The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The hotel has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York. The first, bearing the same name, was built in two stages, as the Waldorf Hotel and the Astoria Hotel, which accounts for its dual name. That original site was situated on Astor family properties along Fifth Avenue, opened in 1893, and designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh.
Albert Stevens Crockett, the hotel's veteran publicist and historian, wrote his first cocktail book "Old Waldorf Bar Days" in 1931 during Prohibition and the construction of the current hotel on Park Avenue. It was an homage to the original hotel and its famous bar and clientele. The book contains Crockett's takes on the original hand-written leather bound book of recipes that was given to him at the time of the closure by bartender Joseph Taylor. This edition was never reprinted. In 1934, Crockett wrote a second book, "The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book", in response to the repeal of the Volstead Act and the end of the Prohibition era. He edited out most of the text from the first book. Drawing from his experiences as a travel writer, Crockett added nearly 150 more recipes, the bulk of which can be found in the "Cuban Concoctions" and "Jamaican Jollifers" chapters. These books became reference books on the subject of pre-Prohibition cocktails and its culture. In 2016, the long-time hotel bar manager of Peacock Alley and La Chine, Frank Caiafa, added a completely new edition to the canon. Caiafa's "The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book" includes all of the recipes in Crockett's books; many of the hotel's most important recipes created since 1935; and his own creations. In 2017, it was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Beverage Book. Other notable books with connections to the hotel include "Drinks" (1914) by Jacques Straub, a wine steward and friend of Oscar Tschirky who had written about the first hotel's notable recipes. Tschirky himself compiled a list of 100 recipes for his own book "100 Famous Cocktails" (1934), a selection of favorites from Crockett's books. Finally, hotel publicist Ted Saucier wrote "Bottoms Up" in 1951, consisting of a compendium of popular, national recipes of the day.

Q: What's the deal with cocktail books?
A: Albert Stevens Crockett, the hotel's veteran publicist and historian, wrote his first cocktail book "Old Waldorf Bar Days" in 1931

Q: When did he write this book?
A: in 1931 during Prohibition

Q: Did this book sell well?
A: This edition was never reprinted.

Q: What cocktails were in this book?
A: It was an homage to the original hotel and its famous bar and clientele.
Was this the only cocktail book?
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Crockett wrote a second book, "The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book",