OP: Bartender's Guide to the Best Mixed Drinks

American cocktails have had a presence in Japan since the 1870s with the opening of the International Hotel and the Grand Hotel in 1890, according to the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Japanese bartenders trained in American style cocktails began opening their own bars by the early 1900s. After WWII, an increased presence of American expats, tourists, and military personnel reemphasized the hospitality industry’s need to cater to western preferences. This scarce pocket-sized book is a fine example of the changing demands of a world opening up to greater travel and cultural exchange. The book was published in the early 1950s and remained in print into the late 1970s, but we don’t know anything about the author, named on the title page only as “Kappa,” which is the name of an amphibious spirit in Japanese folklore. Whether it is the real name of the author or some kind of pen name is unclear, but the quotes around it suggest some sort of playfulness is afoot. The book’s table