Joe Gilmore

Joseph "Joe" Gilmore (19 May 1922 – 18 December 2015) was a Northern Irish bartender and mixologist. He was the head barman at the Savoy 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 best-known creations include the Moonwalk, the Link-Up, the Savoy Corpse Reviver, the Lorraine, and the Missouri Mule.

Joseph Patrick Gilmore was born on 19 May 1922 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to John Gilmore, a tobacconist, and Margaret O'Connor, a tailor. He was the third of nine children.^{[citation needed]}

In 1938, aged 16, Gilmore moved to London to find work and "adventure". He began working as a wallpaper packer at the Arthur Sanderson & Sons factory in Perivale, later taking up work as a kitchen hand.

Gilmore began his early bartender training at La Coquille, a French restaurant on St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, among other places. While working at the Olde Bell, he served the Welsh millionaire steel baron Kenneth Davies and the aviator Amy Johnson. The couple reportedly asked Gilmore for a dry martini, which he attempted unsuccessfully; Davies and Johnson politely demonstrated how to make one. Gilmore cited this interaction as the spark that fuelled his passion for cocktail mixology.

Gilmore first began working at the Savoy Hotel as a commis waiter at the American Bar. By 1940, aged 18, he was promoted to trainee barman and began his apprenticeship with Harry Craddock, earning £3.10s a week.

In 1954, Gilmore took over as head bartender.^{[citation needed]} Over the following two decades, he created new cocktails, especially to honour special occasions and important guests, including Princess Diana, Prince William, Anne, the Princess Royal, the Queen Mother, Winston Churchill, and the American presidents Harry S. Truman and Richard Nixon.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to serving five generations of royals at private receptions and parties, Gilmore frequently served Errol 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, and Frank Sinatra, among others.

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

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 that the line 'set'em up Joe', from his song "One for My Baby", is a reference to Gilmore.

Gilmore retired from the Savoy in 1976.

Created for Sir Winston Churchill's 90th birthday.

Created for Sir Winston Churchill on one of his many visits to the Savoy.

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

Created for Sir Winston Churchill 80th birthday.

Created in 1973 to commemorate the wedding of Princess Anne to Captain Mark Phillips. Doublet was the name of the princess's horse on which she participated in the European Eventing Championships in 1973.

Created for Sir David Davies.

Created in 1975 to mark the American and Russian link-up in space, the Apollo–Soyuz project. The cocktail was sent to the U.S. and U.S.S.R. for the astronauts to enjoy when they returned from their mission.

Created to mark French President Charles de Gaulle's state visit to Britain after the Second World War.

Created for American President Harry S Truman, to commemorate his home state of Missouri and the donkey mascot of the Democratic Party.

Created in 1969 to mark the first human Moon landing. The cocktail was the first drink the American astronauts had when they returned to Earth.

Created to mark Julie Andrews' first night in the musical My Fair Lady.

Created in 1969 to mark American President Richard Nixon's visit to Britain.

Created for Sarah, Duchess of York

Created in 1960 to mark the birth of Prince Andrew.

Created for the Queen Mother on one of her private visits to the Savoy.

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