Martha King Niblo

1802–1851

Arguably the first female celebrity bartender in the United States; helped popularize the Sherry Cobbler

Born into a saloon-owning family, Martha King married Irish immigrant William Niblo. Together, the couple opened the successful Bank Coffee House, followed by the even more storied Niblo’s Garden, in 1928 Soho (near Broadway and Prince St). There, Martha King became known both as a bartender and the accomplished businessperson behind the institution. She appears to have personally played a role in popularizing the Sherry Cobbler (possibly even inventing the drink as it is now known). Niblo is buried in Green-wood Cemetery, Brooklyn.