This 1930s image, taken from a cocktail napkin, is a perfect example of the creative mastery of vintage menu and restaurant accessory artists. The illustration shows Manhattan and its skyscrapers in a glass. Perfect for a city like New York that loves its booze.

Cocktail napkins, matchbooks, menus and table-toppers were all used as marketing tools for restaurants and bars.

This image may have a double meaning – it probably also represents the Manhattan cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, strained over ice and served in a chilled glass.

The origin of the drink, named after the area in which it was served, goes back to the 1860s. Some historians believe it was invented by a bartender who worked in a bar on Broadway, near Houston Street. Another theory is that the drink originated at the Manhattan Club a decade later, created in honor of the Governor of New York and Presidential candidate Samuel J Tilden. The drink is mentioned in the bar book The Flowing Bowl, published in 1891.

The Manhattan-in-a-glass image came with no identifying marks of any restaurant or bar and we are still hoping to unearth more information about it. 

Courtesy Private Collection.

Gallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson K3 archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing.

All printed in USA.

Each product is accompanied by a copy of the interior menu where available.