author
Bertha E. L. (Bertha Edson Lay) Stockbridge
1871–1950
Best known for practical, inviting books on home cooking and non-alcoholic drinks, this early 20th-century writer brought a calm, useful style to everyday entertaining. Her work feels especially vivid today because it blends thrift, hospitality, and a surprisingly modern interest in alcohol-free beverages.
1 Audiobook
What to drink : The blue book of beverages; recipes and directions for making and serving non-alcoholic drinks for all occasions
by Bertha E. L. (Bertha Edson Lay) Stockbridge
About the author
Bertha E. L. Stockbridge wrote household and recipe books in the early 1900s, publishing works including The Liberty Cook Book in 1918 and What to Drink: The Blue Book of Beverages in 1920. Library and book records identify her full name as Bertha Edson Lay Stockbridge, and Project Gutenberg lists What to Drink under that name.
Her books suggest a writer focused on practical home life rather than celebrity authorship. The Liberty Cook Book presents economical cooking, menus, and food preservation, while What to Drink is devoted to serving non-alcoholic drinks for all occasions. That later book stands out as an especially interesting Prohibition-era guide, offering recipes and advice for graceful entertaining without alcohol.
Biographical details appear to be sparse in widely available sources, but memorial records place her life from May 31, 1871, to October 24, 1950. No clear, verifiable portrait image was found in the sources reviewed, so a profile image is not included here.