atobacconist, and Margaret O'Connor, a tailoress, fromBelfast,Ireland.

He was the third of nine children.

In 1938, aged 16, Gilmore moved toLondon looking for work and "adventure".^[2] He began working as a wallpaper packer at theArthur Sanderson & Son's factory inPerivale, London, later taking up work as a kitchen hand.^[3]

Gilmore began his early bartender training at La Coquille, a French restaurant onSt Martin's Lane,Covent Garden, among other places.^[3] While working at The Olde Bell he met and served Welsh millionaire steel-baron Kenneth Davies and the aviatorAmy Johnston. The couple reportedly asked Gilmore for a dry martini, which he attempted unsuccessfully. Despite his attempt being enjoyed by the couple, Davies and Johnston politely demonstrated how to make one. Gilmore cited this interaction as the spark that fuelled his passion of cocktail mixology.^[3] After this first encounter, Davies and Gilmore became life long friends.^[3]

Gilmore first began working atThe Savoy as a commis waiter at The American Bar of the Savoy Hotel.^[4] By 1940, aged 18, he was promoted to trainee barman and began his apprenticeship withHarry Craddock, earning£3.10s a week.^[5][6]

In 1954, Gilmore took over as head bartender. Over the following two decades Gilmore created new cocktails, especially to honour special occasions and important guests, includingPrincess Diana,Prince William,Anne, The Princess Royal,The Queen Mother,Sir Winston Churchill, and American PresidentsHarry S. Truman andRichard Nixon.

In addition to serving five generations of royals at private receptions and parties, Gilmore frequently servedErrol Flynn,Laurel and Hardy,Charlie Chaplin,Dwight D. Eisenhower,Grace Kelly,George Bernard Shaw,Ernest Hemingway,Noël Coward,Agatha Christie,Alice Faye,Ingrid Bergman,Julie Andrews,Laurence Olivier,Joan Crawford,Judy Garland,Liza Minnelli,Bing Crosby andFrank Sinatra andWinston Churchill.^[7]

In 1969, he created one of his most famous cocktails, the "Moonwalk", to commemorate theApollo 11 Moon landing. The cocktail is a combination of grapefruit juice, orange liqueur and rose water, topped with champagne. This was the first drink astronautsNeil Armstrong andBuzz Aldrin had upon returning to Earth.^[8]

Frank Sinatra was a frequent guest to the American Bar whenever he was in London and insisted only Gilmore was to serve him. It is widely believed the line from Sinatra’s One For My Baby "set’em up Joe" is in reference to Gilmore.^[9]

Gilmore retired from the Savoy in 1976.^[2]

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Created forSir Winston Churchill’s ninetieth birthday. It is also known as the Four Score and Ten.

Created forSir Winston Churchill on one of his many visits to The Savoy.

Created to mark Britain’s entry into theEuropean Economic Community in 1973, using drinks from all the member states.

Created forSir Winston Churchill’s eightieth birthday.

Created in 1973 to commemorate the wedding ofPrincess Anne to CaptainMark Phillips. Doublet was the name of the Princess’s horse on which she participated in the European Championships in 1973.

Created forSir David Davies.

Created in 1975 to mark the American and Russians link up in Space, theApollo–Soyuz project. The link up cocktail was sent to the U.S. andU.S.S.R. for the astronauts to enjoy when they returned from their mission. When told this byNASA as they linked up in Space, they responded, "Tell Joe we want it up here."

Created to mark PresidentCharles de Gaulle’s State visit toBritain after theSecond World War.

TheMissouri mule cocktail was created for PresidentHarry S Truman. The cocktail commemorates Truman's home state ofMissouri and thedonkey mascot of the Democratic Party (a mule is a hybrid of a donkey and a horse).

Created in 1969 to mark thefirst human Moon landing. The cocktail was the first drink theAmericanastronauts had when they returned to Earth.^[10] A letter of thanks was later sent fromNeil Armstrong to Joe Gilmore.^{[citation needed]}

Created to markJulie Andrews’ first night in the musicalMy Fair Lady.

Created in 1969 to mark American PresidentRichard Nixon's visit toBritain.^[11] The cocktail was mixed at the American bar and then sent over toClaridge's where Nixon was staying.

Created forSarah, Duchess of York’s^{[clarification needed]}

Created for Edward Shelly at his request.

Created in 1960 to mark the birth ofAndrew.

Created by Joe Gilmore at theAtlantic Hotel,Hamburg,Germany.

Created forThe Queen Mother on one of her private visits to The Savoy.

TheCorpse Revivers are a series ofhangover cures invented during prohibition. This recipe is a variation invented by Gilmore in 1954.

Created in 1990 to commemorate the election of John Wolff Director ofRudolf Wolff as Chairman of theLondon Metal Exchange. "Wolfram" is another name for the elementtungsten.

Gilmore married Marie Jeanne Zambelli in 1943. They had three sons.

DuringThe Blitz, Gilmore helped protect The Savoy by working as a fire warden from its roof.

Gilmore never returned to Ireland, but "... never forgot his Irish roots or family background and never lost his soft Belfast accent."^[12] He remained aRoman Catholic throughout his life, and died on 18 December 2015, aged 93.^[13]

• List of cocktails

• "Joe Gilmore: Head barman of the Savoy Hotel's American Bar".The Independent. 2 February 2016. Retrieved28 January 2017.
• "Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars".The Irish News. 16 January 2016. Archived fromthe original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved28 January 2017.
• Nicholas Foulkes "Joe Gilmore and his cocktails" (2003)

• 1922 births
• 2015 deaths
• Bartenders
• People from Belfast

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