The Big Apple: “A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory”

A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006.

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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan.

Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Oct. 17, 1931, Turf Play, p. 7.

Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce The Big Apple, a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.

This site is edited by Barry Popik. Technical matters are handled by Grant Barrett of Double-Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary.

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Entry from March 19, 2012

“A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory”

"A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory” is a saying that has been put on gift items such as bumper stickers and T-shirts since at least 1996. It’s not known who coined the saying.

Palmetto Trading
A Bartender is a Pharmacist with Limited Inventory T-Shirts and Gifts

29 November 1996, Daily Herald (Chicago, IL), “Best way to survive the holidays, laugh” by Jack Mabley, pg. 16:
“A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.”

Google News Archive
8 May 1997, Deseret News, “Bumper crop of bumper stickers might drive you to distraction,” pg. C9, col. 3:
A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.

Google Books
Leon Schuster’s lekker, thick South African joke book
By Leon Schuster
Halfway House, South Africa: Zebra
1998
Pg. 68 (bumper stickers):
A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.

Google News Archive
14 March 1998, The Day (CT), pg. E5, col. 2:
A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.

Posted by Barry Popik
New York City • Food/Drink • (4) Comments • Monday, March 19, 2012 • Permalink

Hard to believe that, “A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory”. I think it’s true, because they has no other way to find himself.

Posted by Medsempire Shafi on 08/10 at 01:16 AM

This is so true and funny. They are giving you a drug. And yes they will talk about your problems with you. That is a good statement.

Posted by bartending ebook on 08/19 at 10:12 AM

Nice blog. It inspires me a lot. Thanks for publishing such useful information.

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