Gary "Gaz" Regan (September 18, 1951 – November 15, 2019) was a British-born bartender and a writer in the United States. He was known for his book The Joy of Mixology.[1]
Early life
Regan began tending bar in his parents' pubs when he was 14. After training as a chef at Courtfield Catering College in Blackpool, he ran a bistro with his wife, Norma. They divorced after two years, after which Regan emigrated to New York, in 1973.
Career
In 1973, he tended an Upper East Side bar in Manhattan, and then became manager of the North Star Pub at South Street Seaport.
After working as a bartender over 20 years, he started to write about bartending and bars for FoodArts magazine.[2] His first book, The Bartender's Bible, was published in 1991, with his then-wife, Mardee Haidin Regan.[3] Later, he became a cocktail columnist for Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine and San Francisco Chronicle.
Regan expanded into the liquor business by developing Regans’ Orange Bitters No.6, made by Sazerac.
Health and death
In 2003 Regan had surgery and radiation treatment for tongue cancer. No longer able to grow a full beard, he began wearing his hair long and adopted the Lancashire nickname for Gary, "Gaz".
