The Essential Cocktail Book

Gifted to my friends son on his birthday. He loved it

This was a gift to my sister who now enjoys cocktails from the beautiful book

Si te gustan los cocktails, este es tu libro

At the beginning of this year, we made two incongruous decisions. First, we decided to abstain from alcohol for the month of January (as many others did). Second, although we aren’t big on making hollow New Year’s resolutions, I committed to improving my mixology skills. In our house, my wife is the skilled bartender. She just has an uncanny knack for throwing something together without the aid of a recipe and, usually, it tastes incredible. My motivation was likely borne out of a desire to give her a reprieve from bartending duties, but also an interest in improving my mixology skills. We both love a good cocktail! Enter this book. With a focus on educating both amateurs and professionals on the finer points of cocktail creation and technique, the book features 150 recipes for both classic and modern mixed drinks - all featuring alluring photographs. Our preferences lean towards traditional cocktails and this book does not disappoint in that regard. After a brief introduction, several pages are devoted to the basics - including techniques, tools and glassware. The rest of the book is divided into three parts: classic, modern and syrups. A handy recipe list in the beginning, along with the traditional index in the end, makes finding (or choosing) a particular cocktail a breeze. Additionally, the book’s modest size makes it an easy companion for tucking alongside your home bar. Here are the cocktails we made: • Florodora - This gin-based cocktail is a tribute to the “Florodora Sextette”, who danced in the 1900 musical of the same name. Ours leans a bit more red in color than the pink-hued stunner in the book (thanks to muddled raspberries) but it was no less tasty. Lime juice and simple syrup also go into the shaker before straining over ice and topping with ginger ale. The garnish of orange wheel, lime wheel and raspberry ensures you’ll be getting a healthy portion of fruit as you imbibe! • Garibaldi - Sometimes, simple is best. Case in point: this cocktail right here, which is just Campari and orange juice. We reckon you could substitute the Campari for something similar like Aperol. Fresh, frothy orange juice is critical. A cocktail shaker will aid in aerating it, while a Vitamix would be even better. This will take you right back to the Orange Julius in the mall food court. We garnished ours with a blood orange slice to bump up the fancy meter to 100. • New York Sour - A clever spin on a Whiskey Sour (bourbon or rye, sugar and lemon juice), this version was supposed to have red wine “floating” on top. Sadly, the mixology gods were absent on this day and our result was not quite as impressive. • Southside - This drink falls somewhere between a gin mojito (sans soda water) and a gimlet with mint added. Not only is the fresh mint treated to a muddle, along with simple syrup, but a good old-fashioned “spanking” to release the oils for the garnish. This is a light, breezy cocktail! • Kentucky Buck - This cocktail showcases Kentucky’s state spirit, bourbon. Muddled strawberry and lemon juice are invited too, before garnishing with a lemon wheel. This is the perfect beverage for easing into (or out of) the weekend.

Great imagery and perfect size. Excellent gift!

I bought this as a gift and my friend loved it