Bartending

Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus

Inspired by the bounty of Sonoma County's organic farms and local distilleries, Scott Beattie shakes up the cocktail world with his extreme twists on classic bar fare. In "Artisinal Cocktails", Beattie reveals his intense attention to detail and technique with a collection of visually stunning and astonishingly tasty drinks made with top-shelf spirits, fresh-squeezed juices, and just-picked herbs and flowers. In creatively named recipes such as Meyer Beautiful (My, You're Beautiful), Hot Indian Date, and the Grapes of Roth, Beattie combines flavours and aesthetics as meticulously as a chef to produce party-worthy concoctions guests won't soon forget.

The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks

Dale DeGroff is widely regarded as the world’s foremost mixologist. Hailed by the New York Times as “single-handedly responsible for what’s been called the cocktail renaissance,” he earned this reputation during his twelve years at the fashionable Promenade Bar in New York City’s Rainbow Room. It was there in 1987 that he not only reintroduced the cocktail menu to the country but also began mixing drinks from scratch, using impeccably fresh ingredients instead of the widespread mixes used at the time. Known especially for crafting unique cocktails, reviving classics, and coaxing superior flavor from his ingredients, DeGroff has selected his 100 essential drinks and 100 of their best variations—including many of his signature cocktails—for this premier mixology guide.

The Essential Cocktail features only those drinks that stand out for their flavor, interesting formula, or distinctive technique. These are the very ones every amateur and professional bartender must know, the martinis, sours, highballs, tropicals, punches, sweets, and classics, both old and new, that form the core of a connoisseur’s repertoire. Throughout the book are DeGroff’s personal twists, such as a tangy Grapefruit Julep or a refreshing Yuzu Gimlet.

To complement the tantalizing photographs of each essential cocktail, DeGroff also regales readers with the fascinating lore behind a drink’s genesis and instructs us on using the right ingredients, techniques, glasses, and garnishes. As Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the classic compendium for home chefs and gourmands, so The Essential Cocktail will be the go-to book for serious mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts.

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch

He's written shamelessly for more than a decade and a half about his passion for 12- and 15-year-olds. He's described his dalliances with loves named Heather and Peat and some three dozen named Glen. His name is Michael Jackson. Relax. We're talking here about the Britain-based, award-winning drinks and spirits writer and author of, among other classic reference works, Michael Jackson's Beer Companion.

In Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, devotees of the dram can peruse the latest revised edition of the 1989 work. In 336 pages brimming with maps, photos, and informed overview of factors such as geography and flavor components--even proximity to the sea--Jackson sketches the evolution of Scotch whisky, from the prebottling days, when shopkeepers like Johnnie Walker and the Chivas Brothers would create their own blends for sale, to the late-1960s and 1970s' surge of individual distilleries marketing their own bottlings. Lamentably labeling the former as a time when "orchestrations drowned out the soloists," Jackson provides some sweet sheet music of his own: 294 pages are devoted to an A-to-Z review (including full-color labels and tasting notes) of more than 800 singles from "every Scottish malt distillery that has ever witnessed its product in a bottle." It's the perfect book to take to your local liquor store next time you're trying to navigate the high shelf of Scotland's highlands, lowlands, and islands. You may laugh at Jackson's description of Auchentoshan Select's "oily" nose with "hints of citrus zest" or Aberlour 10-year-old's "mint-toffee" bouquet. But you'll be laughing out of the other side of your haggis when you actually smell them. All the notes are well researched and designed to appeal to Cardhu-carrying connoisseurs, as well as those who'd just like to know more about Bowmore. In his introduction, the author describes a whisky's finish as "a crescendo, followed by a series of echoes. When I leave the bottle, I like to be whistling the tune." Scotch drinkers will find plenty to wet that whistle in Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. --Tony Mason

The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes

Cocktails are bigger than ever, and this is the first real cookbook for them, covering the entire breadth of this rich subject. The Craft of the Cocktail provides much more than merely the same old recipes: it delves into history, personalities, and anecdotes; it shows you how to set up a bar, master important techniques, and use tools correctly; and it delivers unique concoctions, many featuring Dale DeGroff’s signature use of fresh juices, as well as all the classics.

Debonair, a great raconteur, and an unparalleled authority, Dale DeGroff is the epitome of Perfect Bartender, universally acknowledged as the world’s premier mixologist. From Entertainment Weekly and USA Today to the Culinary Institute of America and the nation’s best restaurants, whenever anybody wants information or training on the bar, they turn to Dale for recipes, for history, for anecdotes, for fun—for cocktail-party conversation as well as for cocktails.

