Rea, Brian

(1927–2021), a pioneering American bartender, collector, and historian of the bartender’s craft, had a huge impact on the world of cocktails for more than five decades. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rea was a foster child and attended high school briefly before joining the Merchant Marine during World War II.

Rea landed his first bar job in 1947, but his career began in earnest when he was hired at the historic 21 Club in midtown Manhattan. Jerry Berns (1907–2006), who founded the establishment along with his brother Charlie and cousin Jerome Kreindler, was the father that Rea never had. Berns schooled the enthusiastic student in the bar and restaurant business. Rea worked his way up to the head bartender position at a time when 21 was arguably the most famous bar in the world. After his stint at 21, Rea went to work for Billy Reed at the legendary Little Club, where Doris Day started her career as a lounge singer accompanied by a young Cy Coleman.

In the 1960s Rea relocated to the West Coast and worked at Ken Hansen’s Scandia on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, the Playboy Club, and Jack Weiser’s Frascati Restaurant.

In 1969, Rea dreamed up a new hospitality position, beverage director, which would separate bar and beverage operations from food operations. He spoke with six major hospitality corporations, and one, Host International, was willing to take a chance on the concept and appointed Rea as director of beverage services. Rea managed bar and beverage operations in a number of airports, hotels, restaurants, and airline clubs for Host.

In 1977, Rea left Host and embarked on a consulting career. His clients included Marriott Hotels, Victoria Station, General Mills, Sheraton Hotels, Canteen Corporation, TGI Friday’s, and the US Department of Defense and its military clubs, as well as a number of airlines, breweries, distilleries, and wineries. See TGI Friday’s.

Rea authored two books, now out of print, Brian’s Booze Guide (1976) and Brian’s Bartender Guide (1978), both displaying his characteristic mix of good-natured humor, common sense, and strong technique. He was also a frequent source for journalists writing about beverages and contributed articles to a number of publications, including Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Rea was owner and so-called barchivist of one of the world’s largest collections of drinks related books and ephemera. Rea’s third book, B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S.: Bars and Saloons, Taverns and Related Drink Stories, was published in 2017.

Rea, Brian. B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S.: Bars and Saloons, Taverns and Related Drink Stories. N.p.: CreateSpace, 2017.

By: Dale DeGroff