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Cocktail Resources for the N00B


ChainWhip
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So it's getting hotter up here in Seattle & the wife is asking for mixed drinks. Since I typically drink my alcohol neat (be it wine, beer, whisky), I'm a newbie at this mixed drink & cocktail thing.

Are there any good books or resources that should be part of the Cocktail Canon that one should keep near the bar?

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Bitters, vermouth, orange liqueur, citrus fruits, and ice. Get something fizzy and you've got yourself the foundations for many a classic cocktail.

Gary Regan would be a good start for basic recipes and cocktail methodology.

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My favorite book is In The Land of Cocktails by Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan. It is about cocktails in the spirit of New Orleans, which is a city of cocktails and cocktail culture.

Tim

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@ Alphanumeric: Regan's Joy of Mixology comes up a fair bit in my searches - added it to my Amazon list

@ Tim: I grew up in New Orleans so your recommendation on the book by the owners of Commander's Palace definitely piques my interest - added to my Amazon list as well

Thanks guys!

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Joy of Mixology, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, and Savoy Cocktail are all good recipe books, but also include historical background and expound on the "theory" of making cocktails.

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I find Ted Haigh's "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" to be a good book to start from. To go upscale a bit there is the "PDT Cocktail Book" by Jim Meehan which is worthwhile but a bit more complex. And of course summer says Tiki to me so I also recommend Beach Bum Berry's "Remixed" which is an update and combination of two earlier tiki classics from the Bum!

The Savoy Cocktail Book has a lot of cocktail recipes but not always a lot of history or explanations so I don't find that I refer to it much.

Imbibe Magazine also has a lot of seasonal drink recipes and I have really enjoyed many of them. It is a bimonthly magazine devoted to all things drinking to include beer, wine, spirits as well as coffee, tea and other beverages.

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Get a Mr. Boston book and always have it at the home bar. There are a number of books that have that small 'bartender's friend' format.

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I second Trey Manthey's recommedation of The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Great history given, and as it was written in the 1930's, the old timely phrases and humor really make it a joy to read.

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I second Trey Manthey's recommedation of The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Great history given, and as it was written in the 1930's, the old timely phrases and humor really make it a joy to read.

It is a very interesting book as well as a nice historical reference. The author, an attorney, did indeed live through prohibition although the book was first published in 1948 and reprinted several times in the 50's. As part of the cocktail revival it was then reprinted about 5 years ago by a couple of leaders of the revival. Many of the ingredients he mentions are no longer around or have only recently been revived as part of the nouveau cocktail movement.

An interesting book as it is from the perspective of a home enthusiast and not a bartender. Which did not prevent him from expressing his strongly held opinion on things!

Might not be my first choice for someone new to cocktails though.

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It's hard to go wrong with either Dale DeGroff's books or Tony Abu-Gaium. But my favorite is out of print and that's David Wonderich's Esquire Cocktail book. It's got everything you need in it.

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