Bartender to royals, politicians, world leaders and celebrities

There have been hundreds of readers’ accounts shared on this page about local folk who left their mark on history, here and around the world, including war heroes, scientists, writers and artists, preachers, teachers and explorers.

There hasn’t yet been a ‘Cocktail Barman Laureate’ mentioned here, a title bestowed on a Belfast-man who became bartender and cocktail mixer to a veritable Who’s Who of historic tipplers!

Joe Gilmore, born in Belfast on May 19, 1922, went to London where he became the barman who “served and made friends with royalty, politicians and celebrities,” Mike McCann recently recounted, adding “he created and named cocktails for Queens and Princesses, Princes and Prime Ministers, and for social and historic events of the day.”

Joe, who died aged 93 on December 18, was Mike McCann’s wife’s uncle.

He was also a world-famous bartender who served five generations of royals at private receptions and parties.

Joe’s awesome catalogue of celebrity friends and customers included Errol Flynn, Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Grace Kelly, George Bernard Shaw, Noël Coward, Julie Andrews, Laurence Olivier, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Bing Crosby.

Mike McCann has compiled a wonderful account of his wife’s uncle Joe’s remarkable life.

Joseph Patrick Gilmore was born in Castleton Gardens, North Belfast on May 19, 1922, one of a family of 10.

Aged just 16 Joe went to London as a factory worker packing rolls of wallpaper. His next job was in a restaurant washing dishes and then he began training as a barman at London’s La Coquille and the Olde Bell at Hurley.

Early in his career a friendly couple showed Joe how to mix a Dry Martini.

The gentleman was to become a lifelong friend - Kenneth Davies, Welsh millionaire steel-baron; his lady friend was the famous aviator Amy Johnston!

Aged 18 Joe started as trainee barman at the Savoy, earning £3.10s a week as apprentice to its legendary head bartender Harry Craddock.

During WWII Joe was also a fire warden on the roof of the Savoy, witnessing first-hand the horrors of the London blitz.

He met and fell in love with Londoner Marie Zambelli, and in 1944 they married.

He became the Savoy’s head bartender in 1954, a position that he held for 21 years.

Life at the Savoy was exciting, and the people he met were fascinating.

Joe’s friend Sir David Davies, Kenneth’s son, observed “Back in the 1950s the appointment of a Head Barman at the Savoy was an event of national and even international importance.”

It was “handy for both the City and Westminster, near to Fleet Street and the West End. It was London’s exclusive meeting place for the rich and powerful.”

Because of his reputation for professionalism, his quiet Irish charm and absolute discretion, Joe was frequently engaged by famous individuals to serve bars worldwide at their private functions.

Princess Margaret often flew him to Mustique for her parties on the Caribbean island!

Prince Phillip was an occasional visitor to the Savoy, as was King Umberto of Italy.

Frank Sinatra was a frequent guest at the American Bar, where he insisted on being served by Joe.

Sinatra would always say “Set ‘em up Joe!” and the Ol’ Blue Eyes line from ‘One for my Baby’ was actually said to be about Joe Gilmore.

He often served Winston Churchill, who’d been dining at the Savoy when he first learned he was to be Prime Minister!

Joe kept Churchill’s personal bottle of Black and White whiskey forever ready under the counter.

Sir David Davies commented “To listen to Joe reminiscing… was to eavesdrop on a different age.”

His space-era cocktails received worldwide attention.

Created for the first moon landing in 1969, Joe’s ‘Moonwalk’ cocktail was the first drink which Neil Armstrong and the other astronauts had back on earth.

In 1975 his ‘Link-Up’ cocktail, marking the American and Russians’ link-up in space, was sent to the USA and USSR for the astronauts to enjoy when they returned from their mission. When told that the cocktail was waiting for them, the astronauts sent a message from outer space – “Tell Joe we want it up here!”

Joe’s ‘Common Market’ cocktail was created using one drink from each of the then nine member countries.

He created a cocktail for Princess Diana, and reported that, as she didn’t drink alcohol, he mixed lemon, lime and orange and other juices and shook them for her. He said that other customers would ask him for it, often requesting a top-up of champagne!

Joe loved horse racing and was a regular punter, and until his death in 2014 the Duke of Marlborough did the Lottery every week with Joe….but with little success!

Mr. Gilmore never forgot his Irish roots or family background and never lost his soft Belfast accent.

He was a devout Catholic and until his final illness he regularly attended church with wife Marie.

He had three sons, Joseph, Brian and Anthony, and was the proud grandfather of Bonnie, Dominic, Danika and Francesca.

He has one surviving sister Rosaleen living in Dublin.

His son Anthony read some moving lines at legendary Joe’s recent funeral service, where one of the wreaths was a large cocktail made of flowers.

“Heaven is waiting with endless customers….What a true gentleman he was, with such humility and grace.”