That’s what The Craft of the Cocktail is—the full party, conversation and all. It begins with the history of spirits, how they’re made (but without too much boring science), the development of the mixed drink, and the culture it created, all drawn from Dale’s vast library of vintage cocktail books. Then on to stocking the essential bar, choosing the right tools and ingredients, mastering key techniques—hints worthy of a pro, the same information that Dale shares with the bartenders he trains in seminars and through his videos. And then the meat of the matter: 500 recipes, including everything from tried-and-true classics to of-the-moment originals. Throughout are rich stories, vintage recipes, fast facts, and other entertaining asides. Beautiful color photographs and a striking design round out the cookbook approach to this subject, highlighting the difference between an under-the-bar handbook and a stylish, full-blown treatment. The Craft of the Cocktail is that treatment, destined to become the bible of the bar.

How's Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well

The Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails

Ultimate Bar Book - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails By Mittie Hellmich"Ultimate Bar Book is the first and only guide to classic and new drink recipes. Loaded with essential-to-know topics such as barware, tools, and mixing tips, this book

Luscious Liqueurs: 50 Recipes for Sublime and Spirited Infusions to Sip and Savor

In this collection of 50 easy recipes, illustrated with gorgeous color photos, master mixologist A.J. Rathbun shows readers how to create their own liqueurs - infusions that meld liquor with fruit, herbs, and spices - for any occasion. Chapters include citrus mixes such as Limoncello and Mandarino; fruit flavors such as A Fair Pear; nutty/spicy liqueurs such as Anisetter and Basil Grappa; exotic mixtures such as Persephonia; and sweet treats such as Mocha Cream. The introduction covers all the basic rules, tips, and necessary tools, as well as information on gift-giving, storing, and packaging, and cocktail suggestions.

The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft

An original book on the craft of mixology is a rare gem. Gary Regan’s The Joy of Mixology is such a gem, one whose genius lies in Regan’s breakthrough system for categorizing drinks that helps bartenders—both professionals and amateurs alike—not only to remember drink recipes but also to invent their own.

For example, once you understand that the Margarita is a member of the New Orleans Sour Family, you’ll instantly see that a Kamikaze is just a vodka-based Margarita; a Cosmopolitan follows the same formula, with some cranberry juice thrown in for color. Similarly, the Manhattan and the Rob Roy, both members of the French-Italian family, are variations on the whiskey-vermouth-bitters formula.

In this way Regan brings a whole new understanding to the world of cocktails and how to make them. Not only will you learn how to make standard cocktails, you’ll actually learn to feel your way through making a drink, thereby attaining the skills needed to create concoctions of your own. And as Regan explains methods for mixing drinks, how to choose bartenders’ wares and select spirits and liqueurs, and the origins of many cocktails, you’ll feel as though you’re behind the bar with him, learning from a master. Plus, his charming and detailed history of mixed drinks raises this far above the standard cocktail guide fare.

With more than 350 drink recipes, The Joy of Mixology is the ultimate bar guide. Ground-breaking and authoritative, it’s a must-have for anyone interested in the craft of the cocktail.

Camp Cooking: 100 Years

The National Museum of Forest Service History presents a charming cookbook that celebrates decades of camp cooking by countless Forest Service agents in the field. Featuring legendary recipes for Dutch oven meals, open-fire dishes, and other tasty outdoor specialties used daily in the early days of the Forest Service, Camp Cooking: 100 Years has dozens of recipes, photos, and anecdotes that tell the whole history of these brave and hardy individuals. Dedicated ranger's wives prepared meals with limited resources as they accompanied their husbands in the field, often supplementing cooking with k-rations cooked over an open fire. In rustic and remote locations, delicious, time-tested creations were prepared and served, including Dutch Oven Beer Bread, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Pioneer Night Stew, and Creamy Pumpkin Pie.

Bartending For Dummies (For Dummies (Cooking))

1,000 + recipes and great party tips

Get the latest bar buzz on how to host, mix, shake, pour, and more

Want to concoct the perfect cocktail? From today's popular Mojitos and Martinis to classics like Manhattans and Margaritas, you'll be able to sip and entertain with a special twist. Get the scoop on everything from liquors, wine, and beer to Scotch, tequila, the latest tools of the trade, and more.

Discover how to:

• Stock a bar
• Mix exotic specialties and hot toddies
• Experiment with new flavored rums, vodkas, and cordials
• Garnish and serve drinks like a master mixologist
• Cure hangovers and hiccups